Gait ataxia in alcohol use disorder: A systematic review.

Nicolaj Mistarz*, Lind Canfield, Dorthe Grüner Nielsen, Lotte Skøt, Angelina Isabella Mellentin

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

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Abstract

Objective: A severe and long-term alcohol use can have adverse effects on lower limb function. Over time, some individuals may develop gait ataxia, which refers to the impairment of controlled lower body movements that are important for walking and maintaining proper gait. Gait ataxia is well-documented in patients who have been diagnosed with alcohol-related Wernicke–Korsakoff syndrome (WKS); however, less is known on how common ataxia is among patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD) without WKS. To date, no study has systematically reviewed the evidence focusing on patients suffering only from AUD. Our aim was to perform a qualitative synthesis of the existing literature examining behavioral signs of gait ataxia among abstinent patients with AUD. Method: Two facets were created encompassing keywords for “alcohol use disorder” and “measures of gait ataxia.” Databases, including EMBASE, APA PsycInfo, Medline, and Cochrane Library, were searched for studies, and a quality assessment was performed. Results: Ten studies were identified (37 ≥ ns ≤ 247), which were all rated as being of moderate (N = 7) to good quality (N = 3). The age range was 31.4–53.4 years (weighted mean age: 53.6 years), and 78.3% of the participants were male. Eight studies found that patients with AUD and without WKS exhibited behavioral signs of gait ataxia. Conclusions: Although there is evidence of gait ataxia among patients with AUD, heterogeneous results and methodological shortcomings such as lack of screening for neurocognitive deficits deem these findings preliminary and highlight the need for more research in the future.

Original languageEnglish
JournalPsychology of Addictive Behaviors
Volume38
Issue number4
Pages (from-to)507-517
ISSN0893-164X
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jun 2024

Keywords

  • alcohol dependence
  • alcohol use disorder
  • cerebellar ataxia
  • gait ataxia
  • lower limb ataxia
  • Alcoholism
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Adult
  • Female
  • Male
  • Gait Ataxia/physiopathology

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