Naslov
The Influence of Alcohol-Induced Cerebellar Atrophy on Respiratory Rhytms at Rest

Autori
Mirošević, Monika ; Kardum, Goran

Izvornik
Alcoholism (0002-502X) 45 (2009), 2; 81-93

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Radovi u časopisima, članak, znanstveni

Ključne riječi
alcoholism ; cerebellar degeneration ; breathing ; magnetic resonance

Sažetak
The aim of this paper is to examine whether and in what way an alcohol-induced cerebellar degeneration changes breathing at resting. The subjects are alcohol addicts from the Club of Treated Alcoholics "Split" (N=Il), men aged between 38 and 64 yrs, smokers, abstinent from alcohol more than five months. The diagnosis of alcohol dependence made by the specialist in psychiatry according to the criteria of International Classification of Diseases (ICD-IO, tenth revision) and signs of cerebellar degeneration on magnetic resonance (MRI) were set as criteria for the inclusion in the research. Ventilation, rhythm of breathing, and pulmonary gas exchange were measured with the method of breath-by-breath (breathing with a mask) during 20 minutes of resting. The control group consists of healthy men (N=Il) who did not have problems with excessive drinking of alcoholic beverages and whose mean age corresponds to the subjects' mean age. The alcoholics and control groups statistically significantly differed in these parameters: diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO) (p=0.002), oxygen pulse (V02/HR) (p=0.019) and alveolar ventilation (VA) (p=0.023). The subjects who had a severe atrophy of cerebellum at magnetic resonance had a lowered diffusion (DLCO) (p=0.072), increased frequency of breathing (fb) (p=0.059), and the exhalation time (TE) was shortened (p=0.018) when compared to the subjects with mild atrophy. Patients with the radiologic diagnosis of alcohol cerebellar degeneration have normal ventilation at rest, rhythm of breathing and pulmonary gas exchange which is a consequence of high physiological reserves. Strong cerebellar atrophy moderately increases the frequency of breathing and shortens the expiration which points to the fact that cerebellum is an important regulator of the breathing frequency. DLCO is lowered as well, which can be connected to smoking. The subjects are a variable group with a big dispersion of morphology and function and in order for the insufficiency of centrai respiratory control to be showed further pressure studies are necessary to be done. In order to test the peripheral and central chemosensitivity a research with hypoxic and hypercapnic test at rest and during activity should be conducted.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Temeljne medicinske znanosti, Kliničke medicinske znanosti, Psihologija

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