Weekly alcohol consumption, brain atrophy, and white matter hyperintensities in a community-based sample aged 60 to 64 years.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study was to determine the association between weekly alcohol consumption and brain atrophy in adults aged 60 to 64 years.


METHODS
Brain magnetic resonance imaging scans from 385 adults recruited through a community survey were analyzed. Automated segmentation and manual tracing methods were used to obtain brain subvolumes and automated methods were used to obtain quantification and localization of white matter hyperintensities. Visual measures of cortical atrophy were obtained as were data on health and lifestyle factors. Alcohol consumption was assessed with the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test.


RESULTS
In men, weekly alcohol consumption had a positive linear association with ventricular volume and gray matter and a negative linear association with white matter. In women, weekly alcohol consumption had a nonlinear relationship with cerebrospinal fluid and white matter. Alcohol consumption was not associated with white matter hyperintensities, corpus callosum size, hippocampal or amygdala volumes in analyses adjusting for confounding variables.


CONCLUSIONS
An association between alcohol consumption and brain atrophy is evident at the population level. In women, detrimental effects of alcohol on the brain appear to occur at lower levels of consumption. It remains possible that low levels of alcohol consumption have neuroprotective benefits but is clear that high levels of consumption are detrimental.
Anstey
Kaarin J
KJ
Centre for Mental Health Research, Australian National University, Canberra ACT 0200, Australia. kaarin.anstey@anu.edu.au
Jorm
Anthony F
AF
Réglade-Meslin
Chantal
C
Maller
Jerome
J
Kumar
Rajeev
R
von Sanden
Chwee
C
Windsor
Timothy D
TD
Rodgers
Bryan
B
Wen
Wei
W
Sachdev
Perminder
P
D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D000679:Amygdala / Q000648:ultrastructure; D000886:Anthropometry; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology; D001284:Atrophy; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D002552:Cerebral Ventricles / Q000473:pathology; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000187:drug effects; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D015897:Comorbidity; D015986:Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic; D003337:Corpus Callosum / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000453:epidemiology; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D018737:Hand Strength; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009186:Myelin Sheath / Q000473:pathology*; D009517:New South Wales / Q000453:epidemiology; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000187:drug effects
D000431:Ethanol