Impact of alcohol-related video sequences on functional MRI in abstinent alcoholics

The object of this study was the identification of brain areas that were significantly more connected than other regions with a previously identified reference region, the posterior cingulate cortex, during the presentation of visual cues in alcoholics. Alcohol-related and neutral video sequences were presented to 30 alcoholics who had been abstinent for at least 4 days. Participants underwent a psychometric assessment before and after the presentation of the video sequences. Functional MRI data were acquired. Psychophysiological interaction analyses were carried out. Participants reported a significant increase in craving and arousal after the presentation of alcohol-related video sequences. The simple contrast alcohol versus neutral was found not to be significantly different in the present study. The brain regions that were found to correlate significantly more with the posterior cingulate cortex under the alcohol-related condition were the inferior parietal lobe, the medial temporal lobe, the inferior frontal gyrus, the postcentral gyrus, and the precuneus. The involvement of these regions in processes of memory, self-control, and self-reflection with a particular focus on alcohol dependence and craving will be discussed.