[Morphologic changes in the sensomotor region of the rat cortex in chronic alcoholic intoxication].

Alcohol was given to rats in a dose of 1 ml of 35-per-cent ethanol per 100 g body weight daily for 20, 40, 60, 90, and 120 days. Each period of the alcoholic intoxication was characterized by specific changes in the neurons, glia, and capillaries. Characteristic of initial periods of the alcoholic intoxication were reactive changes in the neurons: an important place in these changes belonged to compensatory-adaptive processes. The longer the period of the alcoholic intoxication, the greater the scope of the morphological changes, up to dystrophic lesions and grave forms of cell damage. A certain relationship between vascular changes and neuronal damages were noted.