1
|
Iqbal J, Mansour MNM, Saboor HA, Suyambu J, Lak MA, Zeeshan MH, Hafeez MH, Arain M, Mehmood M, Mehmood D, Ashraf M. Role of deep brain stimulation (DBS) in addiction disorders. Surg Neurol Int 2023; 14:434. [PMID: 38213452 PMCID: PMC10783698 DOI: 10.25259/sni_662_2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Addiction disorders pose significant challenges to public health, necessitating innovative treatments. This assesses deep brain stimulation (DBS) as a potential intervention for addiction disorders. Methods A literature review was carried out with a focus on the role of DBS in addiction disorders and its future implications in neurosurgical research. Results The online literature shows that DBS precisely modulates certain brain regions to restore addiction-related neural circuits and promote behavioral control. Conclusion Preclinical evidence demonstrates DBS's potential to rebalance neural circuits associated with addiction, and early clinical trials provide encouraging outcomes in enhancing addiction-related outcomes. Ethical considerations, long-term safety, and personalized patient selection require further investigation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Javed Iqbal
- School of Medicine, King Edward Medical University, Lahore, Pakistan
| | | | | | - Jenisha Suyambu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Jonelta Foundation School of Medicine, University of Perpetual Help System Dalta, Las Pinas City, Philippines
| | - Muhammad Ali Lak
- School of Medicine, Combined Military Hospitals (CMH) Lahore Medical College and Institute of Dentistry, Lahore, Pakistan
| | | | | | - Mustafa Arain
- School of Medicine, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan
| | - Maria Mehmood
- School of Medicine, Shalamar Medical and Dental College, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Dalia Mehmood
- School of Medicine, Fatima Jinnah Medical University, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Mohammad Ashraf
- Wolfson School of Medicine, University of Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Spindler C, Mallien L, Trautmann S, Alexander N, Muehlhan M. A coordinate-based meta-analysis of white matter alterations in patients with alcohol use disorder. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:40. [PMID: 35087021 PMCID: PMC8795454 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-01809-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Revised: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Besides the commonly described gray matter (GM) deficits, there is growing evidence of significant white matter (WM) alterations in patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD). WM changes can be assessed using volumetric and diffusive magnetic resonance imaging methods, such as voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). The aim of the present meta-analysis is to investigate the spatial convergence of the reported findings on WM alterations in AUD. METHODS Systematic literature search on PubMed and further databases revealed 18 studies eligible for inclusion, entailing a total of 462 AUD patients and 416 healthy controls (up to January 18, 2021). All studies that had used either VBM or DTI whole-brain analyzing methods and reported results as peak-coordinates in standard reference space were considered for inclusion. We excluded studies using approaches non-concordant with recent guidelines for neuroimaging meta-analyses and studies investigating patient groups with Korsakoff syndrome or other comorbid substance use disorders (except tobacco). RESULTS Anatomical likelihood estimation (ALE) revealed four significant clusters of convergent macro- and microstructural WM alterations in AUD patients that were assigned to the genu and body of the corpus callosum, anterior and posterior cingulum, fornix, and the right posterior limb of the internal capsule. DISCUSSION The changes in WM could to some extent explain the deteriorations in motor, cognitive, affective, and perceptual functions seen in AUD. Future studies are needed to clarify how WM alterations vary over the course of the disorder and to what extent they are reversible with prolonged abstinence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carolin Spindler
- grid.461732.5Department of Psychology, Faculty of Human Sciences, Medical School Hamburg, Am Kaiserkai 1, 20457 Hamburg, Germany ,grid.461732.5ICAN Institute for Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, Medical School Hamburg, Am Kaiserkai 1, 20457 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Louisa Mallien
- grid.461732.5Department of Human Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Medical School Hamburg, Am Kaiserkai 1, 20457 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Sebastian Trautmann
- grid.461732.5Department of Psychology, Faculty of Human Sciences, Medical School Hamburg, Am Kaiserkai 1, 20457 Hamburg, Germany ,grid.461732.5ICPP Institute for Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Medical School Hamburg, Am Kaiserkai 1, 20457 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Nina Alexander
- grid.461732.5Department of Psychology, Faculty of Human Sciences, Medical School Hamburg, Am Kaiserkai 1, 20457 Hamburg, Germany ,grid.10253.350000 0004 1936 9756Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps University Marburg, Rudolf-Bultmann-Str. 8, 35039 Marburg, Germany ,grid.10253.350000 0004 1936 9756Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior, Philipps University Marburg, Hans-Meerwein-Str. 6, 35032 Marburg, Germany
| | - Markus Muehlhan
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Human Sciences, Medical School Hamburg, Am Kaiserkai 1, 20457, Hamburg, Germany. .,ICAN Institute for Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, Medical School Hamburg, Am Kaiserkai 1, 20457, Hamburg, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
From Emotional (Dys)Regulation to Internet Addiction: A Mediation Model of Problematic Social Media Use among Italian Young Adults. J Clin Med 2021; 11:jcm11010188. [PMID: 35011929 PMCID: PMC8745641 DOI: 10.3390/jcm11010188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Revised: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Internet addiction (IA) has mostly been investigated with the fear of missing out and difficulties in emotional regulation. The present study examined the link between IA and variables related to problematic social media use (i.e., fear of missing out, social media addiction), together with emotional (dys)regulation and personality traits, providing new insights and an integrated assessment of IA. In total, 397 participants, aged 18-35 years (M = 22.00; SD = 3.83), were administered a set of questionnaires pertaining to IA, problematic social media use, emotional (dys)regulation, and personality traits. Pearson's correlations showed significant associations between IA and the investigated variables, and the tested mediation model highlighted the crucial role played by emotional (dys)regulation in the fear of missing out and problematic use of social networks. Overall, the findings provide support for a new integrated model for understanding the features, predictors, and risk factors of IA.
Collapse
|
4
|
Popa I, Rădulescu I, Drăgoi AM, Trifu S, Cristea MB. Korsakoff syndrome: An overlook (Review). Exp Ther Med 2021; 22:1132. [PMID: 34466144 PMCID: PMC8383329 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2021.10566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
This review aimed to analyze the latest neurobiological findings regarding Korsakoff syndrome, since alcoholism is the most prevalent addiction worldwide. In addition, we analyzed the optimal treatment that can be administered in order to minimize the symptoms and improve the outcome of these patients. The disruption of memory circuits within the brain of alcoholic patients results in the amnestic syndrome known as Korsakoff syndrome. It is generally characterized by a chronic neuropsychiatric syndrome caused by vitamin B1 (thiamine) deficiency. Other categories of patients can develop Korsakoff syndrome without consuming alcohol such as AIDS patients, terminally ill cancer patients, or patients with chronic infections and malnutrition. Vitamin B1 is required in the Krebs cycle for production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). It is also a cofactor in the production of acetylcholine and certain neurotransmitters. Alcohol consumption can decrease the intake, gastrointestinal absorption and cellular utilization of vitamin B1. Treatment of alcohol withdrawal along with high doses of vitamin B1 can improve the general outcome of patients. A small percentage of patients can recover from Wernicke's encephalopathy with no permanent brain damage. The onset of Korsakoff syndrome darkens the prognosis. Alcohol abstinence is an absolute recommendation and prevents the extension of neural damage.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ionuţ Popa
- Department of Psychiatry, 'Prof. Dr. Alex. Obregia' Clinical Hospital of Psychiatry, 041914 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Ioana Rădulescu
- Department of Psychiatry, 'Prof. Dr. Alex. Obregia' Clinical Hospital of Psychiatry, 041914 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Ana Miruna Drăgoi
- Department of Psychiatry, 'Prof. Dr. Alex. Obregia' Clinical Hospital of Psychiatry, 041914 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Simona Trifu
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, 'Carol Davila' University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Mihai Bogdan Cristea
- Department of Morphological Sciences, 'Carol Davila' University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Binge drinking is associated with altered resting state functional connectivity of reward-salience and top down control networks. Brain Imaging Behav 2021; 14:1731-1746. [PMID: 31073695 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-019-00107-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Binge drinking is characterized by bouts of high-intensity alcohol intake and is associated with an array of health-related harms. Even though the transition from occasional impulsive to addictive alcohol use is not well understood, neurobiological models of addiction suggest that repeated cycles of intoxication and withdrawal contribute to the development of addiction in part through dysregulation of neurofunctional networks. Research on the neural sequelae associated with binge drinking is scant but resting state functional connectivity (RSFC) studies of alcohol use disorders (AUD) indicate that the development and maintenance of long-term excessive drinking may be mediated by network-level disruptions. The present study examined RSFC in young adult binge (BD) and light (LD) drinkers with seeds representing the networks subserving reward (the nucleus accumbens and caudate nucleus), salience (anterior cingulate cortex, ACC), and executive control (inferior frontal cortex, IFC). BDs exhibited enhanced connectivity between the striatal reward areas and the orbitofrontal cortex and the ACC, which is consistent with AUD studies and may be indicative of alcohol-motivated appetitive behaviors. Conversely, BDs demonstrated lower connectivity between the IFC and hippocampus which was associated with higher craving. This may indicate impaired ability to suppress unwanted thoughts and a failure to employ memory of the harmful consequences of heavy drinking in prospective plans and intentions. The observed greater connectivity of the reward/salience network and the lower prefrontal-hippocampal connectivity were associated with hazardous drinking levels indicating that dysregulation of neurofunctional networks may underlie binge drinking patterns.
Collapse
|
6
|
A biological framework for emotional dysregulation in alcohol misuse: from gut to brain. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:1098-1118. [PMID: 33288871 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-020-00970-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2020] [Revised: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) has been associated with impairments in social and emotional cognition that play a crucial role in the development and maintenance of addiction. Repeated alcohol intoxications trigger inflammatory processes and sensitise the immune system. In addition, emerging data point to perturbations in the gut microbiome as a key regulator of the inflammatory cascade in AUD. Inflammation and social cognition are potent modulators of one another. At the same time, accumulating evidence implicates the gut microbiome in shaping emotional and social cognition, suggesting the possibility of a common underlying loop of crucial importance for addiction. Here we propose an integrative microbiome neuro-immuno-affective framework of how emotional dysregulation and alcohol-related microbiome dysbiosis could accelerate the cycle of addiction. We outline the overlapping effects of chronic alcohol use, inflammation and microbiome alterations on the fronto-limbic circuitry as a convergence hub for emotional dysregulation. We discuss the interdependent relationship of social cognition, immunity and the microbiome in relation to alcohol misuse- from binge drinking to addiction. In addition, we emphasise adolescence as a sensitive period for the confluence of alcohol harmful effects and emotional dysregulation in the developing gut-brain axis.
Collapse
|
7
|
Lewis B, Price JL, Garcia CC, Ebner NC, Nixon SJ. The impact of emotional face stimuli on working memory performance among men and women with alcohol use disorder. Addict Behav 2021; 114:106731. [PMID: 33218841 PMCID: PMC8406622 DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2020.106731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Revised: 10/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD) often display compromise in emotional processing and non-affective neurocognitive functions. However, relatively little empirical work explores their intersection. In this study, we examined working memory performance when attending to and ignoring facial stimuli among adults with and without AUD. We anticipated poorer performance in the AUD group, particularly when task demands involved ignoring facial stimuli. Whether this relationship was moderated by facial emotion or participant sex were explored as empirical questions. METHODS Fifty-six controls (30 women) and 56 treatment-seekers with AUD (14 women) completed task conditions in which performance was advantaged by either attending to or ignoring facial stimuli, including happy, neutral, or fearful faces. Group, sex, and their interaction were independent factors in all models. Efficiency (accuracy/response time) was the primary outcome of interest. RESULTS An interaction between group and condition (F1,107 = 6.03, p < .02) was detected. Individual comparisons suggested this interaction was driven by AUD-associated performance deficits when ignoring faces, whereas performance was equivalent between groups when faces were attended. Secondary analyses suggested little influence of specific facial emotions on these effects. CONCLUSIONS These data provide partial support for initial hypotheses, with the AUD group demonstrating poorer working memory performance conditioned on the inability to ignore irrelevant emotional face stimuli. The absence of group differences when scenes were to be ignored (faces remembered) suggests the AUD-associated inability to ignore irrelevance is influenced by specific stimulus qualities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ben Lewis
- University of Florida, Department of Psychiatry, Gainesville, FL, United States; University of Florida, Department of Psychology, Gainesville, FL, United States; University of Florida, Center for Addiction Research & Education, Gainesville, FL, United States.
| | - Julianne L Price
- University of Florida, Department of Psychiatry, Gainesville, FL, United States; University of Florida, Department of Psychology, Gainesville, FL, United States; University of Florida, Center for Addiction Research & Education, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Christian C Garcia
- University of Florida, Department of Psychiatry, Gainesville, FL, United States; University of Florida, Department of Psychology, Gainesville, FL, United States; University of Florida, Center for Addiction Research & Education, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Natalie C Ebner
- University of Florida, Department of Psychology, Gainesville, FL, United States; University of Florida, Department of Aging and Geriatric Research, Institute on Aging, Gainesville, FL, United States; University of Florida, Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Sara Jo Nixon
- University of Florida, Department of Psychiatry, Gainesville, FL, United States; University of Florida, Department of Psychology, Gainesville, FL, United States; University of Florida, Center for Addiction Research & Education, Gainesville, FL, United States
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Creupelandt C, D'Hondt F, Maurage P. Towards a Dynamic Exploration of Vision, Cognition and Emotion in Alcohol-Use Disorders. Curr Neuropharmacol 2019; 17:492-506. [PMID: 30152285 PMCID: PMC6712295 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x16666180828100441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2017] [Revised: 07/30/2018] [Accepted: 08/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract: Visuoperceptive impairments are among the most frequently reported deficits in alcohol-use disorders, but only very few studies have investigated their origin and interactions with other categories of dysfunctions. Besides, these deficits have generally been interpreted in a linear bottom-up perspective, which appears very restrictive with respect to the new models of vision developed in healthy populations. Indeed, new theories highlight the predictive nature of the visual system and demonstrate that it interacts with higher-level cognitive functions to generate top-down predictions. These models nota-bly posit that a fast but coarse visual analysis involving magnocellular pathways helps to compute heuristic guesses regard-ing the identity and affective value of inputs, which are used to facilitate conscious visual recognition. Building on these new proposals, the present review stresses the need to reconsider visual deficits in alcohol-use disorders as they might have cru-cial significance for core features of the pathology, such as attentional bias, loss of inhibitory control and emotion decoding impairments. Centrally, we suggest that individuals with severe alcohol-use disorders could present with magnocellular dam-age and we defend a dynamic explanation of the deficits. Rather than being restricted to high-level processes, deficits could start at early visual stages and then extend and potentially intensify during following steps due to reduced cerebral connec-tivity and dysfunctional cognitive/emotional regions. A new research agenda is specifically provided to test these hypotheses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Coralie Creupelandt
- Laboratory for Experimental Psychopathology, Psychological Science Research Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.,SCALab-Sciences Cognitives et Sciences Affectives, CNRS, UMR 9193, Université de Lille, Lille, France
| | - Fabien D'Hondt
- SCALab-Sciences Cognitives et Sciences Affectives, CNRS, UMR 9193, Université de Lille, Lille, France.,CHU Lille, Clinique de Psychiatrie, CURE, Lille, France
| | - Pierre Maurage
- Laboratory for Experimental Psychopathology, Psychological Science Research Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Hampton WH, Hanik IM, Olson IR. Substance abuse and white matter: Findings, limitations, and future of diffusion tensor imaging research. Drug Alcohol Depend 2019; 197:288-298. [PMID: 30875650 PMCID: PMC6440853 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2019.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2018] [Revised: 01/14/2019] [Accepted: 02/07/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Individuals who abuse substances often differ from nonusers in their brain structure. Substance abuse and addiction is often associated with atrophy and pathology of grey matter, but much less is known about the role of white matter, which constitutes over half of human brain volume. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), a method for non-invasively estimating white matter, is increasingly being used to study addiction and substance abuse. Here we review recent DTI studies of major substances of abuse (alcohol, opiates, cocaine, cannabis, and nicotine substance abuse) to examine the relationship, specificity, causality, and permanence of substance-related differences in white matter microstructure. Across substance, users tended to exhibit differences in the microstructure of major fiber pathways, such as the corpus callosum. The direction of these differences, however, appeared substance-dependent. The subsample of longitudinal studies reviewed suggests that substance abuse may cause changes in white matter, though it is unclear to what extent such alterations are permanent. While collectively informative, some studies reviewed were limited by methodological and technical approach. We therefore also provide methodological guidance for future research using DTI to study substance abuse.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- William H Hampton
- Department of Psychology, College of Liberal Arts, Temple University, United States
| | - Italia M Hanik
- Department of Psychology, College of Liberal Arts, Temple University, United States
| | - Ingrid R Olson
- Department of Psychology, College of Liberal Arts, Temple University, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Halcomb ME, Chumin EJ, Goñi J, Dzemidzic M, Yoder KK. Aberrations of anterior insular cortex functional connectivity in nontreatment-seeking alcoholics. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2019; 284:21-28. [PMID: 30640144 PMCID: PMC6668713 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2018.12.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2018] [Revised: 12/11/2018] [Accepted: 12/31/2018] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
An emergent literature suggests that resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI) functional connectivity (FC) patterns are aberrant in alcohol use disorder (AUD) populations. The salience network (SAL) is an established set of brain regions prominent in salience attribution and valuation, and includes the anterior insular cortex (AIC). The SAL is thought to play a role in AUD through directing increased attention to interoceptive cues of intoxication. There is very little information on the salience network (SAL) in AUD, and, in particular, there are no data on SAL FC in currently drinking, nontreatment seeking individuals with AUD (NTS). rsfMRI data from 16 NTS and 21 social drinkers (SD) were compared using FC correlation maps from ten seed regions of interest in the bilateral AIC. As anticipated, SD subjects demonstrated greater insular FC with frontal and parietal regions. We also found that, compared to SD, NTS had higher insular FC with hippocampal and medial orbitofrontal regions. The apparent overactivity in brain networks involved in salience, learning, and behavioral control in NTS suggests possible mechanisms in the development and maintenance of AUD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Meredith E Halcomb
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana University Center for Neuroimaging, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Department of Neurology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Evgeny J Chumin
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana University Center for Neuroimaging, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indiananpolis, IN, USA; Department of Neurology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Joaquín Goñi
- Purdue Institute for Integrative Neuroscience, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.; Department of Neurology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Mario Dzemidzic
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana University Center for Neuroimaging, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Department of Neurology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Karmen K Yoder
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana University Center for Neuroimaging, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indiananpolis, IN, USA; Department of Neurology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA; Department of Psychology, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Miguel-Hidalgo JJ. Molecular Neuropathology of Astrocytes and Oligodendrocytes in Alcohol Use Disorders. Front Mol Neurosci 2018; 11:78. [PMID: 29615864 PMCID: PMC5869926 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2018.00078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2017] [Accepted: 02/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Postmortem studies reveal structural and molecular alterations of astrocytes and oligodendrocytes in both the gray and white matter (GM and WM) of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) in human subjects with chronic alcohol abuse or dependence. These glial cellular changes appear to parallel and may largely explain structural and functional alterations detected using neuroimaging techniques in subjects with alcohol use disorders (AUDs). Moreover, due to the crucial roles of astrocytes and oligodendrocytes in neurotransmission and signal conduction, these cells are very likely major players in the molecular mechanisms underpinning alcoholism-related connectivity disturbances between the PFC and relevant interconnecting brain regions. The glia-mediated etiology of alcohol-related brain damage is likely multifactorial since metabolic, hormonal, hepatic and hemodynamic factors as well as direct actions of ethanol or its metabolites have the potential to disrupt distinct aspects of glial neurobiology. Studies in animal models of alcoholism and postmortem human brains have identified astrocyte markers altered in response to significant exposures to ethanol or during alcohol withdrawal, such as gap-junction proteins, glutamate transporters or enzymes related to glutamate and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) metabolism. Changes in these proteins and their regulatory pathways would not only cause GM neuronal dysfunction, but also disturbances in the ability of WM axons to convey impulses. In addition, alcoholism alters the expression of astrocyte and myelin proteins and of oligodendrocyte transcription factors important for the maintenance and plasticity of myelin sheaths in WM and GM. These changes are concomitant with epigenetic DNA and histone modifications as well as alterations in regulatory microRNAs (miRNAs) that likely cause profound disturbances of gene expression and protein translation. Knowledge is also available about interactions between astrocytes and oligodendrocytes not only at the Nodes of Ranvier (NR), but also in gap junction-based astrocyte-oligodendrocyte contacts and other forms of cell-to-cell communication now understood to be critical for the maintenance and formation of myelin. Close interactions between astrocytes and oligodendrocytes also suggest that therapies for alcoholism based on a specific glial cell type pathology will require a better understanding of molecular interactions between different cell types, as well as considering the possibility of using combined molecular approaches for more effective therapies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- José J Miguel-Hidalgo
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, United States
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
van Timmeren T, Jansen JM, Caan MWA, Goudriaan AE, van Holst RJ. White matter integrity between left basal ganglia and left prefrontal cortex is compromised in gambling disorder. Addict Biol 2017; 22:1590-1600. [PMID: 27612435 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2016] [Revised: 08/02/2016] [Accepted: 08/09/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Pathological gambling (PG) is a behavioral addiction characterized by an inability to stop gambling despite the negative consequences, which may be mediated by cognitive flexibility deficits. Indeed, impaired cognitive flexibility has previously been linked to PG and also to reduced integrity of white matter connections between the basal ganglia and the prefrontal cortex. It remains unclear, however, how white matter integrity problems relate to cognitive inflexibility seen in PG. We used a cognitive switch paradigm during functional magnetic resonance imaging in pathological gamblers (PGs; n = 26) and healthy controls (HCs; n = 26). Cognitive flexibility performance was measured behaviorally by accuracy and reaction time on the switch task, while brain activity was measured in terms of blood oxygen level-dependent responses. We also used diffusion tensor imaging on a subset of data (PGs = 21; HCs = 21) in combination with tract-based spatial statistics and probabilistic fiber tracking to assess white matter integrity between the basal ganglia and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Although there were no significant group differences in either task performance, related neural activity or tract-based spatial statistics, PGs did show decreased white matter integrity between the left basal ganglia and prefrontal cortex. Our results complement and expand similar findings from a previous study in alcohol-dependent patients. Although we found no association between white matter integrity and task performance here, decreased white matter connections may contribute to a diminished ability to recruit prefrontal networks needed for regulating behavior in PG. Hence, our findings could resonate an underlying risk factor for PG, and we speculate that these findings may extend to addiction in general.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tim van Timmeren
- Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Center; Amsterdam Brain and Cognition Center, University of Amsterdam; The Netherlands
| | - Jochem M. Jansen
- Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Center; Amsterdam Brain and Cognition Center, University of Amsterdam; The Netherlands
- Institute for Criminal Law and Criminology; Leiden University; The Netherlands
| | - Matthan W. A. Caan
- Department of Radiology, Academic Medical Center; University of Amsterdam; The Netherlands
| | - Anna E. Goudriaan
- Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Center; Amsterdam Brain and Cognition Center, University of Amsterdam; The Netherlands
- Arkin Institute of Mental Health; The Netherlands
| | - Ruth J. van Holst
- Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Center; Amsterdam Brain and Cognition Center, University of Amsterdam; The Netherlands
- Donders Institute for Cognition, Brain and Behaviour; Radboud University; The Netherlands
- Department of Neurology; Radboud University Medical Center; The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Miguel-Hidalgo JJ, Hall KO, Bonner H, Roller AM, Syed M, Park CJ, Ball JP, Rothenberg ME, Stockmeier CA, Romero DG. MicroRNA-21: Expression in oligodendrocytes and correlation with low myelin mRNAs in depression and alcoholism. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2017; 79:503-514. [PMID: 28802862 PMCID: PMC5610939 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2017.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2017] [Revised: 07/21/2017] [Accepted: 08/07/2017] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
MiR-21 is a microRNA implicated in cancer, development, and cardiovascular diseases and expressed in the central nervous system (CNS), especially after injury. However, the cellular expression of miR-21 in the adult CNS has not been clearly established either in mice or human subjects, while its alteration in psychiatric disorders is unknown. MiR-21 expression was characterized in reporter mice expressing β-galactosidase (LacZ) under the endogenous miR-21 promoter (miR-21/LacZ). Brain co-localization of miR-21/LacZ with specific neural markers was examined by double immunofluorescence in reporter mice, while extent of immunostaining for myelin basic protein and PDGFRα was determined in miR-21 knockout and wild-type mice. Levels of miR-21, and mRNAs of selected miR-21 targets, miR-21 regulator STAT3 and myelin-related proteins were measured by qRT-PCR in the white matter (WM) adjacent to the left postmortem orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) of human subjects with major depressive disorder (MDD), alcoholism, comorbid MDD plus alcoholism (MDA) and non-psychiatric control subjects. MiR-21/LacZ was highly expressed in cell bodies of WM and myelinated portions of gray matter (GM). Labeled cell bodies were identified as oligodendrocytes, while miR-21/LacZ was barely detectable in other cell types. MiR-21, as well as the mRNAs of several myelin-related proteins, were reduced in the WM of subjects with MDD and alcoholism. MiR-21 positively correlated with mRNA of myelin-related proteins and astrocytic GFAP. High expression of miR-21 in adult oligodendrocytes and the correlation of miR-21 decrease with mRNA of some myelin proteins, regulator STAT3, and oligodendrocyte-related transcription factors suggest an involvement of miR-21 in WM alterations in depression and alcoholism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- José Javier Miguel-Hidalgo
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA.
| | - Katherine O. Hall
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi, USA
| | - Hannah Bonner
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi, USA
| | - Anna M. Roller
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi, USA
| | - Maryam Syed
- Department of Biochemistry at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi, USA
| | - Casey J. Park
- Department of Biochemistry at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi, USA
| | - Jana P. Ball
- Department of Biochemistry at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi, USA
| | - Marc E. Rothenberg
- Division of Allergy and Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Craig A. Stockmeier
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi, USA
| | - Damian G. Romero
- Department of Biochemistry at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi, USA
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Seitz J, Sawyer KS, Papadimitriou G, Oscar-Berman M, Ng I, Kubicki A, Mouradian P, Ruiz SM, Kubicki M, Harris GJ, Makris N. Alcoholism and sexual dimorphism in the middle longitudinal fascicle: a pilot study. Brain Imaging Behav 2017; 11:1006-1017. [PMID: 27448160 PMCID: PMC5253343 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-016-9579-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Alcoholism can lead to a complex mixture of cognitive and emotional deficits associated with abnormalities in fronto-cortico-striatal-limbic brain circuitries. Given the broad variety of neurobehavioral symptoms, one would also expect alterations of postrolandic neocortical systems. Thus, we used diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to study the integrity of the middle longitudinal fascicle (MdLF), a major postrolandic association white matter tract that extends from the superior temporal gyrus to the parietal and occipital lobes, in individuals with a history of chronic alcohol abuse. DTI data were acquired on a 3 Tesla scanner in 30 abstinent alcoholics (AL; 9 men) and 25 nonalcoholic controls (NC; 8 men). The MdLF was determined using DTI-based tractography. Volume of the tract, fractional anisotropy (FA), radial (RD), and axial (AD) diffusivity, were compared between AL and NC, with sex and hemispheric laterality as independent variables. The association of DTI measures with neuropsychological performance was evaluated. Men showed bilateral reduction of MdLF volume and abnormal diffusion measurements of the left MdLF. Analyses also indicated that the left MdLF diffusion measurements in AL men were negatively associated with Verbal IQ and verbal fluency test scores. Abstinent alcoholic men display macrostructural abnormalities in the MdLF bilaterally, indicating an overall white matter deficit. Additionally, microstructural deficits of the left MdLF suggest more specific alterations associated with verbal skills in men.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Seitz
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kayle S Sawyer
- Behavioral Neuroscience and Departments of Psychiatry and Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA
- Departments of Psychiatry, Neurology and Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 149 13th Street, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA
| | - George Papadimitriou
- Departments of Psychiatry, Neurology and Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 149 13th Street, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA
| | - Marlene Oscar-Berman
- Behavioral Neuroscience and Departments of Psychiatry and Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA
- Departments of Psychiatry, Neurology and Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 149 13th Street, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA
| | - Isaac Ng
- Departments of Psychiatry, Neurology and Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 149 13th Street, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA
| | - Antoni Kubicki
- Departments of Psychiatry, Neurology and Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 149 13th Street, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA
| | - Palig Mouradian
- Departments of Psychiatry, Neurology and Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 149 13th Street, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA
| | - Susan M Ruiz
- Behavioral Neuroscience and Departments of Psychiatry and Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA
- Departments of Psychiatry, Neurology and Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 149 13th Street, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA
| | - Marek Kubicki
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Gordon J Harris
- Departments of Psychiatry, Neurology and Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 149 13th Street, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA
- Radiology Computer Aided Diagnostics Laboratory, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nikos Makris
- Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Departments of Psychiatry, Neurology and Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 149 13th Street, Charlestown, MA, 02129, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Kashfi K, Al-Khalil K, Hou J, Fang D, Anderson R, Rajmohan R, Syapin P, O'Boyle MW. Hyper-brain connectivity in binge drinking college students: a diffusion tensor imaging study. Neurocase 2017; 23:179-186. [PMID: 28691585 DOI: 10.1080/13554794.2017.1347264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
The current study used diffusion tensor imaging to examine patterns/degree of brain connectivity in 12 college-aged binge drinking (BD) and 12 moderate drinking individuals. Voxel-level and region-of-interest analyses revealed increased connectivity of the BD brain in the right corona radiata, right external capsule, and both the right and left cingulum. Also, fractional anisotropy and axial diffusivity values of these regions correlated with a number of drinking behaviors of the BD as well as both groups combined. It is hypothesized that increased connectivity in the BD may produce difficulties with regulatory control, contributing to their propensity to binge.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Karl Kashfi
- a Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience , Texas Tech Health Sciences Center , Lubbock , TX , USA
| | - Kareem Al-Khalil
- b Department of Human Development and Family Studies , Texas Tech University , Lubbock , TX , USA
| | - Jiancheng Hou
- c Department of Radiology , University of Wisconsin-Madison , Madison , WI , USA
| | - Dan Fang
- b Department of Human Development and Family Studies , Texas Tech University , Lubbock , TX , USA
| | - Ron Anderson
- b Department of Human Development and Family Studies , Texas Tech University , Lubbock , TX , USA.,d Department of Math and Computer Science , Thiel College , Greenville , PA , USA
| | - Ravi Rajmohan
- a Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience , Texas Tech Health Sciences Center , Lubbock , TX , USA
| | - Peter Syapin
- a Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience , Texas Tech Health Sciences Center , Lubbock , TX , USA
| | - Michael W O'Boyle
- a Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience , Texas Tech Health Sciences Center , Lubbock , TX , USA.,b Department of Human Development and Family Studies , Texas Tech University , Lubbock , TX , USA
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Suckling J, Nestor LJ. The neurobiology of addiction: the perspective from magnetic resonance imaging present and future. Addiction 2017; 112:360-369. [PMID: 27452960 PMCID: PMC5244682 DOI: 10.1111/add.13474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2015] [Revised: 11/19/2015] [Accepted: 05/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Addiction is associated with severe economic and social consequences and personal tragedies, the scientific exploration of which draws upon investigations at the molecular, cellular and systems levels with a wide variety of technologies. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been key to mapping effects observed at the microscopic and mesoscopic scales. The range of measurements from this apparatus has opened new avenues linking neurobiology to behaviour. This review considers the role of MRI in addiction research, and what future technological improvements might offer. METHODS A hermeneutic strategy supplemented by an expansive, systematic search of PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science databases, covering from database inception to October 2015, with a conjunction of search terms relevant to addiction and MRI. Formal meta-analyses were prioritized. RESULTS Results from methods that probe brain structure and function suggest frontostriatal circuitry disturbances within specific cognitive domains, some of which predict drug relapse and treatment response. New methods of processing imaging data are opening opportunities for understanding the role of cerebral vasculature, a global view of brain communication and the complex topology of the cortical surface and drug action. Future technological advances include increases in MRI field strength, with concomitant improvements in image quality. CONCLUSIONS The magnetic resonance imaging literature provides a limited but convergent picture of the neurobiology of addiction as global changes to brain structure and functional disturbances to frontostriatal circuitry, accompanied by changes in anterior white matter.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- John Suckling
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience InstituteUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK,Cambridge and Peterborough Foundation NHS TrustCambridgeUK
| | - Liam J. Nestor
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience InstituteUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK,Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Division of Brain SciencesImperial College LondonLondonUK
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Hayes V, Demirkol A, Ridley N, Withall A, Draper B. Alcohol-related cognitive impairment: current trends and future perspectives. Neurodegener Dis Manag 2016; 6:509-523. [DOI: 10.2217/nmt-2016-0030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Excessive alcohol use is associated with a wide range of physical, psychological and social consequences, and is responsible for a significant proportion of the burden of disease globally. An area which has received increasing interest is alcohol-related brain damage, not just because of the cost to the individual and society through resource utilization, but also because of the potential for prevention and reversibility. This paper aims to review the current literature on this subject and seeks to explore issues around diagnosis and treatment of alcohol-related brain damage.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Hayes
- Drug & Alcohol Services, South Eastern Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, Australia
- School of Public Health & Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW, Sydney, Australia
| | - Apo Demirkol
- Drug & Alcohol Services, South Eastern Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, Australia
- School of Public Health & Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW, Sydney, Australia
| | - Nicole Ridley
- Drug & Alcohol Services, South Eastern Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, Australia
| | - Adrienne Withall
- School of Public Health & Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW, Sydney, Australia
| | - Brian Draper
- School of Psychiatry, UNSW, Sydney, Australia
- Academic Department of Old Age Psychiatry, Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
T2 relaxation time alterations underlying neurocognitive deficits in alcohol-use disorders (AUD) in an Indian population: A combined conventional ROI and voxel-based relaxometry analysis. Alcohol 2015; 49:639-46. [PMID: 26537482 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2015.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2014] [Revised: 07/11/2015] [Accepted: 07/12/2015] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Long-term heavy alcohol consumption has traditionally been associated with impaired cognitive abilities, such as deficits in abstract reasoning, problem solving, verbal fluency, memory, attention, and visuospatial processing. The present study aimed at exploring these neuropsychological deficits in alcohol-use disorders (AUD) in an Indian population using the Postgraduate Institute Battery of Brain Dysfunction (PGIBBD) and their possible correlation with alterations in T2 relaxation times (T2-RT), using whole-brain voxel-based relaxometry (VBR) and conventional region of interest (ROI) approach. Multi-echo T2 mapping sequence was performed on 25 subjects with AUD and 25 healthy controls matched for age, education, and socioeconomic status. Whole-brain T2-RT measurements were conducted using VBR and conventional ROI approach. The study was carried out on a 3T whole-body MR scanner. Post processing for VBR and ROI analysis was performed using SPM 8 software and vendor-provided software, respectively. A PGIBBD test battery was conducted on all subjects to assess their cognitive abilities, and the results were reported as raw scores. VBR and ROI results revealed that AUD subjects showed prolonged T2-RTs in cerebellum bilaterally, parahippocampal gyrus bilaterally, right anterior cingulate cortex, left superior temporal gyrus, left middle frontal gyrus, and left calcarine gyrus. A significant correlation was also observed between the neuropsychological test raw scores and alterations in T2-RT in AUD subjects. Our results are consistent with previous studies suggesting tissue disruption or gliosis or demyelination as a possible reason for prolonged T2-RTs. This damage to brain tissue, which is evident as prolonged T2-RT, could possibly be associated with impaired cognitive abilities noticeable in AUD subjects.
Collapse
|
19
|
Abstract
Chronic alcohol consumption affects multiple cognitive processes supported by far-reaching cerebral networks. To identify neurofunctional mechanisms underlying selective deficits, 27 sober alcoholics and 26 age-matched controls underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and neuropsychological testing. Functional connectivity analysis assessed the default mode network (DMN); integrative executive control (EC), salience (SA), and attention (AT) networks; primary somatosensory, auditory, and visual (VI) input networks; and subcortical reward (RW) and emotion (EM) networks. The groups showed an extensive overlap of intrinsic connectivity in all brain networks examined, suggesting overall integrity of large-scale functional networks. Despite these similar patterns, connectivity analyses identified network-specific differences of weaker within-network connectivity and expanded connectivity to regions outside the main networks in alcoholics compared with controls. For AT and VI networks, better task performance was related to expanded connectivity in alcoholism, supporting the concept of network expansion as a neural mechanism for functional compensation. For default mode, SA, RW, and EC networks, both weaker within-network and expanded outside-network connectivity correlated with poorer performance and mood. Current smoking contributed to some of these abnormalities in connectivity. The observed pattern of resting-state connectivity might reflect neural vulnerability of intrinsic networking in alcoholics and suggests a mechanism to explain signature impairments in EM, RW evaluation, and EC ability.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eva M. Müller-Oehring
- Neurosci Program, Center for Health Sciences, SRI International, Menlo Park, CA
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
| | - Young-Chul Jung
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
- Department of Psychiatry, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Adolf Pfefferbaum
- Neurosci Program, Center for Health Sciences, SRI International, Menlo Park, CA
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
| | - Edith V. Sullivan
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
| | - Tilman Schulte
- Neurosci Program, Center for Health Sciences, SRI International, Menlo Park, CA
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Valmas MM, Mosher Ruiz S, Gansler DA, Sawyer KS, Oscar-Berman M. Social cognition deficits and associations with drinking history in alcoholic men and women. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2015; 38:2998-3007. [PMID: 25581654 DOI: 10.1111/acer.12566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2013] [Accepted: 09/06/2014] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous studies have demonstrated the presence of a social cognition factor as an element of general cognition in healthy control and clinical populations. Recently developed measures of social cognition include the social perception and faces subtests of the Wechsler Advanced Clinical Solutions (ACS) Social Cognition module. While these measures have been validated on various clinical samples, they have not been studied in alcoholics. Alcoholism has been associated with emotional abnormalities and diminished social cognitive functioning as well as neuropathology of brain areas underlying social processing abilities. We used the ACS Social Perception and Faces subtests to assess alcoholism-related impairments in social cognition. METHODS Social cognitive functioning was assessed in 77 abstinent alcoholic individuals (37 women) and 59 nonalcoholic control participants (29 women), using measures of the ACS Social Cognition module and subtests of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV) that contain a social cognition component (Picture Completion and Comprehension). Group and gender differences in ACS and WAIS-IV performance were assessed, as well as relationships between measures of alcoholism severity and social cognitive functioning. RESULTS Alcoholics performed significantly worse than nonalcoholics on the ACS measures of Affect Naming and Faces Content. Alcoholic men were impaired relative to alcoholic women on Prosody Face Matching and Faces Content scores. Among alcoholics, longer durations of heavy drinking were associated with poorer performance on Affect Naming, and a greater number of daily drinks were associated with lower Prosody Face Matching performance. For alcoholic women, a longer duration of abstinence was associated with better performance on Affect Naming. CONCLUSIONS Alcoholic men and women showed different patterns of associations between alcoholism indices and clinically validated social cognition assessments. These findings extend into the social cognition domain, previous literature demonstrating the presence of cognitive deficits in alcoholism, their association with alcoholism severity, and variability by gender. Moreover, because impairments in social cognition can persist despite extended abstinence, they have important implications for relapse prevention.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mary M Valmas
- Psychology Research Service , VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Psychology , Suffolk University, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology , Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
21
|
Jansen JM, van Holst RJ, van den Brink W, Veltman DJ, Caan MWA, Goudriaan AE. Brain function during cognitive flexibility and white matter integrity in alcohol-dependent patients, problematic drinkers and healthy controls. Addict Biol 2015; 20:979-89. [PMID: 25477246 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive flexibility has been associated with prefrontal white matter (WM) integrity in healthy controls (HCs), showing that lower WM integrity is associated with worse performance. Although both cognitive flexibility and WM integrity have been found to be aberrant in alcohol-dependent (AD) patients, the relationship between the two has never been tested. In this study, we investigated the association between WM tract density and cognitive flexibility in patients with AD (n = 26) and HCs (n = 22). In order to assess the influence of AD severity, we also included a group of problematic drinkers (PrDs; n = 23) who did not meet the AD criteria. Behavioral responses and brain activity during a cognitive flexibility task were measured during functional magnetic resonance imaging. Probabilistic fiber tracking was performed between the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the basal ganglia; two crucial regions for task switching. Finally, the task-related functional connectivity between these areas was assessed. There were no significant group differences in the task performance. However, compared with HCs, AD patients and PrDs showed decreased WM integrity and increased prefrontal brain activation during task switching. Evidence is presented for a compensatory mechanism, involving recruitment of additional prefrontal resources in order to compensate for WM and neural function impairments in AD patients and PrDs. Although present in both alcohol groups, the PrDs were more successful in invoking this compensatory mechanism when compared to the AD patients. We propose that this may therefore serve as a protective factor, precluding transition from problematic drinking into alcohol dependence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jochem M. Jansen
- Academic Medical Centre; Department of Psychiatry; Amsterdam Institute for Addiction Research; The Netherlands
| | - Ruth J. van Holst
- Academic Medical Centre; Department of Psychiatry; Amsterdam Institute for Addiction Research; The Netherlands
- Donders Institute for Cognition, Brain and Behaviour; Radboud University; The Netherlands
- Department of Neurology; Radboud University Medical Centre; The Netherlands
| | - Wim van den Brink
- Academic Medical Centre; Department of Psychiatry; Amsterdam Institute for Addiction Research; The Netherlands
| | - Dick J. Veltman
- Academic Medical Centre; Department of Psychiatry; Amsterdam Institute for Addiction Research; The Netherlands
- VU University Medical Center; The Netherlands
| | - Matthan W. A. Caan
- Academic Medical Centre; Department of Radiology; University of Amsterdam; The Netherlands
| | - Anna E. Goudriaan
- Academic Medical Centre; Department of Psychiatry; Amsterdam Institute for Addiction Research; The Netherlands
- Arkin Mental Health; The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Weiland BJ, Sabbineni A, Calhoun VD, Welsh RC, Bryan AD, Jung RE, Mayer AR, Hutchison KE. Reduced left executive control network functional connectivity is associated with alcohol use disorders. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2015; 38:2445-53. [PMID: 25257293 DOI: 10.1111/acer.12505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2014] [Accepted: 05/27/2014] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Altered functional connectivity in critical networks has been associated with chronic alcohol abuse. In turn, changes in connectivity in executive control networks (ECNs) may undermine the ability to control alcohol consumption. It was hypothesized that network connectivity would be reduced in individuals with problematic alcohol use (ALC) compared with controls and that diminished network connectivity would be associated with greater failure to control drinking. METHODS Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging was analyzed to identify 14 previously identified intrinsic connectivity networks (ICNs) using a priori regions of interest in cases ranging from binge drinkers to those with severe alcohol use disorder, as well as control subjects. Analyses tested for differences in network connectivity strength between 255 ALC cases and 87 age- and gender-matched controls. Further, structural equation analysis, using 383 ALC cases, tested whether functional connectivity strength mediated the relationship between years of regular drinking and alcohol problems. RESULTS The age- and gender-matched analysis showed that ALC had significantly lower network connectivity strength than controls in the left executive control (LECN), basal ganglia, and primary visual networks. For all ALC, LECN connectivity strength is negatively correlated with failed control and alcohol disorder severity. Edges connecting parietal regions with dorsolateral prefrontal, middle frontal, and temporal regions within the LECN drove these relationships. A positive association between years of drinking and severity of alcohol problems was mediated by reduced ECN connectivity. CONCLUSIONS This study reports relationships between network strength and problematic alcohol use, suggesting that chronic drinking negatively impacts brain connectivity, specifically in the LECN. Altered functional connectivity, related to chronic alcohol abuse, may contribute to the etiology of alcohol dependence and relapse.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Barbara J Weiland
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
23
|
Hayes DJ, Lipsman N, Chen DQ, Woodside DB, Davis KD, Lozano AM, Hodaie M. Subcallosal Cingulate Connectivity in Anorexia Nervosa Patients Differs From Healthy Controls: A Multi-tensor Tractography Study. Brain Stimul 2015; 8:758-68. [PMID: 26073966 DOI: 10.1016/j.brs.2015.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2014] [Revised: 03/18/2015] [Accepted: 03/21/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Anorexia nervosa is characterized by extreme low body weight and alterations in affective processing. The subcallosal cingulate regulates affect through wide-spread white matter connections and is implicated in the pathophysiology of anorexia nervosa. OBJECTIVES We examined whether those with treatment refractory anorexia nervosa undergoing deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subcallosal white matter (SCC) show: (1) altered anatomical SCC connectivity compared to healthy controls, (2) white matter microstructural changes, and (3) microstructural changes associated with clinically-measured affect. METHODS Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) and deterministic multi-tensor tractography were used to compare anatomical connectivity and microstructure in SCC-associated white matter tracts. Eight women with treatment-refractory anorexia nervosa were compared to 8 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Anorexia nervosa patients also completed affect-related clinical assessments presurgically and 12 months post-surgery. RESULTS (1) Higher (e.g., left parieto-occipital cortices) and lower (e.g., thalamus) connectivity in those with anorexia nervosa compared to controls. (2) Decreases in fractional anisotropy, and alterations in axial and radial diffusivities, in the left fornix crus, anterior limb of the internal capsule (ALIC), right anterior cingulum and left inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus. (3) Correlations between dMRI metrics and clinical assessments, such as low pre-surgical left fornix and right ALIC fractional anisotropy being related to post-DBS improvements in quality-of-life and depressive symptoms, respectively. CONCLUSIONS We identified widely-distributed differences in SCC connectivity in anorexia nervosa patients consistent with heterogenous clinical disruptions, although these results should be considered with caution given the low number of subjects. Future studies should further explore the use of affect-related connectivity and behavioral assessments to assist with DBS target selection and treatment outcome.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dave J Hayes
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Toronto Western Research Institute, Division of Brain, Imaging and Behaviour - Systems Neuroscience, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario M5T 2S8, Canada; Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Toronto Western Hospital, 399 Bathurst Street, Toronto, Ontario M5T 2S8, Canada
| | - Nir Lipsman
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Toronto Western Research Institute, Division of Brain, Imaging and Behaviour - Systems Neuroscience, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario M5T 2S8, Canada; Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Toronto Western Hospital, 399 Bathurst Street, Toronto, Ontario M5T 2S8, Canada
| | - David Q Chen
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Toronto Western Research Institute, Division of Brain, Imaging and Behaviour - Systems Neuroscience, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario M5T 2S8, Canada; Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Toronto Western Hospital, 399 Bathurst Street, Toronto, Ontario M5T 2S8, Canada
| | - D Blake Woodside
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto General Hospital, 200 Elizabeth Street, Toronto, Ontario M5G 2C4, Canada
| | - Karen D Davis
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Toronto Western Research Institute, Division of Brain, Imaging and Behaviour - Systems Neuroscience, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario M5T 2S8, Canada; Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Toronto Western Hospital, 399 Bathurst Street, Toronto, Ontario M5T 2S8, Canada
| | - Andres M Lozano
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Toronto Western Research Institute, Division of Brain, Imaging and Behaviour - Systems Neuroscience, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario M5T 2S8, Canada; Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Toronto Western Hospital, 399 Bathurst Street, Toronto, Ontario M5T 2S8, Canada
| | - Mojgan Hodaie
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Toronto Western Research Institute, Division of Brain, Imaging and Behaviour - Systems Neuroscience, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario M5T 2S8, Canada; Division of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery, Toronto Western Hospital, 399 Bathurst Street, Toronto, Ontario M5T 2S8, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Wollman SC, Alhassoon OM, Stern MJ, Hall MG, Rompogren J, Kimmel CL, Perez-Figueroa AM. White matter abnormalities in long-term heroin users: a preliminary neuroimaging meta-analysis. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE 2015; 41:133-8. [PMID: 25664621 DOI: 10.3109/00952990.2014.985829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Diffusion tensor imaging has been used to explore white matter changes in heroin-dependent patients; however, results have been inconsistent. OBJECTIVES The current study meta-analytically examines the neuroimaging findings of all studies published before 2014 using the novel technique of Effect Size Signed Differential Mapping (ES-SDM). METHODS Two independent investigators searched three databases for whole-brain voxel-based fractional anisotropy morphometric studies involving heroin use without comorbid polysubstance abuse. Of 59 initial primary studies, four met stringent inclusion criteria. RESULTS RESULTS from this preliminary analysis indicate that heroin abusers may have significant reductions in fractional anisotropy in the bilateral frontal sub-gyral regions extending from the limbic structures to the prefrontal association cortices, implicating damage to the cingulum and superior longitudinal fasciculus. Exploratory moderator analyses indicate that the potential damage in the left cingulate gyrus may increase with longer use and decrease after long-term abstinence. CONCLUSION These preliminary findings suggest that heroin abuse is significantly associated with damage to white matter integrity. These results are considered preliminary and analyses should be revisited with more primary studies focusing on either long- or short-term abuse as well as abstinence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Scott C Wollman
- California School of Professional Psychology , San Diego and
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
25
|
Siegel JP. Emotional Regulation in Adolescent Substance Use Disorders: Rethinking Risk. JOURNAL OF CHILD & ADOLESCENT SUBSTANCE ABUSE 2014. [DOI: 10.1080/1067828x.2012.761169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
|
26
|
Bjork JM, Gilman JM. The effects of acute alcohol administration on the human brain: insights from neuroimaging. Neuropharmacology 2014; 84:101-10. [PMID: 23978384 PMCID: PMC3971012 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2013.07.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2013] [Revised: 07/26/2013] [Accepted: 07/29/2013] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Over the last quarter century, researchers have peered into the living human brain to develop and refine mechanistic accounts of alcohol-induced behavior, as well as neurobiological mechanisms for development and maintenance of addiction. These in vivo neuroimaging studies generally show that acute alcohol administration affects brain structures implicated in motivation and behavior control, and that chronic intoxication is correlated with structural and functional abnormalities in these same structures, where some elements of these decrements normalize with extended sobriety. In this review, we will summarize recent findings about acute human brain responses to alcohol using neuroimaging techniques, and how they might explain behavioral effects of alcohol intoxication. We then briefly address how chronic alcohol intoxication (as inferred from cross-sectional differences between various drinking populations and controls) may yield individual brain differences between drinking subjects that may confound interpretation of acute alcohol administration effects. This article is part of the Special Issue Section entitled 'Neuroimaging in Neuropharmacology'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- James M Bjork
- Division of Clinical Neuroscience and Behavioral Research, National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, 6001 Executive Blvd, Room 3163, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
| | - Jodi M Gilman
- Laboratory of Neuroimaging and Genetics, MGH Division of Psychiatric Neuroscience, Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, USA
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Thalamic abnormalities are a cardinal feature of alcohol-related brain dysfunction. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2014; 54:38-45. [PMID: 25108034 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2014.07.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2014] [Revised: 07/11/2014] [Accepted: 07/28/2014] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Two brain networks are particularly affected by the harmful effect of chronic and excessive alcohol consumption: the circuit of Papez and the frontocerebellar circuit, in both of which the thalamus plays a key role. Shrinkage of the thalamus is more severe in alcoholics with Korsakoff's syndrome (KS) than in those without neurological complication (AL). In accordance with the gradient effect of thalamic abnormalities between AL and KS, the pattern of brain dysfunction in the Papez's circuit results in anterograde amnesia in KS and only mild-to-moderate episodic memory disorders in AL. On the opposite, dysfunction of the frontocerebellar circuit results in a similar pattern of working memory and executive deficits in the AL and KS. Several hypotheses, mutually compatible, can be drawn to explain that the severe thalamic shrinkage observed in KS has different consequences in the neuropsychological profile associated with the two brain networks.
Collapse
|
28
|
Miguel-Hidalgo JJ, Wilson BA, Hussain S, Meshram A, Rajkowska G, Stockmeier CA. Reduced connexin 43 immunolabeling in the orbitofrontal cortex in alcohol dependence and depression. J Psychiatr Res 2014; 55:101-9. [PMID: 24774648 PMCID: PMC4078739 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2014.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2014] [Revised: 03/18/2014] [Accepted: 04/04/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Reduced density of glial cells and low levels of some astrocyte proteins have been described in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) in depression and alcoholism, two disorders often comorbid. These regressive changes may also involve the communication between astrocytes via gap junctions and hemichannels, which play important regulatory roles in neurotransmission. We determined levels and morphological immunostaining parameters of connexin 43 (Cx43), the main protein subunit of astrocyte gap junctions/hemichannels, in the OFC of subjects with depression, alcoholism or comorbid depression/alcoholism as compared to non-psychiatric subjects. Postmortem brain samples from 23 subjects with major depressive disorder (MDD), 16 with alcohol dependence, 13 with comorbid MDD and alcohol dependence, and 20 psychiatrically-normal comparison subjects were processed for western blots to determine Cx43 levels. Area fraction of Cx43 immunoreactivity, and density and average size of immunoreactive puncta were measured in histological sections. There was a significant, larger than 60 percent decrease in Cx43 level in the three psychiatric groups as compared to controls. Area fraction of immunoreactivity and immunoreactive punctum size were reduced in all psychiatric groups, but Cx43-immunoreactive puncta density was reduced only in alcohol-dependent subjects. Among psychiatric subjects, no difference in Cx43 levels or immunostaining was found between suicides and non-suicides. The present data suggest that dysfunction of the OFC is accompanied by reduction in the levels of gap junction protein Cx43 in depression and alcoholism, and reduction in density of Cx43 immunoreactive puncta only in alcoholism, pointing to altered gap junction or hemichannel-based communication in the pathophysiology of those disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- José Javier Miguel-Hidalgo
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 N. State Street, Jackson, MS 39216-4505, USA.
| | - Barbara A. Wilson
- Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS
| | - Syed Hussain
- Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS
| | - Ashish Meshram
- Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS
| | - Grazyna Rajkowska
- Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS
| | - Craig A. Stockmeier
- Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS,Psychiatry, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
D'Hondt F, Lepore F, Maurage P. Are visual impairments responsible for emotion decoding deficits in alcohol-dependence? Front Hum Neurosci 2014; 8:128. [PMID: 24653688 PMCID: PMC3948105 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2014.00128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2013] [Accepted: 02/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Emotional visual perception deficits constitute a major problem in alcohol-dependence. Indeed, the ability to assess the affective content of external cues is a key adaptive function, as it allows on the one hand the processing of potentially threatening or advantageous stimuli, and on the other hand the establishment of appropriate social interactions (by enabling rapid decoding of the affective state of others from their facial expressions). While such deficits have been classically considered as reflecting a genuine emotion decoding impairment in alcohol-dependence, converging evidence suggests that underlying visual deficits might play a role in emotional alterations. This hypothesis appears to be relevant especially as data from healthy populations indicate that a coarse but fast analysis of visual inputs would allow emotional processing to arise from early stages of perception. After reviewing those findings and the associated models, the present paper underlines data showing that rapid interactions between emotion and vision could be impaired in alcohol-dependence and provides new research avenues that may ultimately offer a better understanding of the roots of emotional deficits in this pathological state.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fabien D'Hondt
- Département de Psychologie, Centre de Recherche en Neuropsychologie et Cognition, Université de Montréal Montréal, QC, Canada ; Centre de Recherche CHU Sainte-Justine Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Franco Lepore
- Département de Psychologie, Centre de Recherche en Neuropsychologie et Cognition, Université de Montréal Montréal, QC, Canada ; Centre de Recherche CHU Sainte-Justine Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Pierre Maurage
- Laboratory for Experimental Psychopathology, Faculty of Psychology, Psychological Sciences Research Institute, Université catholique de Louvain Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Monnig MA, Thayer RE, Caprihan A, Claus ED, Yeo RA, Calhoun VD, Hutchison KE. White matter integrity is associated with alcohol cue reactivity in heavy drinkers. Brain Behav 2014; 4:158-70. [PMID: 24683509 PMCID: PMC3967532 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2013] [Revised: 11/17/2013] [Accepted: 11/25/2013] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuroimaging studies have shown that white matter damage accompanies excessive alcohol use, but the functional correlates of alcohol-related white matter disruption remain unknown. This study applied tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) to diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data from 332 heavy drinkers (mean age = 31.2 ± 9.4; 31% female) to obtain averaged fractional anisotropy (FA) values of 18 white matter tracts. Statistical analyses examined correlations of FA values with blood-oxygenation-level-dependent (BOLD) response to an alcohol taste cue, measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). FA values of nine white matter tracts (anterior corona radiata, body of corpus callosum, cingulate gyrus, external capsule, fornix, inferior frontooccipital fasciculus, posterior corona radiata, retrolenticular limb of internal capsule, and superior longitudinal fasciculus) were significantly, negatively correlated with BOLD activation in medial frontal gyrus, parahippocampal gyrus, fusiform gyrus, cingulum, thalamus, caudate, putamen, insula, and cerebellum. The inverse relation between white matter integrity and functional activation during the alcohol taste cue provides support for the hypothesis that lower white matter integrity in frontoparietal and corticolimbic networks is a factor in loss of control over alcohol consumption.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mollie A Monnig
- Mind Research Network Albuquerque, 87106, New Mexico ; University of New Mexico Albuquerque, 87106, New Mexico
| | | | | | - Eric D Claus
- Mind Research Network Albuquerque, 87106, New Mexico ; University of New Mexico Albuquerque, 87106, New Mexico
| | - Ronald A Yeo
- Mind Research Network Albuquerque, 87106, New Mexico ; University of New Mexico Albuquerque, 87106, New Mexico
| | - Vince D Calhoun
- Mind Research Network Albuquerque, 87106, New Mexico ; University of New Mexico Albuquerque, 87106, New Mexico
| | | |
Collapse
|
31
|
Bagga D, Sharma A, Kumari A, Kaur P, Bhattacharya D, Garg ML, Khushu S, Singh N. Decreased white matter integrity in fronto-occipital fasciculus bundles: relation to visual information processing in alcohol-dependent subjects. Alcohol 2014; 48:43-53. [PMID: 24388377 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2013.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2013] [Revised: 10/30/2013] [Accepted: 10/31/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Chronic alcohol abuse is characterized by impaired cognitive abilities with a more severe deficit in visual than in verbal functions. Neuropathologically, it is associated with widespread brain structural compromise marked by gray matter shrinkage, ventricular enlargement, and white matter degradation. The present study sought to increase current understanding of the impairment of visual processing abilities in alcohol-dependent subjects, and its correlation with white matter microstructural alterations, using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). To that end, a DTI study was carried out on 35 alcohol-dependent subjects and 30 healthy male control subjects. Neuropsychological tests were assessed for visual processing skills and deficits were reported as raw dysfunction scores (rDyS). Reduced FA (fractional anisotropy) and increased MD (mean diffusivity) were observed bilaterally in inferior and superior fronto-occipital fasciculus (FOF) fiber bundles. A significant inverse correlation in rDyS and FA values was observed in these fiber tracts whereas a positive correlation of these scores was found with the MD values. Our results suggest that FOF fiber bundles linking the frontal lobe to occipital lobe might be related to visual processing skills. This is the first report of an alteration of the white matter microstructure of FOF fiber bundles that might have functional consequences for visual processing in alcohol-dependent subjects who exhibit no neurological complications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Deepika Bagga
- NMR Research Centre, Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS), DRDO, Brig. S.K. Mazumdar Marg, Lucknow Road, Timarpur, Delhi 110054, India
| | - Aakansha Sharma
- NMR Research Centre, Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS), DRDO, Brig. S.K. Mazumdar Marg, Lucknow Road, Timarpur, Delhi 110054, India
| | - Archana Kumari
- NMR Research Centre, Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS), DRDO, Brig. S.K. Mazumdar Marg, Lucknow Road, Timarpur, Delhi 110054, India
| | - Prabhjot Kaur
- NMR Research Centre, Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS), DRDO, Brig. S.K. Mazumdar Marg, Lucknow Road, Timarpur, Delhi 110054, India
| | | | - Mohan Lal Garg
- Department of Biophysics, Panjab University, Chandigarh 160014, India
| | - Subash Khushu
- NMR Research Centre, Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS), DRDO, Brig. S.K. Mazumdar Marg, Lucknow Road, Timarpur, Delhi 110054, India
| | - Namita Singh
- NMR Research Centre, Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (INMAS), DRDO, Brig. S.K. Mazumdar Marg, Lucknow Road, Timarpur, Delhi 110054, India.
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Segobin SH, Chételat G, Le Berre AP, Lannuzel C, Boudehent C, Vabret F, Eustache F, Beaunieux H, Pitel AL. Relationship between brain volumetric changes and interim drinking at six months in alcohol-dependent patients. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2014; 38:739-48. [PMID: 24483366 DOI: 10.1111/acer.12300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2013] [Accepted: 09/04/2013] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic alcohol consumption results in brain damage potentially reversible with abstinence. It is however difficult to gauge the degree of recovery of brain tissues with abstinence since changes are subtle and a significant portion of patients relapse. State-of-the-art morphometric methods are increasingly used in neuroimaging studies to detect subtle brain changes at a voxel level. Our aim was to use the most refined morphometric methods to observe in alcohol dependence the relationship between volumetric changes and interim drinking over a 6-month follow-up. METHODS Overall, 19 patients with alcohol dependence received volumetric T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) after detoxification. A 6-month follow-up study was then conducted, during which 11 of them received a second MRI scan. First, correlations were conducted between gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) volumes of patients at alcohol treatment entry and the amount of alcohol consumed between treatment entry and follow-up. Second, longitudinal analyses were performed from pairs of MRI scans using tensor-based morphometry in the 11 patients, and correlations were computed between the resultant Jacobian maps of GM and WM and interim drinking. RESULTS Our preliminary results showed that, among others, alcoholics with smaller thalamus at alcohol treatment entry tended to resume with heavy alcohol consumption (p < 0.005 uncorrected [unc.]). Our longitudinal study revealed an overall inverse relationship between recovery of brain structures like the cerebellum, striatum, and cingulate gyrus, and the amount of alcohol consumed over the 6-month follow-up (p < 0.005 unc.). The recovery could be observed not only with strict abstinence but also in cases of moderate resumption of alcohol consumption, when there had been no drastic relapse into alcohol dependence. CONCLUSIONS Those preliminary findings indicate that the volume of the thalamus at treatment entry may have an influence on subsequent interim drinking. There is recovery of certain brain regions even when patients resume with moderate, but not drastic, alcohol consumption.
Collapse
|
33
|
Component processes of memory in alcoholism: pattern of compromise and neural substrates. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2014; 125:211-25. [PMID: 25307577 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-62619-6.00013-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Initially, alcohol-related memory deficits were considered only through the prism of Korsakoff's syndrome (KS). It is now clear, however, that chronic alcohol consumption results in memory disorders in alcoholics without ostensible neurologic complications, such as Wernicke's encephalopathy and KS. Most of the principal memory components are affected, including working memory, episodic memory, semantic memory, perceptual memory, and procedural memory. The extent of those cognitive impairments depends on several factors, such as age, gender, nutritional status, and psychiatric comorbidity. While memory disorders, especially episodic memory deficits, are largely definitive in patients with KS, recovery of memory abilities has been described with abstinence in uncomplicated alcoholics. Neuropsychologic impairments, and especially memory disorders, must be evaluated at alcohol treatment entry because they could impede patients from benefiting fully from cognitive and behavioral treatment approaches for alcohol dependence. Screening of memory deficits could also enable clinicians to detect, among alcoholics without ostensible neurologic complications, those at risk of developing permanent and debilitating amnesia that features KS.
Collapse
|
34
|
Oscar-Berman M, Valmas MM, Sawyer KS, Ruiz SM, Luhar RB, Gravitz ZR. Profiles of impaired, spared, and recovered neuropsychologic processes in alcoholism. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2014; 125:183-210. [PMID: 25307576 PMCID: PMC4515358 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-62619-6.00012-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Long-term chronic alcoholism is associated with disparate and widespread residual consequences for brain functioning and behavior, and alcoholics suffer a variety of cognitive deficiencies and emotional abnormalities. Alcoholism has heterogeneous origins and outcomes, depending upon factors such as family history, age, gender, and mental or physical health. Consequently, the neuropsychologic profiles associated with alcoholism are not uniform among individuals. Moreover, within and across research studies, variability among subjects is substantial and contributes to characteristics associated with differential treatment outcomes after detoxification. In order to refine our understanding of alcoholism-related impaired, spared, and recovered abilities, we focus on five specific functional domains: (1) memory; (2) executive functions; (3) emotion and psychosocial skills; (4) visuospatial cognition; and (5) psychomotor abilities. Although the entire brain might be vulnerable in uncomplicated alcoholism, the brain systems that are considered to be most at risk are the frontocerebellar and mesocorticolimbic circuitries. Over time, with abstinence from alcohol, the brain appears to become reorganized to provide compensation for structural and behavioral deficits. By relying on a combination of clinical and scientific approaches, future research will help to refine the compensatory roles of healthy brain systems, the degree to which abstinence and treatment facilitate the reversal of brain atrophy and dysfunction, and the importance of individual differences to outcome.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marlene Oscar-Berman
- Boston University School of Medicine, L-815, 72 E. Newton St., Boston, MA 02118; ; telephone 617-638-4803
| | - Mary M. Valmas
- Boston University School of Medicine, L-815, 72 E. Newton St., Boston, MA 02118; ; telephone 617-638-4803
| | - Kayle S. Sawyer
- Boston University School of Medicine, L-815, 72 E. Newton St., Boston, MA 02118; ; telephone 617-638-4803
| | - Susan Mosher Ruiz
- Boston University School of Medicine, L-815, 72 E. Newton St., Boston, MA 02118; ; telephone 617-638-4803
| | - Riya B. Luhar
- Boston University School of Medicine, L-815, 72 E. Newton St., Boston, MA 02118; ; telephone 617-638-4803
| | - Zoe R. Gravitz
- Boston University School of Medicine, L-815, 72 E. Newton St., Boston, MA 02118; ; telephone 617-638-4803
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Double-blind, randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial of benfotiamine for severe alcohol dependence. Drug Alcohol Depend 2013; 133:562-70. [PMID: 23992649 PMCID: PMC3818307 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2013.07.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2013] [Revised: 07/26/2013] [Accepted: 07/27/2013] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol dependence is associated with severe nutritional and vitamin deficiency. Vitamin B1 (thiamine) deficiency erodes neurological pathways that may influence the ability to drink in moderation. The present study examines tolerability of supplementation using the high-potency thiamine analog, benfotiamine (BF), and BF's effects on alcohol consumption in severely affected, self-identified, alcohol dependent subjects. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted on 120 non-treatment seeking, actively drinking, alcohol dependent men and women volunteers (mean age=47 years) from the Kansas City area who met DSM-IV-TR criteria for current alcohol dependence. Subjects were randomized to receive 600 mg benfotiamine or placebo (PL) once daily by mouth for 24 weeks with 6 follow-up assessments scheduled at 4 week intervals. Side effects and daily alcohol consumption were recorded. Seventy (58%) subjects completed 24 weeks of study (N=21 women; N=49 men) with overall completion rates of 55% (N=33) for PL and 63% (N=37) for BF groups. No significant adverse events were noted and alcohol consumption decreased significantly for both treatment groups. Alcohol consumption decreased from baseline levels for 9 of 10 BF treated women after 1 month of treatment compared with 2 of 11 on PL. Reductions in total alcohol consumption over 6 months were significantly greater for BF treated women (BF: N=10, -611 ± 380 standard drinks; PL: N=11, -159 ± 562 standard drinks, p-value=0.02). BF supplementation of actively drinking alcohol dependent men and women was well-tolerated and may discourage alcohol consumption among women. The results do support expanded studies of BF treatment in alcoholism.
Collapse
|
36
|
White matter microstructure alterations: a study of alcoholics with and without post-traumatic stress disorder. PLoS One 2013; 8:e80952. [PMID: 24260518 PMCID: PMC3832443 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0080952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2013] [Accepted: 10/13/2013] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Many brain imaging studies have demonstrated reductions in gray and white matter volumes in alcoholism, with fewer investigators using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to examine the integrity of white matter pathways. Among various medical conditions, alcoholism and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are two comorbid diseases that have similar degenerative effects on the white matter integrity. Therefore, understanding and differentiating these effects would be very important in characterizing alcoholism and PTSD. Alcoholics are known to have neurocognitive deficits in decision-making, particularly in decisions related to emotionally-motivated behavior, while individuals with PTSD have deficits in emotional regulation and enhanced fear response. It is widely believed that these types of abnormalities in both alcoholism and PTSD are related to fronto-limbic dysfunction. In addition, previous studies have shown cortico-limbic fiber degradation through fiber tracking in alcoholism. DTI was used to measure white matter fractional anisotropy (FA), which provides information about tissue microstructure, possibly indicating white matter integrity. We quantitatively investigated the microstructure of white matter through whole brain DTI analysis in healthy volunteers (HV) and alcohol dependent subjects without PTSD (ALC) and with PTSD (ALC+PTSD). These data show significant differences in FA between alcoholics and non-alcoholic HVs, with no significant differences in FA between ALC and ALC+PTSD in any white matter structure. We performed a post-hoc region of interest analysis that allowed us to incorporate multiple covariates into the analysis and found similar results. HV had higher FA in several areas implicated in the reward circuit, emotion, and executive functioning, suggesting that there may be microstructural abnormalities in white matter pathways that contribute to neurocognitive and executive functioning deficits observed in alcoholics. Furthermore, our data do not reveal any differences between ALC and ALC+PTSD, suggesting that the effect of alcohol on white matter microstructure may be more significant than any effect caused by PTSD.
Collapse
|
37
|
Müller-Oehring EM, Jung YC, Sullivan EV, Hawkes WC, Pfefferbaum A, Schulte T. Midbrain-driven emotion and reward processing in alcoholism. Neuropsychopharmacology 2013; 38:1844-53. [PMID: 23615665 PMCID: PMC3746685 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2013.102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2013] [Revised: 03/18/2013] [Accepted: 04/03/2013] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol dependence is associated with impaired control over emotionally motivated actions, possibly associated with abnormalities in the frontoparietal executive control network and midbrain nodes of the reward network associated with automatic attention. To identify differences in the neural response to alcohol-related word stimuli, 26 chronic alcoholics (ALC) and 26 healthy controls (CTL) performed an alcohol-emotion Stroop Match-to-Sample task during functional MR imaging. Stroop contrasts were modeled for color-word incongruency (eg, word RED printed in green) and for alcohol (eg, BEER), positive (eg, HAPPY) and negative (eg, MAD) emotional word content relative to congruent word conditions (eg, word RED printed in red). During color-Stroop processing, ALC and CTL showed similar left dorsolateral prefrontal activation, and CTL, but not ALC, deactivated posterior cingulate cortex/cuneus. An interaction revealed a dissociation between alcohol-word and color-word Stroop processing: ALC activated midbrain and parahippocampal regions more than CTL when processing alcohol-word relative to color-word conditions. In ALC, the midbrain region was also invoked by negative emotional Stroop words thereby showing significant overlap of this midbrain activation for alcohol-related and negative emotional processing. Enhanced midbrain activation to alcohol-related words suggests neuroadaptation of dopaminergic midbrain systems. We speculate that such tuning is normally associated with behavioral conditioning to optimize responses but here contributed to automatic bias to alcohol-related stimuli.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- E M Müller-Oehring
- Neuroscience Program, Center Health Science, SRI International, Menlo Park, CA, USA.
| | - Y-C Jung
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Yonsei University, College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - E V Sullivan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - W C Hawkes
- Neuroscience Program, Center Health Science, SRI International, Menlo Park, CA, USA,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - A Pfefferbaum
- Neuroscience Program, Center Health Science, SRI International, Menlo Park, CA, USA,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - T Schulte
- Neuroscience Program, Center Health Science, SRI International, Menlo Park, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
White matter damage is associated with memory decline in chronic alcoholics: A quantitative diffusion tensor tractography study. Behav Brain Res 2013; 250:192-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2013.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2013] [Revised: 04/30/2013] [Accepted: 05/03/2013] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
|
39
|
Is methoxydine a new rapid acting antidepressant for the treatment of depression in alcoholics? Med Hypotheses 2013; 81:10-4. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2013.03.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2013] [Accepted: 03/21/2013] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
|
40
|
Schulte T, Müller-Oehring EM, Sullivan EV, Pfefferbaum A. White matter fiber compromise contributes differentially to attention and emotion processing impairment in alcoholism, HIV-infection, and their comorbidity. Neuropsychologia 2012; 50:2812-2822. [PMID: 22960416 PMCID: PMC3473169 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2012.07.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2012] [Revised: 07/14/2012] [Accepted: 07/30/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Alcoholism (ALC) and HIV-1 infection (HIV) each affects emotional and attentional processes and integrity of brain white matter fibers likely contributing to functional compromise. The highly prevalent ALC+HIV comorbidity may exacerbate compromise. We used diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and an emotional Stroop Match-to-Sample task in 19 ALC, 16 HIV, 15 ALC+HIV, and 15 control participants to investigate whether disruption of fiber system integrity accounts for compromised attentional and emotional processing. The task required matching a cue color to that of an emotional word with faces appearing between the color cue and the Stroop word in half of the trials. Nonmatched cue-word color pairs assessed selective attention, and face-word pairs assessed emotion. Relative to controls, DTI-based fiber tracking revealed lower inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ilf) integrity in HIV and ALC+HIV and lower uncinate fasciculus (uf) integrity in all three patient groups. Controls exhibited Stroop effects to positive face-word emotion, and greater interference was related to greater callosal, cingulum and ilf integrity. By contrast, HIV showed greater interference from negative Stroop words during color-nonmatch trials, correlating with greater uf compromise. For face trials, ALC and ALC+HIV showed greater Stroop-word interference, correlating with lower cingulate and callosal integrity. Thus, in HIV, conflict resolution was diminished when challenging conditions usurped resources needed to manage interference from negative emotion and to disengage attention from wrongly cued colors (nonmatch). In ALC and ALC+HIV, poorer callosal integrity was related to enhanced emotional interference suggesting curtailed interhemispheric exchange needed between preferentially right-hemispheric emotion and left-hemispheric Stroop-word functions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- T Schulte
- SRI International, Neuroscience Program, 333 Ravenswood Avenue, Menlo Park, CA 94025-3493, United States.
| | - E M Müller-Oehring
- SRI International, Neuroscience Program, 333 Ravenswood Avenue, Menlo Park, CA 94025-3493, United States; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - E V Sullivan
- SRI International, Neuroscience Program, 333 Ravenswood Avenue, Menlo Park, CA 94025-3493, United States
| | - A Pfefferbaum
- SRI International, Neuroscience Program, 333 Ravenswood Avenue, Menlo Park, CA 94025-3493, United States; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Ruiz SM, Oscar-Berman M, Sawyer KS, Valmas MM, Urban T, Harris GJ. Drinking history associations with regional white matter volumes in alcoholic men and women. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2012; 37:110-22. [PMID: 22725728 DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2012.01862.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2011] [Accepted: 04/04/2012] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alcoholism has been repeatedly associated with gray and white matter pathology. Although neuroimaging has shown alcoholism-related brain volume reductions and axonal compromise, the integrity of white matter volumes in chronic alcoholism has been challenging to measure on a regional level. METHODS We first examined the effects of alcoholism on cerebral white matter volumes by lobar and gyral subdivisions in 42 abstinent alcoholics and 42 control participants (split evenly by gender). We also examined cerebellar white matter and regions of the corpus callosum, as well as ventricular volumes. Next, relationships between white matter and ventricular volumes with measures of drinking patterns were assessed. Finally, an examination of early versus late abstinence was conducted. Within each examination, gender effects were explored. RESULTS Differences in regional white matter volumes between alcoholics and controls were observed primarily in the corpus callosum, with a stronger group difference among men than women. Years of heavy drinking had a strong negative impact on frontal and temporal white matter among alcoholic women, and on the corpus callosum among alcoholic men. Quantity of alcohol consumption was associated with smaller corpus callosum and larger ventricular volumes among alcoholic women, whereas abstinence duration was associated with larger corpus callosum volume among alcoholic men. Preliminary data indicated that alcoholic women showed stronger positive associations between sobriety duration and white matter volume than men within the first year of abstinence, whereas men showed this association more so than women after 1 year of abstinence. CONCLUSIONS Effects of drinking history on white matter and ventricular volumes vary by gender, with alcoholic women showing greatest sensitivity in frontal, temporal, ventricular, and corpus callosum regions, and alcoholic men showing effects mainly in the corpus callosum. Preliminary results indicate that recovery of white matter volume may occur sooner for women than for men.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Susan Mosher Ruiz
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
42
|
Oscar-Berman M. Function and dysfunction of prefrontal brain circuitry in alcoholic Korsakoff's syndrome. Neuropsychol Rev 2012; 22:154-69. [PMID: 22538385 PMCID: PMC3681949 DOI: 10.1007/s11065-012-9198-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2012] [Accepted: 04/04/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
The signature symptom of alcohol-induced persisting amnestic disorder, more commonly referred to as alcoholic Korsakoff's syndrome (KS), is anterograde amnesia, or memory loss for recent events, and until the mid 20th Century, the putative brain damage was considered to be in diencephalic and medial temporal lobe structures. Overall intelligence, as measured by standardized IQ tests, usually remains intact. Preservation of IQ occurs because memories formed before the onset of prolonged heavy drinking--the types of information and abilities tapped by intelligence tests--remain relatively well preserved compared with memories recently acquired. However, clinical and experimental evidence has shown that neurobehavioral dysfunction in alcoholic patients with KS does include nonmnemonic abilities, and further brain damage involves extensive frontal and limbic circuitries. Among the abnormalities are confabulation, disruption of elements of executive functioning and cognitive control, and emotional impairments. Here, we discuss the relationship between neurobehavioral impairments in KS and alcoholism-related brain damage. More specifically, we examine the role of damage to prefrontal brain systems in the neuropsychological profile of alcoholic KS.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marlene Oscar-Berman
- Department of Neurology and Division of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Alfonso-Loeches S, Pascual M, Gómez-Pinedo U, Pascual-Lucas M, Renau-Piqueras J, Guerri C. Toll-like receptor 4 participates in the myelin disruptions associated with chronic alcohol abuse. Glia 2012; 60:948-64. [PMID: 22431236 DOI: 10.1002/glia.22327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2011] [Accepted: 02/24/2012] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol abuse and alcoholism can cause brain damage, loss of white matter, myelin fiber disruption, and even neuronal injury. The underlying mechanisms of these alterations remain elusive. We have shown that chronic ethanol intake, by activating glial toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) receptors, triggers the production of inflammatory mediators and can cause brain damage. Because neuroinflammation may be associated with demyelination and neuronal damage, we evaluate whether the ethanol-induced TLR4-dependent proinflammatory environment in the brain could be involved in the myelin disruptions observed in alcoholics. Using brains from wild-type (WT) and TLR4 knockout (KO, TLR4(-/-) ) mice, we demonstrate that chronic ethanol treatment downregulated proteins involved in myelination [proteolipid protein (PLP), myelin basic protein (MBP), myelin-oligodendrocyte glycoprotein, 2,3-cyclic-nucleotide-3-phosphodiesterase, and myelin-associated glycoprotein], while increased chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan NG2 (NG2)-proteoglycan in several brain regions of ethanol-treated WT mice. The immunohistochemistry analysis also revealed that ethanol-treatment-altered myelin morphology reduced the number of MBP-positive fibers and caused oligodendrocyte death, as demonstrated by an increase in caspase-3-positive oligodendrocytes. The in vivo imaging system further confirmed that chronic ethanol intake markedly reduced the PLP in WT mice. Most myelin alterations were not observed in brains from ethanol-treated TLR4(-/-) mice. Electron microscopy studies revealed that although 41-47% of axons showed myelin sheath disarrangements in the cerebral cortex and corpus callosum of WT ethanol-treated mice, respectively, small focal fiber disruptions were noticed in these brain areas of ethanol-treated TLR4(-/-) mice. In summary, the present results suggest that ethanol-induced neuroinflammation might be involved in myelin disruptions and white matter loss observed in human alcoholics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Alfonso-Loeches
- Department of Cellular Pathology, Príncipe Felipe Research Centre, Avda. Autopista del Saler 16, Valencia, Spain
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|