ARBI occurs along a continuum from mild, moderate to severe impairment.

It is now recognised that social drinkers may incur partially reversible structural and functional neurological changes that might not be readily apparent.

Permanent, irreversible brain impairment is incurred by a small but significant proportion of alcohol abusers. These are usually drinking more, and also have episodes of nutritional deficiency.

More information about Alcohol Related Brain Injury is available at What is ARBI?.

The more alcohol is used, the more likely such impairment is to occur. There can be some spontaneous improvement if a person remains abstinent and maintains a balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. It is advisable to take a multivitamin supplement containing a high level of thiamine together with vitamin C.

Whether this improvement indicates a reversal of neurological changes, or an increasing ability to cope with living with a disability, or a combination of both, is yet to be established. Recovery would seem to be age-dependent, with younger persons (those under 40 years) having better chance of restitution of function.