Skip Navigation



Alcohol and Alcoholism Advance Access published online on January 18, 2008
Alcohol and Alcoholism, doi:10.1093/alcalc/agm162
This Article
Right arrow Full Text Freely available
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
43/2/171    most recent
agm162v1
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Ferdinandis, T. G. H. C.
Right arrow Articles by De Silva, H. J.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Ferdinandis, T. G. H. C.
Right arrow Articles by De Silva, H. J.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© Medical Council on Alcohol 2004; all rights reserved

Illicit Alcohol Consumption and Neuropathy – A Preliminary Study in Sri Lanka

T. G. H. C. Ferdinandis1,* and H. J. De Silva2

1 Department of Physiology, University of Kelaniya, Ragama, Sri Lanka
2 Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya, Ragama, Sri Lanka

* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed at: Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Thalagolla Road, Ragama, Sri Lanka. Tel: +0094–11-2953410, +0094–11–2961128; E-mail: himanif{at}mfac.kln.ac.lk

Received ; first review notified ; in revised form ; accepted


  Abstract

Aims: To compare the effects on peripheral and autonomic nerve functions of Sri Lankan illicitly distilled alcohol consumption versus legal spirit consumption. Methods: Peripheral nerve conduction and autonomic nerve functions were assessed in 40 healthy control subjects and two groups of chronic heavy drinkers: 41 illicit spirit drinkers and 17 legal spirit drinkers. Results: Lower-limb motor and sensory nerve conduction parameters were affected in both groups of alcoholics. When compared with controls, in illicit spirit drinkers the mean heart rate indexes of all parasympathetic tests were lower while in legal spirit drinkers the heart rate response to standing was affected. There were no differences in the results of the above tests when the two groups of heavy drinkers were compared. Conclusions: Though chronic alcoholism results in peripheral and autonomic nerve damage, the damage caused by consumption of illicitly distilled spirit is not worse than the damage caused by consumption of legal spirits.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.