The Resting Brain of Alcoholics

Abstract

Chronic alcohol consumption affects multiple cognitive processes supported by far-reaching cerebral networks. To identify neurofunctional mechanisms underlying selective deficits, 27 sober alcoholics and 26 age-matched controls underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and neuropsychological testing. Functional connectivity analysis assessed the default mode network (DMN); integrative executive control (EC), salience (SA), and attention (AT) networks; primary somatosensory, auditory, and visual (VI) input networks; and subcortical reward (RW) and emotion (EM) networks. The groups showed an extensive overlap of intrinsic connectivity in all brain networks examined, suggesting overall integrity of large-scale functional networks. Despite these similar patterns, connectivity analyses identified network-specific differences of weaker within-network connectivity and expanded connectivity to regions outside the main networks in alcoholics compared with controls. For AT and VI networks, better task performance was related to expanded connectivity in alcoholism, supporting the concept of network expansion as a neural mechanism for functional compensation. For default mode, SA, RW, and EC networks, both weaker within-network and expanded outside-network connectivity correlated with poorer performance and mood. Current smoking contributed to some of these abnormalities in connectivity. The observed pattern of resting-state connectivity might reflect neural vulnerability of intrinsic networking in alcoholics and suggests a mechanism to explain signature impairments in EM, RW evaluation, and EC ability.

Cannabis, cigarettes, and their co-occurring use: Disentangling differences in default mode network functional connectivity

“…These finding are consistent with previous studies among other drug using populations, including heroin (Ma et al, 2011), cocaine (Ding and Lee, 2013), and alcohol (Muller-Oehring et al, 2014), and provide additional support for a general addiction-related disruption of DMN connectivity. As previously mentioned, the DMN is involved in self-referential processes and how these internal processes relate to the external environment (Sutherland et al, 2012); thus, abnormalities within the DMN and its interactions with other brain networks may underlie the cognitive and behavioral impairments observed among substance users.…”

Longitudinal Mapping of Gyral and Sulcal Patterns of Cortical Thickness and Brain Volume Regain during Early Alcohol Abstinence

“…Based on those indications, our data suggest that short distance connections are more susceptive for excessive alcohol consumption and abstinence. Actually, functional connectivity alterations in alcoholism have repeatedly been reported [53][54][55] .…”

Imaging the Addicted Brain

“…M€ uller-Oehring, Jung, Pfefferbaum, Sullivan, and Schulte (2015) investigated the integrity of multiple resting-state brain networks in AUD in relation to cognition and emotion. FC analysis assessed the DMN; in addition the EC, salience (SA), and attention (AT) networks; primary somatosensory, auditory, and visual (VI) input networks; and subcortical reward (RW) and emotion (EM) networks in 27 short-term abstinent men and 26 gender-and age-matched controls.…”