Effect of alcohol measured by dynamic posturography.

Thirteen healthy male volunteers aged 21-42 years (mean 27 years) were assessed by dynamic posturography before and after ingestion of alcohol. Each subject was given 0.6 g alcohol per kg body weight in fruit juice to be drunk within 10 min. Alcohol levels in blood samples at 15, 45 and 75 min after ingestion were assessed by gas chromatography. Posturographic measurements were conducted at 30 and 60 min after alcohol administration. Dynamic posturography comprises a sensory organization part in which the support surface and visual surround are either stable or referenced to the patient's sway and the test conditions are eyes open or eyes closed. In a movement coordination part the platform makes active movements. Alcohol levels were 0.40% (SD 0.14) after 45 min and 0.51% (SD 0.14) at 75 min. All subjects presented positional alcohol nystagmus and gaze nystagmus after 45 min. In the sensory organization part of the dynamic posturography in test conditions with eyes closed and the head in neutral position, both with stable (p less than 0.039) and sway-referenced platform (p less than 0.017), alcohol effects were found. In the test condition with sway referenced platform and stable visual surround the effect of alcohol was close to significance (p less than 0.069). When the head was tilted to either side, no effect of alcohol was detected, nor in the movement coordination test. It is concluded that dynamic posturography can detect the effect of alcohol on static and dynamic equilibrium. Test conditions with absent vision appear to be the most sensitive. The results in static conditions are well in agreement with previous studies; the findings under dynamic conditions are new.