A neuroimaging study reveals brain changes related to alcohol
The alcohol dependent individuals in a localized manner seems to alter the gray matter and white matter diffusely shows a French study, which also highlights a correlation between decreases in brain volumes and neuropsychological impairment substances drinkers.
The extent of brain damage and cognitive deficits associated were poorly described in people addicted to alcohol are also socially well integrated.
Sandra Chanraud of Frédéric Joliot Hospital Service of the Atomic Energy (Orsay, Essonne) and his colleagues studied the links between regional alterations in brain, executive functions and history of individuals in relation to alcohol to 31 men (30-50 years) dependent on alcohol (two liters of wine per day) and socially well integrated.
On brain imaging, the authors found that alcohol-dependent subjects had a decrease in gray matter in several brain regions up to 20% in the frontal regions.
In addition, the white matter has been altered in these subjects as a whole, with a significant 10% decrease in the corpus callosum.
The deterioration of cognitive function was correlated with decreases in gray matter in the frontal lobe, the insula, the hippo-campus , thalamus and cerebellum and white matter in the brain stem.
The study further shows that the age of first contact with alcohol is crucial: the more alcohol is consumed at an early age, less gray matter is present in certain brain regions (cerebellum, brain-stem and regions end).
"Drinking alcohol during adolescence has a decisive impact on the development of these regions. These results underline the importance of prevention and research among youth at risk of drug addiction in general," say in a joint statement CEA, Inserm and the public hospital Assistance Paris (AP-HP).
In addition, it seems that the decrease in the volume of gray matter and white matter has been associated with impairment of executive functions, despite a good social integration of individuals and somatic functions preserved in patients weaned.
In addition to the involvement of frontal regions, these results are in agreement with the cortico-thalamic-cerebellar model of executive functions impaired in alcohol dependent individuals.
"This study highlights the dorsolateral frontal and reductions in brain volume, as well as alterations in cortico-thalamic-cerebellar circuitry of alcohol dependent individuals," the authors conclude.
"We also objectified a close relationship between decreases in volumes of brain substances localized and neuropsychological damage," they add.
According to them, further studies on brain function are needed to determine if these morphometric changes are causing a deterioration of the executive functions.
The extent of brain damage and cognitive deficits associated were poorly described in people addicted to alcohol are also socially well integrated.
Sandra Chanraud of Frédéric Joliot Hospital Service of the Atomic Energy (Orsay, Essonne) and his colleagues studied the links between regional alterations in brain, executive functions and history of individuals in relation to alcohol to 31 men (30-50 years) dependent on alcohol (two liters of wine per day) and socially well integrated.
On brain imaging, the authors found that alcohol-dependent subjects had a decrease in gray matter in several brain regions up to 20% in the frontal regions.
In addition, the white matter has been altered in these subjects as a whole, with a significant 10% decrease in the corpus callosum.
The deterioration of cognitive function was correlated with decreases in gray matter in the frontal lobe, the insula, the hippo-campus , thalamus and cerebellum and white matter in the brain stem.
The study further shows that the age of first contact with alcohol is crucial: the more alcohol is consumed at an early age, less gray matter is present in certain brain regions (cerebellum, brain-stem and regions end).
"Drinking alcohol during adolescence has a decisive impact on the development of these regions. These results underline the importance of prevention and research among youth at risk of drug addiction in general," say in a joint statement CEA, Inserm and the public hospital Assistance Paris (AP-HP).
In addition, it seems that the decrease in the volume of gray matter and white matter has been associated with impairment of executive functions, despite a good social integration of individuals and somatic functions preserved in patients weaned.
In addition to the involvement of frontal regions, these results are in agreement with the cortico-thalamic-cerebellar model of executive functions impaired in alcohol dependent individuals.
"This study highlights the dorsolateral frontal and reductions in brain volume, as well as alterations in cortico-thalamic-cerebellar circuitry of alcohol dependent individuals," the authors conclude.
"We also objectified a close relationship between decreases in volumes of brain substances localized and neuropsychological damage," they add.
According to them, further studies on brain function are needed to determine if these morphometric changes are causing a deterioration of the executive functions.
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