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Maddern XJ, Walker LC, Anversa RG, Lawrence AJ, Campbell EJ. Understanding sex differences and the translational value of models of persistent substance use despite negative consequences. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2024; 213:107944. [PMID: 38825163 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2024.107944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2024] [Revised: 05/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
Persistent substance use despite negative consequences is a key facet of substance use disorder. The last decade has seen the preclinical field adopt the use of punishment to model adverse consequences associated with substance use. This has largely involved the pairing of drug use with either electric foot shock or quinine, a bitter tastant. Whilst at face value, these punishers may model aspects of the physical and psychological consequences of substance use, such models are yet to assist the development of approved medications for treatment. This review discusses progress made with animal models of punishment to understand the behavioral consequences of persistent substance use despite negative consequences. We highlight the importance of examining sex differences, especially when the behavioral response to punishment changes following drug exposure. Finally, we critique the translational value these models provide for the substance use disorder field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xavier J Maddern
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia; Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Leigh C Walker
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia; Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Roberta G Anversa
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia; Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Andrew J Lawrence
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia; Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Erin J Campbell
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Pharmacy, Faculty of Health and Medicine, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia; Brain Neuromodulation Research Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, NSW, Australia.
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2
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Zabik NL, Blackford JU. Sex and sobriety: Human brain structure and function in AUD abstinence. Alcohol 2024:S0741-8329(24)00097-1. [PMID: 39069211 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2024.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2024] [Revised: 07/01/2024] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
Women are drinking alcohol as much as men for the first time in history. Women experience more health-related consequences from alcohol use disorder (AUD), like increased prevalence of alcohol-related cancers, faster progression of alcohol-related liver disease, and greater risk for relapse compared to men. Thus, sex differences in chronic alcohol use pose a substantial public health problem. Despite these evident sex differences, our understanding of how these differences present during alcohol abstinence is limited. Investigations of brain structure and function are therefore critical for disentangling factors that lead to sex differences in AUD abstinence. This review will discuss current human neuroimaging data on sex differences in alcohol abstinence, focusing on structural and functional brain measures. Current structural imaging literature reveals that abstinent men have smaller gray and white matter volume and weaker structural connectivity compared to control men. Interestingly, abstinent women do not show differences in brain structure when compared to controls; instead, abstinent women show a relation between alcohol use and decreased measures of brain structure. Current functional brain studies reveal that abstinent men exhibit greater brain activation and stronger task-based functional connectivity to aversive stimuli than control men, while abstinent women exhibit lesser brain activation and weaker task-based functional connectivity than control women. Together, the current literature suggests that sex differences persist well into alcohol abstinence and impact brain structure and function differently. Understanding how men and women differ during alcohol abstinence can improve our understanding of sex-specific effects of alcohol, which will be critical to augment treatment methods to better serve women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole L Zabik
- Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA 68198
| | - Jennifer Urbano Blackford
- Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA 68198; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA 37232.
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3
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Thompson BL, Maleki N, Kelly JF, Oscar-Berman M. Meeting-makers make meaning: alcoholics anonymous participation and personal meaningfulness. Alcohol Alcohol 2024; 59:agad089. [PMID: 38234054 DOI: 10.1093/alcalc/agad089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 12/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024] Open
Abstract
AIMS The central aim of this study was to determine whether intentional, voluntary alcoholics anonymous (AA) participation showed any independent association with affect, over and above that which has been observed in association with other recovery-related behaviors, such as abstinence, among individuals with a history of alcohol use disorder. Additionally, we sought to determine the nature of the affective changes associated with specific dimensions of AA participation (i.e. meeting attendance, fellowship involvement, 12-step work). METHODS Thirty abstinent alcohol use disorder individuals were recruited and evaluated. Multivariate linear regressions were used to examine associations between dimensions of AA participation, measured using the Multidimensional Mutual-Help Assessment Scale and standardized measures of affective experiences, including the Profile of Mood States, Subjective Happiness Scale, and the Twelve Promises Scale. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS Increase in AA participation was associated with higher positive affective experiences. These associations were observed independently with AA meeting attendance and fellowship involvement, but not 12-step work. This study's findings suggest that greater AA meeting attendance and fellowship involvement are correlated with enhancements in the meta-emotional experience of personal meaningfulness. This study extends evidence on AA-related changes by considering affective improvements as a primary clinical outcome, thereby laying the foundation for subsequent, more comprehensive research into the relationship between dimensions of AA participation and recovery-related affective changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin L Thompson
- Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, United States
- Department of Psychology Research Service, VA Healthcare System, Boston, MA 02130, United States
| | - Nasim Maleki
- Department of Psychology Research Service, VA Healthcare System, Boston, MA 02130, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, United States
| | - John F Kelly
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, United States
| | - Marlene Oscar-Berman
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, United States
- Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, United States
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4
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Guerin SP, Melbourne JK, Dang HQ, Shaji CA, Nixon K. Astrocyte Reactivity and Neurodegeneration in the Female Rat Brain Following Alcohol Dependence. Neuroscience 2023; 529:183-199. [PMID: 37598836 PMCID: PMC10810177 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2023.08.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Revised: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
Recent evidence suggests that alcohol use disorder (AUD) may manifest itself differently in women compared to men. Women experience AUDs on an accelerated timeline and may have certain regional vulnerabilities. In male rats, neuronal cell death and astrocyte reactivity are noted following induction of alcohol dependence in an animal model of an AUD. However, the regional and temporal patterns of neurodegeneration and astrocyte reactivity have yet to be fully examined in females using this model. Therefore, adult female rats were exposed to a 4-day binge model of alcohol dependence followed by different periods of abstinence. Histological markers for FluoroJade B, a label of degenerating neurons, and vimentin, a marker for reactive astrocytes, were utilized. The expression of these markers in cortical and limbic regions was quantified immediately after their last dose (e.g., T0), or 2, 7, and 14 days later. Significant neuronal cell death was noted in the entorhinal cortex and the hippocampus, similar to previous reports in males, but also in several cortical regions not previously observed. Vimentin immunoreactivity was noted in the same regions as previously reported, in addition to three novel regions. Vimentin immunoreactivity also occurred at earlier and later time points in some cortical and hippocampal regions. These data suggest that both neuronal cell death and astrocyte reactivity could be more widespread in females compared to males. Therefore, this study provides a framework for specific regions and time points which should be examined in future studies of alcohol-induced damage that include female rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven P Guerin
- The University of Texas at Austin, Division of Pharmacology & Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Austin, TX 78712, United States
| | - Jennifer K Melbourne
- The University of Texas at Austin, Division of Pharmacology & Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Austin, TX 78712, United States
| | - Huy Q Dang
- The University of Texas at Austin, Division of Pharmacology & Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Austin, TX 78712, United States
| | - Chinchusha Anasooya Shaji
- The University of Texas at Austin, Division of Pharmacology & Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Austin, TX 78712, United States
| | - Kimberly Nixon
- The University of Texas at Austin, Division of Pharmacology & Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, Austin, TX 78712, United States.
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5
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Maggioni E, Rossetti MG, Allen NB, Batalla A, Bellani M, Chye Y, Cousijn J, Goudriaan AE, Hester R, Hutchison K, Li CSR, Martin-Santos R, Momenan R, Sinha R, Schmaal L, Solowij N, Suo C, van Holst RJ, Veltman DJ, Yücel M, Thompson PM, Conrod P, Mackey S, Garavan H, Brambilla P, Lorenzetti V. Brain volumes in alcohol use disorder: Do females and males differ? A whole-brain magnetic resonance imaging mega-analysis. Hum Brain Mapp 2023; 44:4652-4666. [PMID: 37436103 PMCID: PMC10400785 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Emerging evidence suggests distinct neurobiological correlates of alcohol use disorder (AUD) between sexes, which however remain largely unexplored. This work from ENIGMA Addiction Working Group aimed to characterize the sex differences in gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) correlates of AUD using a whole-brain, voxel-based, multi-tissue mega-analytic approach, thereby extending our recent surface-based region of interest findings on a nearly matching sample using a complementary methodological approach. T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data from 653 people with AUD and 326 controls was analyzed using voxel-based morphometry. The effects of group, sex, group-by-sex, and substance use severity in AUD on brain volumes were assessed using General Linear Models. Individuals with AUD relative to controls had lower GM volume in striatal, thalamic, cerebellar, and widespread cortical clusters. Group-by-sex effects were found in cerebellar GM and WM volumes, which were more affected by AUD in females than males. Smaller group-by-sex effects were also found in frontotemporal WM tracts, which were more affected in AUD females, and in temporo-occipital and midcingulate GM volumes, which were more affected in AUD males. AUD females but not males showed a negative association between monthly drinks and precentral GM volume. Our results suggest that AUD is associated with both shared and distinct widespread effects on GM and WM volumes in females and males. This evidence advances our previous region of interest knowledge, supporting the usefulness of adopting an exploratory perspective and the need to include sex as a relevant moderator variable in AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleonora Maggioni
- Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Maria G Rossetti
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca'Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, Section of Psychiatry, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Nicholas B Allen
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, USA
| | - Albert Batalla
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Marcella Bellani
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, Section of Psychiatry, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Yann Chye
- BrainPark, Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Melbourne, Australia
- Monash Biomedical Imaging, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Janna Cousijn
- Neuroscience of Addiction Lab, Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Anna E Goudriaan
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam Institute for Addiction Research, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Robert Hester
- School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Kent Hutchison
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, USA
| | - Chiang-Shan R Li
- Department of Psychiatry and of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Rocio Martin-Santos
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Hospital Clinic, IDIBAPS, CIBERSAM and Institute of Neuroscience, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Reza Momenan
- Clinical NeuroImaging Research Core, Office of the Clinical Director, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Rajita Sinha
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Lianne Schmaal
- Orygen, Parkville, Australia
- Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Nadia Solowij
- School of Psychology and Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia
| | - Chao Suo
- Monash Biomedical Imaging, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
- Australian Characterisation Commons at Scale (ACCS) Project, Monash eResearch Centre, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Ruth J van Holst
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam Institute for Addiction Research, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Dick J Veltman
- Department of Psychiatry, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Murat Yücel
- BrainPark, Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Melbourne, Australia
- Monash Biomedical Imaging, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Paul M Thompson
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Patricia Conrod
- Department of Psychiatry, Universite de Montreal, CHU Ste Justine Hospital, Montreal, Canada
| | - Scott Mackey
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, USA
| | - Hugh Garavan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, USA
| | - Paolo Brambilla
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca'Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Valentina Lorenzetti
- Neuroscience of Addiction and Mental Health Program, Healthy Brain and Mind Research Centre, School of Behavioral and Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia
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6
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Jo Nixon S, Garcia CC, Lewis B. WOMEN'S USE OF ALCOHOL: NEUROBIOBEHAVIORAL CONCOMITANTS AND CONSEQUENCES. Front Neuroendocrinol 2023:101079. [PMID: 37269931 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2023.101079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 05/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
In this narrative review, we draw from historical and contemporary literature to explore the impact of alcohol consumption on brain and behavior among women. We examine three domains: 1) the impact of alcohol use disorder (AUD) on neurobiobehavioral outcomes, 2) its impact on social cognition/emotion processing, and 3) alcohol's acute effects in older women. There is compelling evidence of alcohol-related compromise in neuropsychological function, neural activation, and brain structure. Investigations of social cognition and alcohol effects in older women represent emerging areas of study. Initial analyses suggest that women with AUD show significant deficits in emotion processing, a finding also observed in older women who have consumed a moderate dose of alcohol. Critically, despite the long-recognized need for programmatic interrogation of alcohol's effect in women, studies with sufficient numbers of women for meaningful analysis represent a small proportion of the literature, constraining interpretation and generalization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Jo Nixon
- University of Florida, Department of Psychiatry, Gainesville, FL; University of Florida, Department of Psychology, Gainesville, FL; University of Florida, Department of Neuroscience, Gainesville; University of Florida, Center for Addiction Research & Education, Gainesville, FL.
| | - Christian C Garcia
- University of Florida, Department of Psychiatry, Gainesville, FL; University of Florida, Center for Addiction Research & Education, Gainesville, FL
| | - Ben Lewis
- University of Florida, Department of Psychiatry, Gainesville, FL; University of Florida, Department of Psychology, Gainesville, FL; University of Florida, Department of Neuroscience, Gainesville; University of Florida, Center for Addiction Research & Education, Gainesville, FL
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7
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Hwang IS, Hong SB. Association between body mass index and subcortical volume in pre-adolescent children with autism spectrum disorder: An exploratory study. Autism Res 2022; 15:2238-2249. [PMID: 36256577 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Conflicting associations exist between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and subcortical brain volumes. This study assessed whether obesity might have a confounding influence on associations between ASD and brain subcortical volumes. A comprehensive investigation evaluating the relationship between ASD, obesity, and subcortical structure volumes was conducted. Data obtained included body mass index (BMI) and T1-weighted structural magnetic resonance images for children with and without ASD diagnoses from the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange database. Brain subcortical volumes were calculated using vol2Brain software. Hierarchical linear regression analyses were performed to explore the subcortical volumes similarly or differentially associated with BMI in children with or without ASD and examine association and interaction effects regarding ASD and subcortical volume impact on the Social Responsiveness Scale and Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale (VABS) scores. Bilateral caudate nuclei were smaller in children with ASD than in control participants. Significant interactions were observed between ASD diagnosis and BMI regarding the left caudate, right and left putamen, and right and left ventral diencephalon (DC) volumes (β = -0.384, p = 0.010; β = -0.336, p = 0.030; β = -0.317, p = 0.040; β = 0.322, p = 0.010; β = 0.295, p = 0.021, respectively) and between ASD diagnosis and right and left ventral DC volumes regarding the VABS scores (β = 0.434, p = 0.014; β = 0.495, p = 0.007, respectively). However, each subcortical structure volume included in the ventral DC area could not be measured separately. The results identified subcortical volumes differentially associated with obesity in children with ASD compared with typically developing peers. BMI may need to be considered an important confounder in future research examining brain subcortical volumes within ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- In-Seong Hwang
- Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Soon-Beom Hong
- Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,Institute of Human Behavioral Medicine, Seoul National University Medical Research Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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8
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Martín-Pérez C, Vergara-Moragues E, Fernández-Muñoz JJ, García-González JM, García-Moreno LM. Reward sensitivity and hazardous alcohol consumption in women: The parallel mediation effect of self-control and impulsivity traits. Subst Abus 2022; 43:1333-1340. [PMID: 36036761 DOI: 10.1080/08897077.2021.1941522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Abstract
Introduction: Little research has been carried out on the associations between several individual factors and hazardous alcohol use in women. The aim of this study was first, to study the relationship between reward sensitivity (RS) and alcohol use in both women with and without hazardous drinking separately. Second, to explore the potential mediating roles of the impulsivity and self-control traits in this relationship. Method: The study was analytical and cross-sectional and included 645 female participants (mean age = 19.14; standard deviation (SD)=1.60). All women were divided into two groups (286, 44.3%, with hazardous drinking, HDW; and 359, 55.7%, with light drinking, LDW). Correlation analyses were carried out to explore the associations between the variables, and parallel mediation analyses were performed to investigate the potential mediating roles of impulsivity and self-control in the RS-alcohol use associations in each group separately. Results: A significant association was observed between RS and alcohol use in HDW, contrary to that observed in their counterparts. In addition, both higher impulsivity and less self-control mediated the association between RS and alcohol use only in HDW. Conclusions: Impulsivity and self-control differently affect alcohol use under the condition of high reward sensitivity, only in HDW, suggesting alterations of the dual top-down and bottom-up mechanisms and a possible imbalance between the competing reflexive and impulsive brain systems. More research is needed regarding the individual factors that affect women's drinking to develop sensitive measures for the assessment of alcohol use and more efficient interventions for women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Martín-Pérez
- Department of Psychobiology and Methodology in Behavioral Sciences, Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Madrid, Spain.,Faculty of Education, Universidad Internacional de la Rioja (UNIR), Logroño, Spain
| | - Esperanza Vergara-Moragues
- Department of Psychobiology and Methodology in Behavioral Sciences, Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan José Fernández-Muñoz
- Area of Methodology of Behavioral Sciences. Faculty of Health Sciences, Rey Juan Carlos University, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Luis Miguel García-Moreno
- Department of Psychobiology and Methodology in Behavioral Sciences, Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Madrid, Spain
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9
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Angebrandt A, Abulseoud OA, Kisner M, Diazgranados N, Momenan R, Yang Y, Stein EA, Ross TJ. Dose-dependent relationship between social drinking and brain aging. Neurobiol Aging 2022; 111:71-81. [PMID: 34973470 PMCID: PMC8929531 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2021.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Revised: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Low-level alcohol consumption is commonly perceived as being inconsequential or even beneficial for overall health, with some reports suggesting that it may protect against dementia or cardiovascular risks. However, these potential benefits do not preclude the concurrent possibility of negative health outcomes related to alcohol consumption. To examine whether casual, non-heavy drinking is associated with premature brain aging, we utilized the Brain-Age Regression Analysis and Computational Utility Software package to predict brain age in a community sample of adults [n = 240, mean age 35.1 (±10.7) years, 48% male, 49% African American]. Accelerated brain aging was operationalized as the difference between predicted and chronological age ("brain age gap"). Multiple regression analysis revealed a significant association between previous 90-day alcohol consumption and brain age gap (β = 0.014, p = 0.023). We replicated these results in an independent cohort [n = 231 adults, mean age 34.3 (±11.1) years, 55% male, 28% African American: β = 0.014, p = 0.002]. Our results suggest that even low-level alcohol consumption is associated with premature brain aging. The clinical significance of these findings remains to be investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexanndra Angebrandt
- Neuroimaging Research Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Osama A. Abulseoud
- Neuroimaging Research Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD, USA,Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic, Phoenix, AZ, USA,Corresponding author at: Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic, 5777 E Mayo Blvd., Phoenix, AZ 85054, USA. Phone: 480-301-8297, Fax: 480-301-6258. (O.A. Abulseoud)
| | - Mallory Kisner
- Clinical NeuroImaging Research Core, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Nancy Diazgranados
- Office of Clinical Director, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Reza Momenan
- Clinical NeuroImaging Research Core, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Yihong Yang
- Neuroimaging Research Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Elliot A. Stein
- Neuroimaging Research Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Thomas J. Ross
- Neuroimaging Research Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD, USA,Corresponding author at: Neuroimaging Research Branch, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, 251 Bayview Blvd, Baltimore, MD 21244, USA. Phone 443-740-2645, Fax 443-740-2734. (T.J. Ross)
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10
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Maleki N, Sawyer KS, Levy S, Harris GJ, Oscar-Berman M. Intrinsic brain functional connectivity patterns in alcohol use disorder. Brain Commun 2022; 4:fcac290. [PMID: 36419966 PMCID: PMC9679426 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcac290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Revised: 08/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder is associated with damaging effects to the brain. This study aimed to examine differences in static and dynamic intrinsic functional connectivity patterns in individuals with a history of alcohol use disorder in comparison to those with no history of alcohol abuse. A total of 55 participants consisting of 23 patients and 32 control individuals underwent neuropsychological assessments and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging on a 3 Tesla MRI scanner. Differences in functional connectivity between the two groups were determined using static and dynamic independent component analysis. Differences in static functional connectivity between the two groups were identified in the default mode network, attention network, frontoparietal network, frontal cortical network and cerebellar network. Furthermore, the analyses revealed specific differences in the dynamic temporal characteristics of functional connectivity between the two groups of participants, in a cluster involving key regions in reward, sensorimotor and frontal cortical functional networks, with some connections correlating with the length of sobriety and some others with the severity of drinking. The findings altogether suggest dysregulation in the intrinsic connectivity of cortico-basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical loops that may reflect persistent alcohol use disorder-related network abnormalities, compensatory recovery-related processes whereby additional neural resources are recruited to achieve normal levels of performance, or a predisposition toward developing alcohol use disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nasim Maleki
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02129, USA.,Psychology Research Service, VA Healthcare System, Jamaica Plain Campus, Boston, MA 02130, USA
| | - Kayle S Sawyer
- Psychology Research Service, VA Healthcare System, Jamaica Plain Campus, Boston, MA 02130, USA.,Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA.,Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02129, USA.,Sawyer Scientific, LLC, Boston, MA 02130, USA
| | - Sarah Levy
- Department of Neurology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Gordon J Harris
- Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02129, USA
| | - Marlene Oscar-Berman
- Psychology Research Service, VA Healthcare System, Jamaica Plain Campus, Boston, MA 02130, USA.,Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA.,Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02129, USA
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11
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Cornish JL, Prasad AA. Sex Differences in Substance Use Disorders: A Neurobiological Perspective. Front Glob Womens Health 2021; 2:778514. [PMID: 34957467 PMCID: PMC8692274 DOI: 10.3389/fgwh.2021.778514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Clinical studies provide fundamental knowledge of substance use behaviors (substance of abuse, patterns of use, relapse rates). The combination of neuroimaging approaches reveal correlation between substance use disorder (SUD) and changes in neural structure, function, and neurotransmission. Here, we review these advances, placing special emphasis on sex specific findings from structural neuroimaging studies of those dependent on alcohol, nicotine, cannabis, psychostimulants, or opioids. Recent clinical studies in SUD analyzing sex differences reveal neurobiological changes that are differentially impacted in common reward processing regions such as the striatum, hippocampus, amygdala, insula, and corpus collosum. We reflect on the contribution of sex hormones, period of drug use and abstinence, and the potential impact of these factors on the interpretation of the reported findings. With the overall recognition that SUD impacts the brains of females and males differentially, it is of fundamental importance that future research is designed with sex as a variable of study in this field. Improved understanding of neurobiological changes in males and females in SUD will advance knowledge underlying sex-specific susceptibility and the neurobiological impact in these disorders. Together these findings will inform future treatments that are tailor designed for improved efficacy in females and males with SUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L Cornish
- School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Asheeta A Prasad
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Faculty of Medicine and Health, School of Medical Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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12
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Wiśniewski P, Maurage P, Jakubczyk A, Trucco EM, Suszek H, Kopera M. Alcohol use and interoception - A narrative review. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2021; 111:110397. [PMID: 34224795 PMCID: PMC8380667 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2021.110397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2021] [Revised: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Interoception, defined as the ability to perceive and interpret body signals, may play an important role in alcohol use disorder (AUD). Earlier studies suggested an association between interoception impairment and known risk factors for AUD (e.g., alexithymia, emotion dysregulation, impulsivity, pain). Neurobiological studies show that the neurotoxicity of alcohol affects various elements of the interoceptive system (especially the insula) at structural and functional levels, with differential short/long term impacts. Conversely, primary interoceptive impairments may promote alcohol consumption and foster the evolution towards addiction. Despite convincing evidence demonstrating that interoception impairment may be an important contributor to the development and course of AUD, only a few studies directly evaluated interoceptive abilities in AUD. The research shows that interoceptive accuracy, the objective component of interoception, is lower in AUD individuals, and is correlated with craving and emotion dysregulation. Interoceptive sensibility is in turn higher in AUD individuals compared to healthy controls. Moreover, there is evidence that therapy focused on improving the ability to sense signals from the body in addiction treatment is effective. However, important methodological limitations in interoceptive measures persist, and it is therefore necessary to further investigate the associations between interoception and AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paweł Wiśniewski
- Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Pierre Maurage
- Louvain Experimental Psychopathology research group (LEP), Psychological Sciences Research Institute, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Andrzej Jakubczyk
- Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Elisa M Trucco
- Department of Psychology, Center for Children and Families, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Addiction Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Hubert Suszek
- Department of Psychology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Maciej Kopera
- Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
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13
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Kisner MA, Sussman L, Manuweera T, Grodin EN, Fede SJ, Sarlls JE, Momenan R. Evaluating effects of sex and age on white matter microstructural alterations in alcohol use disorder: A diffusion tensor imaging study. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2021; 45:1790-1803. [PMID: 34342014 PMCID: PMC8526396 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alterations in white matter microstructure associated with chronic alcohol use have been demonstrated in previous diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) research. However, there is conflicting evidence as to whether such differences are influenced by an individual's biological sex. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of sex differences in the white matter microstructure of the brains of individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and healthy controls. METHODS One hundred participants with AUD (38 female, aged 21 to 68) participating in the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism's inpatient treatment program and 98 healthy control participants (52 female) underwent a diffusion-weighted scan. Images collected were processed for each subject individually, and voxelwise, tract-based spatial statistics analysis was conducted to test for differences in the DTI measures of fractional anisotropy (FA), axial diffusivity (AD), and radial diffusivity (RD). RESULTS A 2-way, between-subjects ANCOVA that tested for differences by group and sex revealed widespread differences between AUD and control subjects, but no interaction between group and sex. Additional analyses exploring demographic and alcohol use variables showed significant impacts of age on white matter microstructure that were more pronounced in individuals with AUD. Plots of FA by age, sex, and group in major white matter tracts suggest a need to explore higher order interactions in larger samples. CONCLUSIONS These results bolster recent findings of similar microstructural properties in men and women with AUD but provide a rationale for the consideration of age when investigating the impacts of chronic alcohol use on the brain's white matter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mallory A Kisner
- Clinical NeuroImaging Research Core, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Lauren Sussman
- Clinical NeuroImaging Research Core, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Thushini Manuweera
- Clinical NeuroImaging Research Core, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Erica N Grodin
- Clinical NeuroImaging Research Core, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Samantha J Fede
- Clinical NeuroImaging Research Core, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Joelle E Sarlls
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Reza Momenan
- Clinical NeuroImaging Research Core, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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14
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Thompson BL, Maleki N, Kelly JF, Sy KTL, Oscar-Berman M. Brain, behavioral, affective, and sex correlates of recovery from alcohol use disorders. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2021; 45:1578-1595. [PMID: 34432298 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Revised: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recovery from alcohol use disorders (AUDs) consists of salutary changes in behavior and affect. While evidence suggests that recovery-related behavioral changes, such as abstinence, emerge in tandem with both neural and affective changes, the precise relationships among these changes are unknown. To understand these relationships, we examined associations between the duration of abstinence (DOA), affective states, and neuroimaging-based structural measures of the brain reward system (BRS) in AUD men (AUDM ) and AUD women (AUDW ). METHODS Participants were community respondents from the Boston area comprising right-handed abstinent individuals with AUD (n = 60; 30 men) and controls without AUD (NC; n = 60; 29 men). Multivariate linear regressions compared short-/mid-term abstainers (≤5 years), long-term abstainers (>5 years), and the NC group on measures of BRS volume (3T magnetic resonance imaging scans) and measures of affect (Profile of Mood States [POMS]; Multiple Affect Adjective Check List [MAACL]; Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression [HRSD]). Analyses contrasted sex differences and accounted for age, education, drinking severity, and verbal IQ. RESULTS Compared to the NC group, short-/mid-term abstainers exhibited larger posterior insular volume (total (β = 0.019, 95% CI: 0.004, 0.034)), higher negative affect (POMS Mood Disturbance (β = 27.8, 95% CI: 11.56, 44.04), and lower positive affect (POMS Vigor (β = -4.89, 95% CI: -9.06, -0.72)). Compared to the NC group, Long-term abstainers exhibited significantly smaller volumes of aggregate anterior cingulate cortex (β = -0.06, 95% CI: -0.113, -0.008) and higher HRSD scores (β = 1.56, 95% CI: 0.14, 2.98). Relative to AUDM , AUDW exhibited significantly larger right anterior insular volumes (β = 0.03, 95% CI: 0.01, 0.06) and significantly greater MAACL Positive Affect scores (β = 7.56, 95% CI: 0.59, 11.55) in association with DOA. CONCLUSIONS We found that differences in abstinence from alcohol were correlated with differences in both neural recovery and affective dimensions of recovery from AUDs. The observed sex differences extend evidence of dimorphic effects of AUDs and recovery on brain structure and function. Future longitudinal research will test inferences concerning the directionality of these relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin L Thompson
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.,Psychology Research Service, VA Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nasim Maleki
- Psychology Research Service, VA Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - John F Kelly
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.,Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Karla Therese L Sy
- Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Marlene Oscar-Berman
- Psychology Research Service, VA Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA.,Departments of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Psychiatry and Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
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15
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McCalley DM, Hanlon CA. Regionally specific gray matter volume is lower in alcohol use disorder: Implications for noninvasive brain stimulation treatment. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2021; 45:1672-1683. [PMID: 34120347 PMCID: PMC8560006 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is growing interest in neuromodulation-based therapeutics as tools for individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD). Through electromagnetic induction, techniques such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) can noninvasively depolarize cortical cells in the induced electrical field and monosynaptic afferents. The ability of TMS to modulate the brain is dependent upon two factors, which may be compromised in individuals with AUD: (1) gray matter volume (GMV) at the site of stimulation and (2) scalp-to-cortex (STC) distance. This study tested the hypotheses that these aspects of neural architecture are compromised in AUD patients, and thus AUD patients may need a higher TMS dose to depolarize the cortex. METHODS High-resolution magnetic resonance images were acquired from 44 individuals with AUD and 44 age-matched healthy controls (n = 88). Whole-brain voxel-based morphometry was conducted. Subsequent region-of-interest analysis was performed at three EEG 10-20 sites commonly used in TMS for AUD: FP1 (left frontal pole), F3 (left DLPFC), and C3 (left motor cortex). STC distance and TMS electric fields were assessed at these EEG sites. RESULTS Individuals with AUD had significantly lower GMV in the bilateral orbitofrontal cortices, supramarginal gyri, and the left DLPFC (voxel-threshold p < 0.05, cluster-threshold p < 0.05) and within all 3 TMS target locations, F (1, 264) = 14.12, p = 0.0002. There was no significant difference in STC distance between the AUD and the healthy control group at any tested cortical location, F (3, 252) = 1.906, p = 0.129. CONCLUSIONS Individuals with AUD had significantly lower GMV in multiple areas of interest for TMS treatment; however, these volumetric reductions did not impact STC distance. Given previous studies that have shown TMS-evoked changes in cortical and subcortical activity to be dependent on GMV, these data suggest that individuals with AUD may require higher doses of TMS to sufficiently modulate the neural circuits of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel M. McCalley
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston SC
- Department of Neurosciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
| | - Colleen A. Hanlon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston SC
- Department of Neurosciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
- Department of Cancer Biology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC
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16
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Mankiw C, Whitman ET, Torres E, Lalonde F, Clasen LS, Blumenthal JD, Chakravarty MM, Raznahan A. Sex-specific associations between subcortical morphometry in childhood and adult alcohol consumption: A 17-year follow-up study. Neuroimage Clin 2021; 31:102771. [PMID: 34359014 PMCID: PMC8350402 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2021.102771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Revised: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Men and women tend to differ in the age of first alcohol consumption, transition into disordered drinking, and the prevalence of alcohol use disorder. Here, we use a unique longitudinal dataset to test for potentially predispositonal sex-biases in brain organization prior to initial alcohol exposure. Our study combines measures of subcortical morphometry gathered in alcohol naive individuals during childhood (mean age: 9.43 years, SD = 2.06) with self-report measures of alcohol use in the same individuals an average of 17 years later (N = 81, 46 males, 35 females). We observe that pediatric amygdala and hippocampus volume both show sex-biased relationships with adult drinking. Specifically, females show a stronger association between subcortical volumetric reductions in childhood and peak drinking in adulthood as compared to males. Detailed analysis of subcortical shape localizes these effects to the rostro-medial hippocampus and basolateral amygdala subnuclei. In contrast, we did not observe sex-specific associations between striatal anatomy and peak alcohol consumption. These results are consistent with a model in which organization of the amygdala and hippocampus in childhood is more relevant for subsequent patterns of peak alcohol use in females as compared to males. Differential neuroanatomical precursors of alcohol use in males and females could provide a potential developmental basis for well recognized sex-differences in alcohol use behaviors.. Thus, our findings not only indicate that brain correlates of human alcohol consumption are manifest long before alcohol initiation, but that some of these correlates are not equivalent between males and females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Mankiw
- Section on Developmental Neurogenomics, Human Genetics Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Ethan T Whitman
- Section on Developmental Neurogenomics, Human Genetics Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Erin Torres
- Section on Developmental Neurogenomics, Human Genetics Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - François Lalonde
- Section on Developmental Neurogenomics, Human Genetics Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Liv S Clasen
- Section on Developmental Neurogenomics, Human Genetics Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Jonathan D Blumenthal
- Section on Developmental Neurogenomics, Human Genetics Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - M Mallar Chakravarty
- Computational Brain Anatomy (CoBrA) Laboratory, Cerebral Imaging Centre, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Armin Raznahan
- Section on Developmental Neurogenomics, Human Genetics Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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17
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Tomasi D, Wiers CE, Manza P, Shokri-Kojori E, Michele-Vera Y, Zhang R, Kroll D, Feldman D, McPherson K, Biesecker C, Schwandt M, Diazgranados N, Koob GF, Wang GJ, Volkow ND. Accelerated Aging of the Amygdala in Alcohol Use Disorders: Relevance to the Dark Side of Addiction. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:3254-3265. [PMID: 33629726 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Revised: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Here we assessed changes in subcortical volumes in alcohol use disorder (AUD). A simple morphometry-based classifier (MC) was developed to identify subcortical volumes that distinguished 32 healthy controls (HCs) from 33 AUD patients, who were scanned twice, during early and later withdrawal, to assess the effect of abstinence on MC-features (Discovery cohort). We validated the novel classifier in an independent Validation cohort (19 AUD patients and 20 HCs). MC-accuracy reached 80% (Discovery) and 72% (Validation). MC features included the hippocampus, amygdala, cerebellum, putamen, corpus callosum, and brain stem, which were smaller and showed stronger age-related decreases in AUD than HCs, and the ventricles and cerebrospinal fluid, which were larger in AUD and older participants. The volume of the amygdala showed a positive association with anxiety and negative urgency in AUD. Repeated imaging during the third week of detoxification revealed slightly larger subcortical volumes in AUD patients, consistent with partial recovery during abstinence. The steeper age-associated volumetric reductions in stress- and reward-related subcortical regions in AUD are consistent with accelerated aging, whereas the amygdalar associations with negative urgency and anxiety in AUD patients support its involvement in the "dark side of addiction".
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Affiliation(s)
- Dardo Tomasi
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Corinde E Wiers
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Peter Manza
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | | | - Yonga Michele-Vera
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Rui Zhang
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Danielle Kroll
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Dana Feldman
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | | | | | - Melanie Schwandt
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Nancy Diazgranados
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - George F Koob
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Bethesda, MD 21224, USA
| | - Gene-Jack Wang
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Nora D Volkow
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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18
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Brain responsivity to emotional faces differs in men and women with and without a history of alcohol use disorder. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0248831. [PMID: 34106934 PMCID: PMC8189468 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0248831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2020] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Inclusion of women in research on Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) has shown that gender differences contribute to unique profiles of cognitive, emotional, and neuropsychological dysfunction. We employed functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of abstinent individuals with a history of AUD (21 women [AUDw], 21 men [AUDm]) and demographically similar non-AUD control (NC) participants without AUD (21 women [NCw], 21 men [NCm]) to explore how gender and AUD interact to influence brain responses during emotional processing and memory. Participants completed a delayed match-to-sample emotional face memory fMRI task, and brain activation contrasts between a fixation stimulus and pictures of emotional face elicited a similar overall pattern of activation for all four groups. Significant Group by Gender interactions revealed two activation clusters. A cluster in an anterior portion of the middle and superior temporal gyrus, elicited lower activation to the fixation stimulus than to faces for the AUDw as compared to the NCw; that abnormality was more pronounced than the one observed for men. Another cluster in the medial portion of the superior frontal cortex elicited higher activation to the faces by AUDm than NCm, a difference that was more evident than the one observed for women. Together, these findings have added new evidence of AUD-related gender differences in neural responses to facial expressions of emotion.
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19
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Rossetti MG, Patalay P, Mackey S, Allen NB, Batalla A, Bellani M, Chye Y, Cousijn J, Goudriaan AE, Hester R, Hutchison K, Li CSR, Martin-Santos R, Momenan R, Sinha R, Schmaal L, Sjoerds Z, Solowij N, Suo C, van Holst RJ, Veltman DJ, Yücel M, Thompson PM, Conrod P, Garavan H, Brambilla P, Lorenzetti V. Gender-related neuroanatomical differences in alcohol dependence: findings from the ENIGMA Addiction Working Group. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2021; 30:102636. [PMID: 33857771 PMCID: PMC8065340 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2021.102636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Revised: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
We tested gender differences in brain volumes of alcohol dependent vs control groups. Group differences in brain volumes emerged as gross and widespread. Group-by-gender effects emerged in selected brain regions (cerebellum, amygdala) In dependent users, greater alcohol use predicted smaller amygdala and larger cerebellum GM volume. Our results highlight the need to account for gender differences in MRI studies of alcohol dependence.
Gender-related differences in the susceptibility, progression and clinical outcomes of alcohol dependence are well-known. However, the neurobiological substrates underlying such differences remain unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate gender differences in the neuroanatomy (i.e. regional brain volumes) of alcohol dependence. We examined the volume of a priori regions of interest (i.e., orbitofrontal cortex, hippocampus, amygdala, nucleus accumbens, caudate, putamen, pallidum, thalamus, corpus callosum, cerebellum) and global brain measures (i.e., total grey matter (GM), total white matter (WM) and cerebrospinal fluid). Volumes were compared between 660 people with alcohol dependence (228 women) and 326 controls (99 women) recruited from the ENIGMA Addiction Working Group, accounting for intracranial volume, age and education years. Compared to controls, individuals with alcohol dependence on average had (3–9%) smaller volumes of the hippocampus (bilateral), putamen (left), pallidum (left), thalamus (right), corpus callosum, total GM and WM, and cerebellar GM (bilateral), the latter more prominently in women (right). Alcohol-dependent men showed smaller amygdala volume than control men, but this effect was unclear among women. In people with alcohol dependence, more monthly standard drinks predicted smaller amygdala and larger cerebellum GM volumes. The neuroanatomical differences associated with alcohol dependence emerged as gross and widespread, while those associated with a specific gender may be confined to selected brain regions. These findings warrant future neuroscience research to account for gender differences in alcohol dependence to further understand the neurobiological effects of alcohol dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Gloria Rossetti
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, Section of Psychiatry, University of Verona, Verona, Italy; Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca'Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Praveetha Patalay
- Centre for Longitudinal Studies and MRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing, IOE and Population Health Sciences, UCL, United Kingdom
| | - Scott Mackey
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States
| | - Nicholas B Allen
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, United States
| | - Albert Batalla
- Department of Psychiatry, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Marcella Bellani
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, Section of Psychiatry, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Yann Chye
- BrainPark, Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, & Monash Biomedical Imaging Facility, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Janna Cousijn
- Department of Developmental Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Anna E Goudriaan
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam Institute for Addiction Research, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Amsterdam Neuroscience Research Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Robert Hester
- School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Kent Hutchison
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Chiang-Shan R Li
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Rocio Martin-Santos
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Hospital Clinic, IDIBAPS, CIBERSAM and Institute of Neuroscience, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Reza Momenan
- Clinical NeuroImaging Research Core, Office of the Clinical Director, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Rajita Sinha
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Lianne Schmaal
- Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, Parkville, Australia; Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Zsuzsika Sjoerds
- Cognitive Psychology Unit, Institute of Psychology & Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Nadia Solowij
- School of Psychology and Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, Australia
| | - Chao Suo
- BrainPark, Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, & Monash Biomedical Imaging Facility, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Ruth J van Holst
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam Institute for Addiction Research, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Amsterdam Neuroscience Research Institute, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Dick J Veltman
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Murat Yücel
- BrainPark, Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, & Monash Biomedical Imaging Facility, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Paul M Thompson
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Patricia Conrod
- Department of Psychiatry, Universite de Montreal, CHU Ste Justine Hospital, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Hugh Garavan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States
| | - Paolo Brambilla
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca'Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy; Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Valentina Lorenzetti
- Neuroscience of Addiction and Mental Health Program, Healthy Brain and Mind Research Centre, School of Behavioural & Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
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20
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Drăgoi AM, Voicu T, Chipeşiu AM, Costea RV. Morphopathological approaches in alcoholism. ROMANIAN JOURNAL OF MORPHOLOGY AND EMBRYOLOGY 2021; 61:345-351. [PMID: 33544786 PMCID: PMC7864312 DOI: 10.47162/rjme.61.2.04] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol morphopathology has been studied over time, being a central interest of specialists, due to the negative consequences it has on the brain and the entire central nervous system (CNS). This paper is a review of the literature that emphasizes one of the problems of the modern world, that of the compulsive consume of alcohol, having a great global spread. The studies analyzed are topical, being carried out in recent years and consider the harmful effects of alcohol on brain formations, such as corpus callosum, gray and white matter, hippocampus, and hypothalamus. At the same time, alcohol is a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, and in combination with other harmful substances, increases the risk of various diseases, such as neurodegeneration. Abusive alcohol consumption can bring epigenetic changes and alter the typical functioning of cognitive functions. This paper focuses on alcohol consumption on adolescents and young people, which is a serious problem nowadays. Alcohol also influences the way of behavioral expression, becoming a risk for the development of mental disorders. However, alcohol withdrawal is another problem with different effects and must be in the attention of specialists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Miruna Drăgoi
- Department of Psychiatry, Prof. Dr. Alexandru Obregia Clinical Hospital for Psychiatry, Bucharest, Romania;
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21
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Maleki N, Oscar-Berman M. Chronic Pain in Relation to Depressive Disorders and Alcohol Abuse. Brain Sci 2020; 10:brainsci10110826. [PMID: 33171755 PMCID: PMC7694991 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10110826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2020] [Revised: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic pain disorders have been associated separately with neuropsychiatric conditions such as depression and alcohol abuse. However, in individuals who suffer from non-cancer chronic pain disorders, it is not clear if the burden of depressive disorders is similar for those with and without a history of alcohol abuse. Using data from the Collaborative Psychiatric Epidemiology Surveys (CPES), we found depressive disorders to have a high burden in men and women with a history of alcohol abuse, independently of the presence or absence of chronic pain. We also found that, although the incidence of persistent depressive disorder was comparable in men and women with a history of alcohol abuse, and significantly higher than in control men and women, the incidence of a major depressive episode was higher in women with a history of alcohol abuse independently of the presence or absence of chronic pain. The age of onset of depressive disorders, independently of pain status, was younger for individuals with a history of alcohol abuse. The findings of this study have important implications for the clinical management of individuals who suffer from chronic pain comorbidly with depression and/or alcohol abuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nasim Maleki
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02129, USA;
- Psychology Research Service, VA Healthcare System, Jamaica Plain Campus, Boston, MA 02130, USA
| | - Marlene Oscar-Berman
- Psychology Research Service, VA Healthcare System, Jamaica Plain Campus, Boston, MA 02130, USA
- Departments of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Psychiatry, and Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA
- Correspondence:
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22
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Tolomeo S, Macfarlane JA, Baldacchino A, Koob GF, Steele JD. Alcohol Binge Drinking: Negative and Positive Valence System Abnormalities. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2020; 6:126-134. [PMID: 33279457 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2020.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Revised: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Each year, 3 million deaths occur owing to alcohol misuse. Translational studies are crucial to translate preclinical findings to patients. Preclinical studies have highlighted abnormalities in specific brain systems, with these forming the basis of allostasis theory. However, few studies have tested predictions in humans using neuroimaging. METHODS We used a Research Domain Criteria approach to test allostasis theory predictions of blunted positive valence system (PVS) and abnormally increased negative valence system (NVS) responses in 57 binge alcohol drinking subjects and healthy control subjects who completed an instrumental task during functional magnetic resonance imaging. RESULTS As hypothesized, binge alcohol drinkers showed abnormally increased activity in NVS-linked regions, such as the hippocampus and dorsal cingulate, and abnormally blunted activity in PVS-linked regions, such as the striatum, compared with control subjects. Higher measures of problematic alcohol use were associated with more abnormal brain activity only for binge drinkers who had been most recently drinking. CONCLUSIONS These results support allostasis theory predictions of abnormally increased NVS and blunted PVS responses in binge alcohol drinkers. Further similar translational neuroimaging studies are indicated, particularly focusing on the NVS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serenella Tolomeo
- Department of Psychology, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Alex Baldacchino
- Division of Population and Behavioral Science, Medical School, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, United Kingdom
| | - George F Koob
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - J Douglas Steele
- Division of Imaging Science and Technology, Medical School, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom.
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Fama R, Le Berre AP, Sullivan EV. Alcohol's Unique Effects on Cognition in Women: A 2020 (Re)view to Envision Future Research and Treatment. Alcohol Res 2020; 40:03. [PMID: 32923307 PMCID: PMC7473713 DOI: 10.35946/arcr.v40.2.03] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Alcohol use and misuse is increasing among women. Although the prevalence of drinking remains higher in men than women, the gender gap is narrowing. This narrative review focuses on the cognitive sequelae of alcohol consumption in women. Studies of acute alcohol effects on cognition indicate that women typically perform worse than men on tasks requiring divided attention, memory, and decision-making. Beneficial effects of moderate alcohol consumption on cognition have been reported; however, a number of studies have cautioned that other factors may be driving that association. Although chronic heavy drinking affects working memory, visuospatial abilities, balance, emotional processing, and social cognition in women and men, sex differences mark the severity and specific profile of functional deficits. The accelerated or compressed progression of alcohol-related problems and their consequences observed in women relative to men, referred to as "telescoping," highlights sex differences in the pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, cognitive, and psychological consequences of alcohol. Brain volume deficits affecting multiple systems, including frontolimbic and frontocerebellar networks, contribute to impairment. Taken together, sex-related differences highlight the complexity of this chronic disease in women and underscore the relevance of examining the roles of age, drinking patterns, duration of abstinence, medical history, and psychiatric comorbidities in defining and understanding alcohol-related cognitive impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosemary Fama
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California
- Neuroscience Program, SRI International, Menlo Park, California
| | - Anne-Pascale Le Berre
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California
| | - Edith V Sullivan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California
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Sawyer KS, Adra N, Salz DM, Kemppainen MI, Ruiz SM, Harris GJ, Oscar-Berman M. Hippocampal subfield volumes in abstinent men and women with a history of alcohol use disorder. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0236641. [PMID: 32776986 PMCID: PMC7416961 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0236641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2019] [Accepted: 07/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) has been associated with abnormalities in hippocampal volumes, but these relationships have not been fully explored with respect to sub-regional volumes, nor in association with individual characteristics such as age, gender differences, drinking history, and memory. The present study examined the impact of those variables in relation to hippocampal subfield volumes in abstinent men and women with a history of AUD. Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging at 3 Tesla, we obtained brain images from 67 participants with AUD (31 women) and 64 nonalcoholic control (NC) participants (31 women). The average duration of the most recent period of sobriety for AUD participants was 7.1 years. We used Freesurfer 6.0 to segment the hippocampus into 12 regions. These were imputed into statistical models to examine the relationships of brain volume with AUD group, age, gender, memory, and drinking history. Interactions with gender and age were of particular interest. Compared to the NC group, the AUD group had approximately 5% smaller subiculum, CA1, molecular layer, and hippocampal tail regions. Age was negatively associated with volumes for the AUD group in the subiculum and the hippocampal tail, but no significant interactions with gender were identified. The relationships for delayed and immediate memory with hippocampal tail volume differed for AUD and NC groups: Higher scores on tests of immediate and delayed memory were associated with smaller volumes in the AUD group, but larger volumes in the NC group. Length of sobriety was associated with decreasing CA1 volume in women (0.19% per year) and increasing volume size in men (0.38% per year). The course of abstinence on CA1 volume differed for men and women, and the differential relationships of subfield volumes to age and memory could indicate a distinction in the impact of AUD on functions of the hippocampal tail. These findings confirm and extend evidence that AUD, age, gender, memory, and abstinence differentially impact volumes of component parts of the hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kayle S. Sawyer
- VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, United States of America
- Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States of America
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States of America
- Sawyer Scientific, LLC, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Noor Adra
- VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, United States of America
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Daniel M. Salz
- VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, United States of America
- Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States of America
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Maaria I. Kemppainen
- VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, United States of America
- Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States of America
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Susan M. Ruiz
- VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, United States of America
- Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States of America
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Gordon J. Harris
- Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States of America
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States of America
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Marlene Oscar-Berman
- VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, United States of America
- Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States of America
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States of America
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25
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Zhang J, Hu Y, Wang Z, Wang M, Dong GH. Males are more sensitive to reward and less sensitive to loss than females among people with internet gaming disorder: fMRI evidence from a card-guessing task. BMC Psychiatry 2020; 20:357. [PMID: 32635911 PMCID: PMC7341652 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-020-02771-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2019] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Many studies have found an interesting issue in the Internet gaming disorder (IGD): males are always observed to be the majority. However, there are little research to exploring the differences in the neural mechanisms between males and females in decision-making process among people with IGD. Therefore, explore the reward/loss processing between different gender with IGD could help in understanding the underlying neural mechanism of IGD. METHODS Data from functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) were collected from 111 subjects (IGD: 29 males, 25 females; recreational internet game user (RGU): 36 males, 21 females) while they were performing a card-guessing task. We collected and compared their brain features when facing the win and loss conditions in different groups. RESULTS For winning conditions, IGD group showed hypoactivity in the lingual gyrus than RGU group, male players showed hyperactivity in the left caudate nucleus, bilateral cingulate gyrus, right middle frontal gyrus (MFG), right precuneus and inferior parietal lobule relative to the females. And significant sex-by-group interactions results showed higher brain activities in the thalamus, parahippocampal gyrus and lower brain activities in Inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) were observed in males with IGD than females. For losing conditions, IGD group showed hypoactivity in the left lingual gyrus, parahippocampal gyrus and right anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) compared to the RGU group, male players showed hyperactive left caudate nucleus and hypoactive right middle occipital gyrus relative to females. And significant sex-by-group interactions results showed that compared to females with IGD, males with IGD showed decreased brain activities in the IFG and lingual gyrus. CONCLUSIONS First, there appeared to be no difference in reward processing between the IGD and RGU group, but IGD showed less sensitivity to loss. Secondly, male players showed more sensitivity to rewards and less sensitivity to losses. Last but not least, males and females showed opposite activation patterns in IGD degree and rewards/losses processing. And male IGD subjects are more sensitive to reward and less sensitive to loss than females, which might be the reason for the gender different rates on IGD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jialin Zhang
- Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders, Institute of Psychological Research, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, 311121, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Yan Hu
- Department of Creative Technologies, Blekinge Institute of Technology, SE-371 79, Karlskrona, Sweden
| | - Ziliang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning and IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
| | - Min Wang
- Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders, Institute of Psychological Research, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, 311121, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Guang-Heng Dong
- Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders, Institute of Psychological Research, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, 311121, Zhejiang Province, China.
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment of Cognitive Impairments, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China.
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26
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Verplaetse TL, Cosgrove KP, Tanabe J, McKee SA. Sex/gender differences in brain function and structure in alcohol use: A narrative review of neuroimaging findings over the last 10 years. J Neurosci Res 2020; 99:309-323. [PMID: 32333417 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2019] [Revised: 03/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Over the last 10 years, rates of alcohol use disorder (AUD) have increased in women by 84% relative to a 35% increase in men. Rates of alcohol use and high-risk drinking have also increased in women by 16% and 58% relative to a 7% and 16% increase in men, respectively, over the last decade. This robust increase in drinking among women highlights the critical need to identify the underlying neural mechanisms that may contribute to problematic alcohol consumption across sex/gender (SG), especially given that many neuroimaging studies are underpowered to detect main or interactive effects of SG on imaging outcomes. This narrative review aims to explore the recent neuroimaging literature on SG differences in brain function and structure as it pertains to alcohol across positron emission tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and functional magnetic resonance imaging modalities in humans. Additional work using magnetic resonance spectroscopy, diffusion tensor imaging, and event-related potentials to examine SG differences in AUD will be covered. Overall, current research on the neuroimaging of AUD, alcohol consumption, or risk of AUD is limited, and findings are mixed regarding the effect of SG on neurochemical, structural, and functional mechanisms associated with AUD. We address SG disparities in the neuroimaging of AUD and propose a call to action to include women in brain imaging research. Future studies are crucial to our understanding of the neurobiological underpinnings of AUD across neural systems and the vulnerability for AUD among women and men.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kelly P Cosgrove
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.,Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, Yale PET Center, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Jody Tanabe
- Department of Radiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Center, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Sherry A McKee
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
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27
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Cardenas VA, Hough CM, Durazzo TC, Meyerhoff DJ. Cerebellar Morphometry and Cognition in the Context of Chronic Alcohol Consumption and Cigarette Smoking. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2020; 44:102-113. [PMID: 31730240 PMCID: PMC6980879 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2019] [Revised: 10/12/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cerebellar atrophy (especially involving the superior-anterior cerebellar vermis) is among the most salient and clinically significant effects of chronic hazardous alcohol consumption on brain structure. Smaller cerebellar volumes are also associated with chronic cigarette smoking. The present study investigated effects of both chronic alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking on cerebellar structure and its relation to performance on select cognitive/behavioral tasks. METHODS Using T1-weighted Magnetic Resonance Images (MRIs), the Cerebellar Analysis Tool Kit segmented the cerebellum into bilateral hemispheres and 3 vermis parcels from 4 participant groups: smoking (s) and nonsmoking (ns) abstinent alcohol-dependent treatment seekers (ALC) and controls (CON) (i.e., sALC, nsALC, sCON, and nsCON). Cognitive and behavioral data were also obtained. RESULTS We found detrimental effects of chronic drinking on all cerebellar structural measures in ALC participants, with largest reductions seen in vermis areas. Furthermore, both smoking groups had smaller volumes of cerebellar hemispheres but not vermis areas compared to their nonsmoking counterparts. In exploratory analyses, smaller cerebellar volumes were related to lower measures of intelligence. In sCON, but not sALC, greater smoking severity was related to smaller cerebellar volume and smaller superior-anterior vermis area. In sALC, greater abstinence duration was associated with larger cerebellar and superior-anterior vermis areas, suggesting some recovery with abstinence. CONCLUSIONS Our results show that both smoking and alcohol status are associated with smaller cerebellar structural measurements, with vermal areas more vulnerable to chronic alcohol consumption and less affected by chronic smoking. These morphometric cerebellar deficits were also associated with lower intelligence and related to duration of abstinence in sALC only.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerie A. Cardenas
- Center for Imaging of Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIND),
San Francisco VA Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Christina M. Hough
- Center for Imaging of Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIND),
San Francisco VA Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, UCSF Weill Institute for
Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los
Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Timothy C. Durazzo
- VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Mental Illness Research
and Education Clinical Centers, Sierra-Pacific War Related Illness and Injury Study
Center, Palo Alto, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford
University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Dieter J. Meyerhoff
- Center for Imaging of Neurodegenerative Diseases (CIND),
San Francisco VA Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, USA
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University
of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
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28
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Maleki N, Tahaney K, Thompson BL, Oscar-Berman M. At the intersection of alcohol use disorder and chronic pain. Neuropsychology 2019; 33:795-807. [PMID: 31448947 PMCID: PMC6711399 DOI: 10.1037/neu0000558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Alcohol use disorder (AUD) and chronic pain are widespread conditions with extensive public health burden. This review seeks to describe neuroanatomical links and major mediating influences between AUD and chronic pain, in the service of identifying factors that predict the risk of chronic pain in precipitating or facilitating AUD. METHOD We review the neural bases of pain and the influence of AUD on processes involved in pain perception. We propose potential mechanisms involved in the development of chronic pain in AUD, and we consider implications for pain management in recovery from AUD. RESULTS Pain is a multidimensional and subjective experience that, in its acute form, is essential for survival, but in chronic form, pain is a disorder that negatively impacts quality of life. Neural substrates involved in initiating and maintaining chronic pain include dysfunction in descending pain pathways and reward network circuitry. AUD involves preoccupation or craving, intoxication, withdrawal, and negative affect. Neural substrates of AUD involve widespread mesocorticolimbic and cerebrocerebellar networks. Both conditions involve dysfunction of extended reward and oversight circuitry, particularly prefrontal cortex. CONCLUSIONS The interrelationship between chronic pain and AUD resides in the intersection of etiological influences, mental experiences, and neurobiological processes. Characterization of the connection between brain and behavioral abnormalities in AUD's precipitation of chronic pain-and vice versa-allows for early detection and treatment of patients at risk for developing either or both of these conditions and for preemptive interventional approaches to reduce the risk of consequent vulnerabilities and harm. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Nasim Maleki
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kelli Tahaney
- VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychology, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Benjamin L. Thompson
- VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Marlene Oscar-Berman
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neurology, Boston School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
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Maksimovskiy AL, Fortier CB, Milberg WP, McGlinchey RE. A structural MRI study of differential neuromorphometric characteristics of binge and heavy drinking. Addict Behav Rep 2019; 9:100168. [PMID: 31193798 PMCID: PMC6542838 DOI: 10.1016/j.abrep.2019.100168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2018] [Revised: 01/31/2019] [Accepted: 02/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alcohol misuse often manifests in two different patterns of drinking; Binge Drinking (BD; ≥4 (women) or ≥ 5 (men) drinks/day, ≤12 days/month) or Heavy Drinking (HD; ≥3 (women) or ≥4 (men) drinks/day, ≥16 days/month). Although direct comparisons have not been made, structural MRI studies indicate that the two types of drinking behaviors might be associated with different neuromorphometric characteristics. METHODS This study used a cross-sectional design to compare brain structure (using MRI derived subcortical volume and cortical thickness measures) between participants with histories of BD (N = 16), HD (N = 15), and Healthy Controls (HC; N = 21). Whole-brain analyses were used to quantify group differences in subcortical volume and cortical thickness. Resulting cortical thickness clusters were quantified for their areas of overlap with resting-state network parcellations. RESULTS BD was associated with decreased volumes of the bilateral global pallidus and decreased cortical thickness within the left superior-parietal cluster (p < .05). This cortical cluster overlapped in surface area with the dorsal-attention (50.86%) and the fronto-parietal network parcellations (49.14%). HD was associated with increased cortical thickness in the left medial occipito-parietal cluster (p < .05). This cluster primarily overlapped with the visual network parcellation (89%) and, to a lesser extent, with a widespread number of network parcellations (dorsal-attention: 3.8%; fronto-parietal: 3.5%; default-mode: 3.2%). CONCLUSIONS These data indicate that histories of BD and HD patterns are associated with distinct neuromorphometric characteristics. BD was associated with changes within the executive control networks and the globus pallidus. HD was associated with widespread changes, that are primarily localized within the visual network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arkadiy L. Maksimovskiy
- Translational Research Center for TBI and Stress-related Disorders (TRACTS), VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, United States of America
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
- McLean Imaging Center, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill Street, Belmont, MA, 02478, United States of America
| | - Catherine B. Fortier
- Translational Research Center for TBI and Stress-related Disorders (TRACTS), VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, United States of America
- Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center (GRECC), VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, United States of America
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - William P. Milberg
- Translational Research Center for TBI and Stress-related Disorders (TRACTS), VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, United States of America
- Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center (GRECC), VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, United States of America
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Regina E. McGlinchey
- Translational Research Center for TBI and Stress-related Disorders (TRACTS), VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, United States of America
- Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center (GRECC), VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, United States of America
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
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30
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Sawyer KS, Maleki N, Urban T, Marinkovic K, Karson S, Ruiz SM, Harris GJ, Oscar-Berman M. Alcoholism gender differences in brain responsivity to emotional stimuli. eLife 2019; 8:e41723. [PMID: 31038125 PMCID: PMC6491039 DOI: 10.7554/elife.41723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2018] [Accepted: 03/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Men and women may use alcohol to regulate emotions differently, with corresponding differences in neural responses. We explored how the viewing of different types of emotionally salient stimuli impacted brain activity observed through functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) from 42 long-term abstinent alcoholic (25 women) and 46 nonalcoholic (24 women) participants. Analyses revealed blunted brain responsivity in alcoholic compared to nonalcoholic groups, as well as gender differences in those activation patterns. Brain activation in alcoholic men (ALCM) was significantly lower than in nonalcoholic men (NCM) in regions including rostral middle and superior frontal cortex, precentral gyrus, and inferior parietal cortex, whereas activation was higher in alcoholic women (ALCW) than in nonalcoholic women (NCW) in superior frontal and supramarginal cortical regions. The reduced brain reactivity of ALCM, and increases for ALCW, highlighted divergent brain regions and gender effects, suggesting possible differences in the underlying basis for development of alcohol use disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kayle S Sawyer
- Psychology Research ServiceVA Healthcare SystemBostonUnited States
- Department of Anatomy and NeurobiologyBoston University School of MedicineBostonUnited States
- Department of RadiologyMassachusetts General HospitalBostonUnited States
- Sawyer Scientific, LLCBostonUnited States
| | - Nasim Maleki
- Psychology Research ServiceVA Healthcare SystemBostonUnited States
- Department of PsychiatryMassachusetts General HospitalBostonUnited States
| | - Trinity Urban
- Department of RadiologyMassachusetts General HospitalBostonUnited States
| | - Ksenija Marinkovic
- Department of PsychologySan Diego State UniversitySan DiegoUnited States
| | - Steven Karson
- Department of Computer ScienceDartmouth CollegeHanoverUnited States
| | - Susan M Ruiz
- Department of Anatomy and NeurobiologyBoston University School of MedicineBostonUnited States
| | - Gordon J Harris
- Department of RadiologyMassachusetts General HospitalBostonUnited States
- 3D Imaging ServiceMassachusetts General HospitalBostonUnited States
| | - Marlene Oscar-Berman
- Department of Anatomy and NeurobiologyBoston University School of MedicineBostonUnited States
- Department of PsychiatryBoston University School of MedicineBostonUnited States
- Department of NeurologyBoston University School of MedicineBostonUnited States
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Wang Z, Hu Y, Zheng H, Yuan K, Du X, Dong G. Females are more vulnerable to Internet gaming disorder than males: Evidence from cortical thickness abnormalities. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2019; 283:145-153. [PMID: 30448109 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2018.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2018] [Revised: 09/11/2018] [Accepted: 11/02/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Male predominance is a well-known feature of Internet gaming disorder (IGD), with a reported male to female ratio of 3:1. Because of the overwhelming focus on males, little is known about the neural basis of sex differences in IGD, especially neuroanatomical features. Thus, investigations on sex differences with an adequate sample size are critical for improving the understanding of biological mechanisms underlying IGD. METHODS Structural magnetic resonance imaging data were acquired from 62 IGD subjects (29 males, 33 females) and 71 recreational game users (RGUs) (37 males, 34 females) with well-matched age and education levels. Group-by-sex interaction in cortical thickness was analyzed, and the correlations between cortical thickness and addiction severity were calculated. RESULTS We detected a group-by-sex interaction in the bilateral rostral middle frontal gyri (MFG), left superior frontal gyrus (SFG), left supramarginal gyrus (SMG), right posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), and right superior parietal lobule (SPL). Post-hoc analyses revealed that, compared with same-sex RGUs, male IGD subjects had increased cortical thickness and female IGD subjects had reduced cortical thickness beside their right PCC. By contrast, male IGD subjects had reduced cortical thickness and female IGD subjects had increased cortical thickness in their right PCC. Moreover, only females showed significant negative correlations between the cortical thickness and their self-reported cravings and Internet addiction test scores. CONCLUSIONS For female IGD subjects, the reduced cortical thickness, combined with the negative correlations of addiction severities, suggests the great effect created by IGD in the brain regions. Males and females may be affected differently by IGD, with females being more vulnerable to it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziliang Wang
- Department of Psychology, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
| | - Yanbo Hu
- Department of Psychology, London Metropolitan University, London, United Kingdom
| | - Hui Zheng
- Department of Psychology, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
| | - Kai Yuan
- Life Sciences Research Center, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Xidian University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Xiaoxia Du
- Department of Physics, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Guangheng Dong
- Department of Psychology, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China; Institute of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China.
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Stolf AR, Cupertino RB, Müller D, Sanvicente-Vieira B, Roman T, Vitola ES, Grevet EH, von Diemen L, Kessler FHP, Grassi-Oliveira R, Bau CHD, Rovaris DL, Pechansky F, Schuch JB. Effects of DRD2 splicing-regulatory polymorphism and DRD4 48 bp VNTR on crack cocaine addiction. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2018; 126:193-199. [PMID: 30367264 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-018-1946-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2018] [Accepted: 10/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
There is evidence that dopamine receptors D2 (DRD2) and D4 (DRD4) polymorphisms may influence substance use disorders (SUD) susceptibility both individually and through their influence in the formation of DRD2-DRD4 heteromers. The dopaminergic role on the vulnerability to addiction appears to be influenced by sex. A cross-sectional study with 307 crack cocaine addicts and 770 controls was conducted. The influence of DRD2 rs2283265 and DRD4 48 bp VNTR in exon 3 variants, as well as their interaction on crack cocaine addiction susceptibility and severity were evaluated in women and men separately. An association between the DRD2 T allele and crack cocaine addiction was found in women. In this same group, interaction analysis demonstrated that the presence of DRD2-T allele and concomitant absence of DRD4-7R allele were associated with risk for crack cocaine addiction. No influence of DRD2 and DRD4 variants was observed in men regarding addiction severity. This study reinforces the role of dopaminergic genes in externalizing behaviors, especially the influence of DRD2-DRD4 interaction on SUD. This is the fourth sample that independently associated the DRD2-DRD4 interaction with SUD itself or related disorders. In addition, our findings point out to a potential difference of dopaminergic neurotransmission across sex influencing addiction susceptibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anderson R Stolf
- Center for Drug and Alcohol Research, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Renata B Cupertino
- Department of Genetics, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Diana Müller
- Department of Genetics, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Breno Sanvicente-Vieira
- Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Lab (DCNL), Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Tatiana Roman
- Department of Genetics, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Eduardo S Vitola
- ADHD Outpatient Program, Adult Division, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Eugenio H Grevet
- ADHD Outpatient Program, Adult Division, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Lisia von Diemen
- Center for Drug and Alcohol Research, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Felix H P Kessler
- Center for Drug and Alcohol Research, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo Grassi-Oliveira
- Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Lab (DCNL), Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Claiton H D Bau
- Center for Drug and Alcohol Research, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,ADHD Outpatient Program, Adult Division, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Diego L Rovaris
- Department of Genetics, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Flavio Pechansky
- Center for Drug and Alcohol Research, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Jaqueline B Schuch
- Department of Genetics, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil. .,Laboratory of Immunosenescence, Graduate Program in Biomedical Gerontology, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Ipiranga, 6681, prédio 81, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, CEP 90619-900, Brazil.
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Sawyer KS, Maleki N, Papadimitriou G, Makris N, Oscar-Berman M, Harris GJ. Cerebral white matter sex dimorphism in alcoholism: a diffusion tensor imaging study. Neuropsychopharmacology 2018; 43:1876-1883. [PMID: 29795404 PMCID: PMC6046037 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-018-0089-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2017] [Revised: 03/23/2018] [Accepted: 05/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Excessive alcohol consumption is associated with brain aberrations, including abnormalities in frontal and limbic brain regions. In a prior diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) study of neuronal circuitry connecting the frontal lobes and limbic system structures, we demonstrated decreases in white matter fractional anisotropy in abstinent alcoholic men. In the present study, we examined sex differences in alcoholism-related abnormalities of white matter connectivity and their association with alcoholism history. The dMRI scans were acquired from 49 abstinent alcoholic individuals (26 women) and 41 nonalcoholic controls (22 women). Tract-based spatial statistical tools were used to estimate regional FA of white matter tracts and to determine sex differences and their relation to measures of alcoholism history. Sex-related differences in white matter connectivity were observed in association with alcoholism: Compared to nonalcoholic men, alcoholic men had diminished FA in portions of the corpus callosum, the superior longitudinal fasciculi II and III, and the arcuate fasciculus and extreme capsule. In contrast, alcoholic women had higher FA in these regions. Sex differences also were observed for correlations between corpus callosum FA and length of sobriety. Our results suggest that sexual dimorphism in white matter microstructure in abstinent alcoholics may implicate underlying differences in the neurobehavioral liabilities for developing alcohol abuse disorders, or for sequelae following abuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kayle S Sawyer
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02118, USA.
- VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, 02130, USA.
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
- Sawyer Scientific, LLC, Boston, MA, 02120, USA.
| | - Nasim Maleki
- Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - George Papadimitriou
- Departments of Neurology, Psychiatry, and Radiology, Center for Morphometric Analysis, and Athinoula A. Martinos Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Nikos Makris
- Departments of Neurology, Psychiatry, and Radiology, Center for Morphometric Analysis, and Athinoula A. Martinos Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Marlene Oscar-Berman
- VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, 02130, USA
- Departments of Neurology, Psychiatry, Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02118, USA
| | - Gordon J Harris
- Radiology Computer Aided Diagnostics Laboratory, Center for Morphometric Analysis, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
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Rivas-Grajales AM, Sawyer KS, Karmacharya S, Papadimitriou G, Camprodon JA, Harris GJ, Kubicki M, Oscar-Berman M, Makris N. Sexually dimorphic structural abnormalities in major connections of the medial forebrain bundle in alcoholism. Neuroimage Clin 2018; 19:98-105. [PMID: 30035007 PMCID: PMC6051309 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2018.03.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2017] [Revised: 01/24/2018] [Accepted: 03/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Background The mesocorticolimbic system is particularly susceptible to the effects of chronic alcoholism. Disruption of this system has been linked to drug seeking and the development of Reward Deficiency Syndrome, a neurobiological framework for describing the development and relapsing patterns of addictions. In this study, we evaluated the association of alcoholism and sex with major connections of the medial forebrain bundle (MFB), a prominent mesocorticolimbic fiber pathway connecting the ventral tegmental area with the basal forebrain. Given sex differences in clinical consequences of alcohol consumption, we hypothesized that alcoholic men and women would differ in structural abnormalities of the MFB. Methods Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) data were acquired from 30 abstinent long-term alcoholic individuals (ALC; 9 men) and 25 non-alcoholic controls (NC; 8 men). Major connections of the MFB were extracted using multi-tensor tractography. We compared groups on MFB volume, fractional anisotropy (FA), radial diffusivity (RD), and axial diffusivity (AD), with hemisphere and sex as independent variables. We also evaluated associations between abnormal structural measures and drinking measures. Results Analyses revealed significant group-by-sex interactions for FA and RD: while ALC men had lower FA and higher RD compared to NC men, ALC women had higher FA and lower RD compared to NC women. We also detected a significant negative association between FA and number of daily drinks in ALC women. Conclusion Alcoholism is associated with sexually dimorphic structural abnormalities in the MFB. The results expand upon other findings of differences in brain reward circuitry of alcoholic men and women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana María Rivas-Grajales
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA; Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Kayle S Sawyer
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA; VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA; Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA; Sawyer Scientific, LLC, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sarina Karmacharya
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - George Papadimitriou
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA; Center for Morphometric Analysis, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Joan A Camprodon
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA; Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Gordon J Harris
- Center for Morphometric Analysis, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA; Radiology Computer Aided Diagnostics Laboratory, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Marek Kubicki
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA; Center for Morphometric Analysis, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Marlene Oscar-Berman
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA; VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA; Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA; Department of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nikos Makris
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA, USA; Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA; Center for Morphometric Analysis, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
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35
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Coppola G, Petolicchio B, Di Renzo A, Tinelli E, Di Lorenzo C, Parisi V, Serrao M, Calistri V, Tardioli S, Cartocci G, Ambrosini A, Caramia F, Di Piero V, Pierelli F. Cerebral gray matter volume in patients with chronic migraine: correlations with clinical features. J Headache Pain 2017; 18:115. [PMID: 29322264 PMCID: PMC5762618 DOI: 10.1186/s10194-017-0825-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2017] [Accepted: 11/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background To date, few MRI studies have been performed in patients affected by chronic migraine (CM), especially in those without medication overuse. Here, we performed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analyses to investigate the gray matter (GM) volume of the whole brain in patients affected by CM. Our aim was to investigate whether fluctuations in the GM volumes were related to the clinical features of CM. Methods Twenty untreated patients with CM without a past medical history of medication overuse underwent 3-Tesla MRI scans and were compared to a group of 20 healthy controls (HCs). We used SPM12 and the CAT12 toolbox to process the MRI data and to perform VBM analyses of the structural T1-weighted MRI scans. The GM volume of patients was compared to that of HCs with various corrected and uncorrected thresholds. To check for possible correlations, patients’ clinical features and GM maps were regressed. Results Initially, we did not find significant differences in the GM volume between patients with CM and HCs (p < 0.05 corrected for multiple comparisons). However, using more-liberal uncorrected statistical thresholds, we noted that compared to HCs, patients with CM exhibited clusters of regions with lower GM volumes including the cerebellum, left middle temporal gyrus, left temporal pole/amygdala/hippocampus/pallidum/orbitofrontal cortex, and left occipital areas (Brodmann areas 17/18). The GM volume of the cerebellar hemispheres was negatively correlated with the disease duration and positively correlated with the number of tablets taken per month. Conclusion No gross morphometric changes were observed in patients with CM when compared with HCs. However, using more-liberal uncorrected statistical thresholds, we observed that CM is associated with subtle GM volume changes in several brain areas known to be involved in nociception/antinociception, multisensory integration, and analgesic dependence. We speculate that these slight morphometric impairments could lead, at least in a subgroup of patients, to the development and continuation of maladaptive acute medication usage. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s10194-017-0825-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianluca Coppola
- Research Unit of Neurophysiology of Vision and Neurophthalmology, G.B. Bietti Foundation-IRCCS, Via Livenza 3, 00198, Rome, Italy.
| | - Barbara Petolicchio
- Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonio Di Renzo
- Research Unit of Neurophysiology of Vision and Neurophthalmology, G.B. Bietti Foundation-IRCCS, Via Livenza 3, 00198, Rome, Italy
| | - Emanuele Tinelli
- Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Vincenzo Parisi
- Research Unit of Neurophysiology of Vision and Neurophthalmology, G.B. Bietti Foundation-IRCCS, Via Livenza 3, 00198, Rome, Italy
| | - Mariano Serrao
- Department of Medico-Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome Polo Pontino, Latina, Italy
| | - Valentina Calistri
- Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Stefano Tardioli
- Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Gaia Cartocci
- Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Francesca Caramia
- Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Vittorio Di Piero
- Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Pierelli
- Department of Medico-Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome Polo Pontino, Latina, Italy.,IRCCS-Neuromed, Pozzilli, IS, Italy
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