Dynamic frontostriatal functional peak connectivity (in alcohol use disorder).

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Neuroimaging
• Psychiatry

Background:

• Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is linked to altered frontostriatal brain connectivity.
• Existing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) methods are often insufficient for analyzing these specific neural circuits.
• Frontostriatal gradients, identified in nonhuman primates, provide a basis for circuit-specific analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a dynamic circuit-specific fMRI analysis approach, termed dynamic PeaCoG (peak connectivity on a gradient).
• To investigate dynamic changes in frontostriatal functional connectivity (FC) in individuals with AUD compared to healthy controls.
• To explore the relationship between altered circuit dynamics and clinical factors like abstinence.

Main Methods:

• Developed a dynamic PeaCoG approach using sliding-window FC analysis on resting-state fMRI data.
• Applied the method to data from 66 AUD participants and 40 healthy controls.
• Analyzed frontostriatal connectivity gradients and their dynamic variability.

Main Results:

• The dynamic PeaCoG approach confirmed a previously observed ventral shift in right orbitofrontal cortex connectivity in AUD.
• Reduced temporospatial variability of dynamic PeaCoG in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex was found in AUD.
• This reduced variability correlated with self-efficacy for abstinence and days of abstinence.

Conclusions:

• The dynamic PeaCoG method offers a sensitive tool for exploring the dynamics of frontostriatal circuits in AUD.
• Findings highlight specific alterations in frontostriatal circuit dynamics associated with AUD.
• This approach has potential for understanding the neural basis of mental disorders and cognition.