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The Inferior Colliculus in Alcoholism and Beyond
Tanuja Bordia1, Natalie M Zahr1,2
1Neuroscience Program, SRI International, Menlo Park, CA, United States.
Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience
|December 28, 2020
Summary
Ethanol exposure causes persistent shrinkage of the inferior colliculus, a brain region vital for awareness. This finding in rats suggests a link between alcohol use and brain damage, particularly in metabolically active areas.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neuropathology
- Neuroimaging
Background:
- Thiamine deficiency, as seen in Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome (WKS), damages the inferior colliculus.
- Animal models show inferior colliculi involvement in thiamine depletion and ethanol withdrawal.
- Limited research exists on inferior colliculi involvement in uncomplicated alcoholism.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of acute and chronic ethanol exposure on the inferior colliculus in rats.
- To explore the potential role of the inferior colliculi in alcoholism and other metabolic neuropathologies.
Main Methods:
- Voxel-based analysis of structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI).
- Acute and chronic ethanol exposure paradigms in two rat strains.
Main Results:
- Significant and persistent shrinkage of the inferior colliculus was observed following ethanol exposure.
- Findings suggest inferior colliculi are vulnerable due to high CNS metabolic rate and potential hypoxic injury.
Conclusions:
- Ethanol exposure induces structural damage to the inferior colliculi.
- The inferior colliculi may serve as a common anatomical link for various insults affecting brain metabolism.
- Further multimodal imaging is needed to clarify the role of the inferior colliculi in alcoholism and neuropathologies.
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