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Abnormal gray matter asymmetry in alcohol dependence
Jiajia Zhu1, Yajun Wang, Haibao Wang
1Department of Radiology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui Province, China.
Neuroreport
|April 10, 2018
Summary
This study found no global brain asymmetry differences in alcohol dependence (AD). However, alcohol-dependent patients showed altered regional gray matter asymmetry in the cerebellum and visual cortex, potentially explaining motor and visual deficits.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Neuroscience
- Radiology
Background:
- Previous studies indicate widespread gray matter abnormalities in alcohol dependence (AD).
- Brain structural asymmetry in AD remains under-investigated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate global and regional gray matter asymmetry alterations in alcohol dependence using voxel-based morphometry.
- To compare brain asymmetry patterns between AD patients and healthy controls.
Main Methods:
- Utilized high-resolution structural MRI on 19 male AD patients and 20 age-matched healthy controls.
- Measured global and voxel-wise gray matter asymmetry using Dice coefficient and asymmetry index.
- Compared asymmetry measures between the AD group and the control group.
Main Results:
- No significant differences in global gray matter asymmetry were found between AD patients and controls.
- Voxel-wise analysis revealed distinct distribution patterns of regional brain asymmetry between groups.
- Increased rightward gray matter asymmetry was observed in the cerebellum (hemispheric I-IV and V) and lingual gyrus of AD patients.
Conclusions:
- Alcohol dependence is associated with altered regional, but not global, brain gray matter asymmetry.
- Abnormal cerebellar and primary visual cortex asymmetry may underlie motor and visual impairments in AD.
- Voxel-based morphometry provides insights into the neurobiological underpinnings of alcohol dependence.
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