If one is off balance, the cerebellum will send out motor impulses to muscle groups to coordinate movement to correct one's position. Alcohol dulls the cerebellum. Alcohol, which is absorbed from the stomach and the upper small intestine, can be detected in the blood within 5 minutes of ingestion. Once it is in the bloodstream, alcohol is carried to other organs, including those of the nervous system, where it acts as a depressant. A state of drunkenness or acute intoxication is recognized by slurred speech, a clumsy walk, and uninhibited behavior.
Movement disorders can also occur during alcohol abuse and withdrawal.
Those affected are unsteady and unable to walk with one foot placed in front of the other. Continued use of alcohol can lead to degeneration of the cerebellum. A slow tremor of the legs can occur with alcoholic degeneration of the cerebellum. This tremor is produced when the muscles of the hips simultaneously extend and flex. Often these symptoms can be reversed after the alcoholic stops drinking.