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Prolonged cerebrospinal fluid acidosis in recently abstinent chronic alcoholics

From the Addiction Research Foundation Clinical Institute (Drs. Carlen, Kapur, Huszar, Lee, Moddel, Singh, and Wilkinson), and the Toronto Western Hospital, Department of Medicine (Neurology), Playfair Neuroscience Unit (Drs. Carlen and Lee), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario.

Significant cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) acidosis was evident in 80 chronic alcoholics (mean pH, 7.25 ± 0.06) who were compared with 14 neurologic controls (mean pH, 7.31 ± 0.02). Acidosis persisted for many weeks after the last drink, and there was no associated systemic acidosis. CSF pH correlated significantly with CSF anion gap, suggesting a primary cerebral metabolic abnormality. Even though one-quarter of the alcoholic patients had a CSF pH less than 7.21, mental impairment was less than expected for the degree of CSF acidosis noted.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Carlen, 33 Russell Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 2S1.

Accepted for publication November 30, 1979.

Presented in part at the thirty-first annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology, Chicago, April 1979.

This work was supported in part by the Non-Medical Use of Drugs Directorate of Canada.