Contributions of Studies on Alcohol Use Disorders to Understanding Cerebellar Function

Overview

Journal Neuropsychol Rev

Specialties Neurology
Psychology

Date 2010 Sep 3

PMID 20809198

Citations 27

Authors

Natalie M Zahr

Anne-Lise Pitel

Sandra Chanraud

Edith V Sullivan

Affiliations

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Abstract

Neuropathological, neuropsychological, and neuroimaging studies of human alcoholism provide evidence for degradation of frontal, pontine, thalamic, and cerebellar brain sites and disturbed associated functions. Current studies using neuroimaging combined with examination of executive functions, traditionally considered the sole purview of the frontal lobes, have identified a role for the cerebellum serving as a compensatory processing adjunct to enable normal performance on challenging tasks tapping executive functions. This overview proposes that disruption of an executive frontocerebellar network is a major contributor to characteristic behaviors of alcoholism that, on the one hand, enable alcohol use disorders, and on the other hand, lead to compensation for dysfunctions in alcoholism traditionally considered frontally-based.

Citing Articles

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