Cognitive sequelae of methanol poisoning involve executive dysfunction and memory impairment in cross-sectional and long-term perspective

• Published in: Alcohol (Fayetteville, N.Y.) Vol. 59; pp. 27 - 35
• Main Authors: Bezdicek, O, Michalec, J, Vaneckova, M, Klempir, J, Liskova, I, Seidl, Z, Janikova, B, Miovsky, M, Hubacek, J, Diblik, P, Kuthan, P, Pilin, A, Kurcova, I, Fenclova, Z, Petrik, V, Navratil, T, Pelclova, D, Zakharov, S, Ruzicka, E
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.03.2017; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Alcohol; Animal cognition; Basal ganglia; Cognition Disorders - chemically induced; Cognition Disorders - diagnostic imaging; Cognition Disorders - psychology; Cognitive impairment; Cross-Sectional Studies; Ethanol; Executive Function; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Hospitalization; Humans; Laboratories; Longitudinal Studies; Magnetic resonance imaging; Male; Memory; Memory Disorders - chemically induced; Memory Disorders - diagnostic imaging; Memory Disorders - psychology; Metabolism; Metabolites; Methanol - poisoning; Middle Aged; Neuropsychological Tests; Optic nerve; Poisoning; Psychiatry; Time Factors; Czech Republic; Executive function; Basal ganglia; Magnetic resonance imaging; Methanol poisoning; Memory; Cognitive impairment
• ISSN: 0741-8329; 1873-6823
• DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2016.12.003

Abstract Methanol poisoning leads to lesions in the basal ganglia and subcortical white matter, as well as to demyelination and atrophy of the optic nerve. However, information regarding cognitive deficits in a large methanol sample is lacking. The principal aim of the present study was to identify the cognitive sequelae of methanol poisoning and their morphological correlates. A sample of 50 patients (METH; age 48 ± 13 years), 3–8 months after methanol poisoning, and 57 control subjects (CS; age 49 ± 13 years) were administered a neuropsychological battery. Forty-six patients were followed in 2 years' perspective. Patients additionally underwent 1.5T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Three biochemical and toxicological metabolic markers and a questionnaire regarding alcohol abuse facilitated the classification of 24 patients with methanol poisoning without alcohol abuse (METHna) and 22 patients with methanol poisoning and alcohol abuse (METHa). All groups were compared to a control group of similar size, and matched for age, education, premorbid intelligence level, global cognitive performance, and level of depressive symptoms. Using hierarchical multiple regression we found significant differences between METH and CS, especially in executive and memory domains. METHa showed a similar pattern of cognitive impairment with generally more severe executive dysfunction. Moreover, all METH patients with extensive involvement on brain MRI (lesions in ≥2 anatomical regions) had a more severe cognitive impairment. From a longitudinal perspective, we did not find any changes in their cognitive functioning after 2 years' follow-up. Our findings suggest that methanol poisoning is associated with executive dysfunction and explicit memory impairment, supposedly due to basal ganglia dysfunction and disruption of frontostriatal circuitry proportional to the number of brain lesions, and that these changes are persistent after 2 years' follow-up.