Abstract
It has become popular in recent years to employ the concept of “altered states of consciousness” in attempting to understand the behavioral effects of various drugs including alcohol (Jones, 1974; Mello and Mendelson, 1969; Tart, 1969). Such a concept appears to have value in considering the acute effects of drugs in which a transient alteration in the brain has occurred and where it is recognized by the drug taker as a temporary change from an ongoing non-drug state. For example, most people who drink alcohol report altered subjective states or changed consciousness. But what about the effects of chronic drug use in persons who are no longer using drugs? Are there altered states of consciousness? From the occurrence of “flash-backs” such as LSD-25 users have described (i.e., where the former drug-taker during abstinence has an altered state of consciousness similar to that which he experienced while taking the drug) it seems clear that such experiences are possible with certain drugs. The so called “dry-drink” phenomenon has been reported in some alcoholics. However, these are relatively sporadic and transient episodes. Of much greater permanence and consistency are the behavioral changes suggestive of altered brain states, in the presence of a clear consciousness, in chronic alcoholics.
This research was supported, in part by USPHS (NIMH) Grant 14702, and is the product of the efforts of the author and colleagues Ben M. Jones, Ph.D., Ralph Tarter, Ph.D., James Callan, M.S., Jim Bertera, M.S. and Diane Klisz, B.A.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Brewer C. Perrett, L. Brain Damage Due to Alcohol Consumption: An air-encephalographic, psychometric and electroencephalographic study. Brit. J. of Addic., 1971, 66, 170–182.
Callan, J., Klisz, D. and Parsons, 0.A. Strength of Auditory Stimulus-Response Compatibility as a Function of Task Complexity 1974 J. of Exp. Psychol. 1974, 102, 1039 - 1045.
Carlsson, C., Claeson, L.E. Cerebral Dysfunction in Alcoholics: A psychometric investigation. Quart. J. Stud. Alc., 1970, 31, 317–323.
Courville, C.B. Effects of Alcohol on the Nervous System of Man. Los Angeles; San Lucas Press, 1955.
Eccles, J.C. The Understanding of the Brain. New York: McGraw Hill Book Co., 1973.
Ferrer, S. Complicationes Neurologicas Cronicas Del Alcoholismo. Editorial Universitaria, S.A., 1970.
Feuerlein, W., Heyse, H. Arch. Psychiatrie Nervenkranze. 1970, 213, 78–85.
Fitzhugh, L.C., Kitzhugh, K.B. and Reitan, R.M. Adaptive Abilities and Intellectual Functioning in Hospitalized Alcoholics. Quart. J. of Stud, on Alc. 1960, 21, 414–423.
Freund, G. Chronic Central Nervous System Toxicity of Alcohol. Ann. Rev. of Pharmacol. 1973, 12, 217–227.
Goldstein, K. Functional Disturbances in Brain Damage. In S. Arieti’s American Handbook of Psychiatry. New York: Basic Books, 1969, 770–796.
Goldstein, G., Neuringer, C. and Klappersack, B. Cognitive, Perceptual and Motor Aspects of Field Dependency in Alcoholics. J. of Genetic Psychol. 1970, 117, 253–266.
Haug, J.0. Penemoencephalographic Evidence of Brain Damage inChronic Alcoholics. Acta Psych. Scand. 1968, 203, 135–143.
Jones, B.M. Altered States of Consciousness and Alcohol. Sympo- sium SWPA Meeting, El Paso, Texas, May 1974.
Jones, B. and Parsons, 0.A. Impaired Abstracting Ability in Chronic Alcoholics. Arch. of Gen. Psych. 1971, 24 71 - 75.
Jones, B. and Parsons, 0.A. Specific vs. Generalized Deficit of Abstracting Ability in Chronic Alcoholics. Arch. of Gen. Psych. 1972, 26, 380–384.
Mello, N.K. and Mendelson, J.H. Alterations in States of Consciousness Associated with Chronic Ingestion of Alcohol. (Eds.) Zuben, J. and Shagars, C. Neurobiological Aspects of Psychopathology. New York: Grune and Shalton, 1969, 183–218.
Nauta, W.J.H. Neural Associations of the Frontal Cortex, Acta Neurobiol. Exp. 1972, 32, 125–140.
Parsons, 0.A., Tarter, R.E. and Edelberg, R.E. Altered Motor Control in chronic alcoholics. J. of Abnorm. Psych. 1972,80, 308–314.
Segal,B.M.,Kushnarev.V.M.,Urakov,I,G.,and Misionzhnik,E.U.Alcoholism and Disruptions of Activity of Deep Cerebral Structures.Quart.J. of Stud,on Alc.197031,587–601
Seixas, F.A. and Eggelston, S. (Eds.) Alcoholism and the Central Nervous System. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1973, 215, 5 - 389.
Shimojyo, S., Scheinberg, R. and Reinmuth, O. J. Clin. Investigation. 1967, 46, 849–854.
Sperry, R.W. Hemispheric Deconnection and Unity in Conscious Awareness. Amer. Psychol. 1968, 23, 723–733.
Tarter, R. A Neuropsychological Examination of Cognitive and Perceptual Capacities in Chronic Alcoholics. Doctoral Dissertation, University of Oklahoma, 1971.
Tarter, R.E. and Parsons, O.A. Conceptual Shifting in Chronic Alco holics. J. of Abnorm. Psychol19717771 - 75
Tarter, R.E. and Jones, B.M. Motor Impairment in Chronic Alcoholics.Diseases of the Nervous System. 1971, 32, 632–636.
Teuber, H. L. Unity and Diversity of Frontal Lobe Functions. Acta Neurobiol. Exp. 1972, 2, 615–649.
Tumarkin, B., Wilson, J.D. and Snyder, G. Cerebral Atrophy Due to Alcoholism in Young Adults. U.S. Armed Forces Medical Journal, 1955, 6, 67–74.
Victor, M., Adams, R. and Collins, G. The Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome, Contemporary Neurology Series. 1971, F.A. Davis Company.
Wallgren, H. and Barry, H., III Actions of Alcohol, Vol. I: Biochemical, Physiological and Psychological Aspects, Vol. II: Chronic and Clinical Aspects. Amsterdam: Elsevier 1971.
Warren, J.M. and Akert, K. (Eds.) The Frontal Granular Cortex Behavior. New York: McGraw Hill Book Co., 1964.
Wechsler, D. The Measurement and Appraisal of Adult Intelligence. Baltimore: Williams and Winkins Company. 1958.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1975 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Parsons, O.A. (1975). Brain Damage in Alcoholics: Altered States of Unconsciousness. In: Gross, M.M. (eds) Alcohol Intoxication and Withdrawal. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 59. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-0632-1_40
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-0632-1_40
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4757-0634-5
Online ISBN: 978-1-4757-0632-1
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive