J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 1998;65:370-373 ( September )
Short report
Ataxia induced by small amounts of alcohol
F Setta,a
J Jacquy,b
J Hildebrand,c
M-U Mantoc
a Clinica Neurologica
II, Università La Sapienza, Roma, Italia, b Service de Neurologie, CHU-Charleroi, Belgique, c Service de Neurologie,
Hôpital Erasme-ULB, Bruxelles, Belgique
Correspondence to: Dr Mario-Ubaldo
Manto, Service de Neurologie, Fonds National de la Recherche
Scientifique, Hôpital Erasme-ULB, 808 Route de Lennik, 1070 Bruxelles, Belgium. Telephone 0032 2 555 67 47; fax 0032 2 555 39 42.
Received 13 August
1997 and in revised form 19 February 1998;
Accepted 24
February 1998
A patient is described who exhibited cerebellar ataxia after
drinking small amounts of alcohol. Intake of 5 g alcohol induced a gaze
evoked nystagmus, a scanning speech, a body sway after eye closure, and
bilateral postural leg tremor. Kinematic and EMG analysis of fast wrist
movements showed normal movements before and marked hypermetria after
alcohol intake. Dysmetria was due to abnormal programming of antagonist
muscle activity.
Keywords:
alcohol;
cerebellum;
hypermetria
© 1998 by Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry
