posted March 17, 2010 11:40 AM         

The loss of coordination associated with alcohol intoxication is largely due to a disruption of cerebellar function. Long-term heavy drinking can also cause progressive degeneration of the cerebellum for some alcoholics. Defects in the cerebellum itself, however, have never been considered as a potential cause of alcohol dependence.

In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers in the March 2005 issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research have found that developmental deficits in cerebellar function – as reflected by measures of motor development in the first year of life – may predict the development of adult alcohol dependence.

"The cerebellum is generally known for its involvement in motor coordination," said Ann Manzardo, research assistant professor at the University of Kansas Medical Center and corresponding author for the study. "It's important for assessing and processing information from your environment, and sequencing motor commands so that you can coordinate your movements, making them smooth and orderly. A relatively new line of research has also implicated the cerebellar vermis – the midline portion of the cerebellum – in the regulation of behavior."

"Only recently has the cerebellum's potential involvement in any psychopathology been considered," added Barry Liskow, professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Kansas Medical Center. "For example, imaging studies have suggested the involvement of the cerebellum in schizophrenia. However, there have to my knowledge been no studies that have suggested a role for the cerebellum in alcohol dependence."

Since the cerebellum is an important structure for movement, Manzardo hypothesized that if deficits in the cerebellum were indeed contributing to a person's risk for developing alcoholism, then researchers might be able to identify impairments in motor coordination as "markers" of the risk of developing alcoholism.

The Danish Longitudinal Study
She was able to access perinatal data collected in a large study of birth defects in Copenhagen, Denmark from 1959 through to 1961. "The original study had more than 9100 babies, with 2500 separate pieces of data collected for each baby; that's a pretty profound piece of research," she said.

The Danish Longitudinal Study on Alcoholism has revisited its participants 20, 30 and 40 years later. Of the subgroup used in this study, two thirds of the original subjects were sons of fathers with a history of alcoholism; one third consisted of sons of fathers with no history of alcoholism. Of the original 330 babies, 241 completed the 30-year follow-up assessment used in this study.

Exploring Deveopment Delays
Researchers examined motor development measures that included muscle tone at birth and at day five, as well as one-year evaluations of sitting, standing and walking abilities.

Several measures of childhood motor development significantly predicted alcohol dependence at 30 years of age: deficits in muscle tone five days after birth, delays in the age to sitting, and delays in the age to walking.

"The key finding is that infants who exhibit a subtle delay in motor coordination appear to be at increased risk for developing alcoholism later in life," said Liskow. "This motor problem may or may not be related to the cerebellum. However, combined with suggestions that the cerebellum may be involved in the coordination of emotional and cognitive functions as well as motor functions, this finding opens the door for exploring whether development delays or other insults to the cerebellum are related to the development of alcoholism."

Early Childhood a Key Factor
"The motor coordination deficits that we found were minor deficits," added Manzardo. "The subjects were not disabled or impaired in any way, they were just consistently lagging in several important benchmarks. Since the study involved primarily high-risk men, we can't be certain how well this will translate to the normal population."

"The most practical implication of this research is that studies in the future which assess the predictors for the development of alcoholism should include data about psychomotor – especially cerebellar – functioning in their subjects," said Liskow.

Manzardo concurs. "The most important contribution that I think this study can make is to shift the emphasis of research in the field, bringing attention to early childhood development as a potentially key factor in the development of alcoholism," she said.
http://alcoholism.about.com/od/genetics/a/blacer050316.htm

It seems that subtle coordination issues are early warning signs of alcoholic types. Many neurodivergents self medicate with alcohol. Both Alcoholism and neurodivergence runs strong in my family.
Also many neurodivergents without alcohol will fail the field sobriety because of subtle coordination issues.

Raymond

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"Nothing matters absolutely;
the truth is it only matters relatively"

posted March 18, 2010 10:24 AM         

They have a question on the exam about Korsakoff's syndrome, which is a condition alcoholics get where their memory is so impaired, they cannot store any piece of new information. You meet one of these ppl and walk out the room, they think your a stranger when you come back in. Very sad.

It's caused by a lack of thiamine, because alcoholics dont eat and suffer from malnutrition, so they're starving their brains of the nutrients it needs. Kinda like how scurvy works (lack of Vitamin C)

Also, alcohol affects EVERY SINGLE part of the body..badly.
99% of other drugs are just straight hallucinogens and stimulants, except for marijuana.

posted March 19, 2010 03:02 PM         

I have history of motor delays,and I have a strong alcoholic family history. The neurological testing with Dr. Harold N. Levinson in 2005 to test the vestibular-cerebellar system as well as the overall nervous system was the same time of testing that the police use for field sobriety tests,and I was abnormal on Dr. Levinson's neurological tests.

here are some research papers by Dr. Levinson http://www.dyslexiaonline.com/evidence/papers.html

I definitely want to raise awareness and understanding of neurodivergence to law enforcement.

In October 1999,police mistook my auditory input speech lags and problems with demand language for some psychotic disorientation, and that led me to be me taken to a mental hospital where the psychiatrists diagnosed me as having Bipolar, schizoaffective disorder. I went to them for help when I got lost trying to find my way back to my aunt's house in Oakland. I was visiting from Sacramento. Therefore,I wasn't familiar with the area.

I have a blog entry on tribenet
Neurodivergent Empathy Program. It mentions using intoxication simulation goggles to simulate neurodivergent issues. http://people.tribe.net/4b0cf8c4-1fc3-4171-92d3-b0915985bf95/blog/45c762 ec-0487-4cc0-9b5c-be54e41ecf2d

My father who was a drug addict had history of problems with speech,auditory processing,coordination,eye contact,hypersensitivity,emotional regulation like me. My mother told me about that.
Both my mother and one of my maternal aunts told me that they have a lot of the symptoms from Dr. Harold Levinson's list on Dyslexic Syndrome. Both are recovering alcoholics. My aunt's oldest child was diagnosed as ADHD,hyperactive at 7 years old. Her youngest child told me that she relate to ADHD,inattentive type. My Uncle Eddie was very hyperactive as a child,and was recommended to be put on medication. He also had speech problems. My stepgrandmother refused to put him on medication. She told me that she is hyperactive,and so was my grandfather who was an alcoholic like both his parents. They weren't on medication for AD/HD. My Uncle Eddie's youngest child is very hyperactive too. My grandfather's half-brother,Gino was diagnosed as having Dyslexia. My mother and all of her paternal half siblings didn't graduate from high school with their class. They all were drop-outs. My Uncle Dino told me that he had problems with writing,and he always had problems with school.
I think the whole family is neurodivergent in some way, especially AD/HD. Every one of them are very intelligent in their own way and found their niche in certain areas whether it was warehouse work/foreman, book keeping/accounting,bartending/managing a night club,Veteran Affairs counseling/disability compensation help/rating board,cosmetology/hairdressing/manicuring,Military/Real Estate.

It's common knowledge that many neurodivergents self medicate with alcohol and drugs. A lot of marijuana smokers in my family too.

It's not a surprise to see that subtle cerebellar deficits can be connected to alcoholism later on. http://www.dyslexiaonline.com/information/syndrome.html

I haven't drunk alcohol since 1999 because of my strong alcoholic family history.
Of course, my Moon in Pisces square Neptune suggests that I should stay away from drugs and alcohol.

Raymond

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"Nothing matters absolutely;
the truth is it only matters relatively"

posted March 20, 2010 08:20 PM         

I've wondered whether children with ADHD grow up with a tendency to drink. We see more ADHA children than we do adults. I think the reason for this is their behaviour is masked in alcoholic lifestyles, so people are more likely to say that the ADHD adult is an alchoholic, rather than someone who has 'other' challenges.