Total ethanol consumption as a seizure risk factor in alcoholics.

Population studies suggest that seizures occur in chronic alcoholics as an effect of ethanol withdrawal or ethanol toxicity. Our own studies of individuals undergoing inpatient alcohol detoxification revealed a correlation between the number of detoxifications conducted and the probability that the individual will have a seizure disorder. To establish the basis for this association we studied drinking histories, drug use, and related characteristics of 500 individuals, 83 of whom were women, who enrolled in an inpatient detoxification program. Discriminant analyses revealed a direct correlation between average daily alcohol consumption and the prevalence of seizures in the alcoholic individuals studied. This correlation was significant, but it was not as strong as that between seizure prevalence and the number of times an individual underwent inpatient detoxification. This data supports the hypothesis that seizures occur in alcoholics because of a long-term kindling effect of recurrent detoxifications and a more short-term effect of ethanol exposure.