Brain damage associated with chronic alcoholism.

Three hypotheses were discussed concerning the nature of the neurological and psychological disorder in chronic alcoholics. The evidence was not supportive of a diffuse or generalized deficit. The hypothesis that the right hemisphere of the brain is more vulnerable than the left hemisphere to disruption from chronic alcohol abuse was also considered. Although provocative, there existed significant findings which did not coroborate this notion. The third hypothesis considered maintained that chronic alcoholics suffer from an anterior-basal focus of impairment. The evidence in support of this notion was substantial from both the neurological and psychological research, suggesting that alcoholics exhibit a pattern of disorders similar to that manifested by more deteriorated persons suffering from the Korsakoff psychosis.