MRS DETECTION OF FREQUENCY AND AMOUNT OF ALCOHOL SELF-ADMINISTATION

摘要

The present invention is directed to a method of discriminating between alcohol tolerant individuals and alcohol nontolerant individuals. Alcohol tolerance is ascertained with in vivo proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). Brain ethanol concentrations are determined by MRS, and blood ethanol levels are measured by gas chromatography after controlled ethanol administration. The invention is based upon the discovery that brain-blood ethanol concentration ratios for heavy drinkers (a subset of alcohol tolerant individuals) are significantly greater than ratios for occasional drinkers (nontolerant individuals). The method of the present invention is useful for diagnosing individuals suffering from alcoholism. Inasmuch as ethanol tolerance covaries with the severity of dependence, the MRS procedures described herein may facilitate our understandding of alcohol tolerance and treatment of alcoholism.