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Updated: Feb 10, 2026
10:05
DTI of the Visual Pathway - White Matter Tracts and Cerebral Lesions
Published on: August 26, 2014
14.6K
Cerebral white matter sex dimorphism in alcoholism: a diffusion tensor imaging study
Kayle S Sawyer1,2,3,4, Nasim Maleki5, George Papadimitriou6
1Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, 02118, USA. kslays@bu.edu.
Summary
Alcoholism affects white matter brain connectivity differently in men and women. Alcoholic men show decreased fractional anisotropy (FA), while women show increased FA in specific brain regions, suggesting sex-based differences in alcohol
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Neuroscience
- Addiction Research
Background:
- Excessive alcohol consumption is linked to brain abnormalities, particularly in frontal and limbic regions.
- Previous research indicated reduced white matter fractional anisotropy (FA) in abstinent alcoholic men using diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate sex differences in white matter connectivity abnormalities associated with alcoholism.
- To explore the relationship between these sex differences and alcoholism history.
Main Methods:
- Acquired dMRI scans from 49 abstinent alcoholic individuals (26 women) and 41 nonalcoholic controls (22 women).
- Utilized tract-based spatial statistics to analyze regional FA in white matter tracts.
- Examined sex differences and their correlation with alcoholism history measures.
Main Results:
- Alcoholic men exhibited decreased FA in the corpus callosum, superior longitudinal fasciculi II and III, and arcuate fasciculus/extreme capsule compared to controls.
- Conversely, alcoholic women showed increased FA in the same regions.
- Observed sex differences in correlations between corpus callosum FA and length of sobriety.
Conclusions:
- Sexual dimorphism in white matter microstructure exists in abstinent alcoholics.
- These differences may reflect distinct neurobehavioral liabilities for developing alcohol use disorders or differing consequences of alcohol abuse.
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