pathophysiology Frank Charrom [FC] is a 54-year-old man with a history of chronic heavy alcohol use. He has frequent bouts of gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding for which he has been hospitalized on six...

pathophysiology

Frank Charrom [FC] is a 54-year-old man with a history of chronic heavy alcohol use. He has frequent bouts of gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding for which he has been hospitalized on six separate occasions over the past 5 years. He continues to drink and exhibits common manifestations of alcoholic cirrhosis. He was recently hit by a car and hospitalized for a broken leg. He appeared to be under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident and had a blood alcohol level of 1.8. FC’s family reports his mental functioning has deteriorated significantly over the past few months.

What is the most likely underlying cause of FC’s progressive mental deterioration?