Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Alcohol-induced Encephalopathies

Abstract

Alcohol has direct and indirect toxic effects on the brain, such as oxidative metabolism, inflammatory reactions, and DNA damage. This article describes neuroimaging findings of alcohol-induced encephalopathies including brain atrophy, osmotic demyelination syndrome, Marchiafava-Bignami disease, Wernicke's encephalopathy, hepatic encephalopathy, and alcohol withdrawal syndrome. Symptoms of these disorders are often non-specific, so a thorough understanding of neuroimaging findings is important for prompt diagnoses and treatment.