Triple network resting-state functional connectivity patterns of alcohol heavy drinking

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Addiction Research

Background:

• Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is associated with altered brain functional connectivity.
• The triple network model, involving salience, default mode, and central executive (CEN) networks, is implicated in AUD.
• Specific associations between these networks, AUD severity, and heavy drinking require further clarification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between resting-state functional connectivity in the salience, default mode, and CEN networks and AUD severity.
• To examine associations with measures of alcohol misuse, including AUD symptoms and heavy drinking frequency.

Main Methods:

• Resting-state functional MRI was used in 76 adult heavy drinkers.
• Linear regression models assessed the association between network connectivity and AUD symptoms/heavy drinking.
• Exploratory analyses correlated connectivity with impulsivity and psychopathology.

Main Results:

• Functional connectivity within the CEN network, specifically involving the lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC), was significantly associated with AUD symptoms.
• No significant association was found between CEN network connectivity and heavy drinking frequency.
• Connectivity in the left LPFC showed a correlation with monetary delay discounting, a measure of impulsivity.

Conclusions:

• Findings support the link between CEN network connectivity and AUD severity.
• This study adds specificity to the triple network model's relevance in understanding AUD.
• The CEN network's functional connectivity is a potential neurobiological marker for AUD severity.