Altered structural connectivity and functional brain dynamics in individuals with heavy alcohol use

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Addiction Research
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Heavy alcohol use and alcohol use disorder (AUD) affect millions globally.
• Existing models of AUD lack integrated whole-brain neuroanatomical, functional, and pharmacological data.

Approach:

• Utilized diffusion and functional MRI to study brain dynamics in 130 heavy alcohol users and 308 controls.
• Applied network control theory to analyze brain activity transitions.
• Performed in silico evaluation using PET data to explore D2 receptor involvement.

Key Points:

• Heavy alcohol users exhibited less dynamic and complex brain activity compared to minimal users.
• Individuals with heavy alcohol use required more control energy for brain state transitions.
• Decreased D2 receptor levels, a known correlate of AUD, may explain observed brain dynamics.

Conclusions:

• Multimodal, whole-brain imaging data can be integrated within a network control framework.
• This approach aids in identifying and evaluating neurobiological correlates of AUD.
• Findings offer insights into the neural mechanisms underlying heavy alcohol consumption.