title: A widespread distinct pattern of cerebral atrophy in patients with alcohol addiction revealed by voxel-based morphometry.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patients with alcohol addiction show a number of transient or persistent neurological and psychiatric deficits. The complexity of these brain alterations suggests that several brain areas are involved, although the definition of the brain alteration patterns is not yet accomplished.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine brain atrophy patterns in patients with alcohol dependence.
  
  
  METHODS
  Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) of grey matter (GM) and white matter (WM) was performed in 22 patients with alcohol dependence and in 22 healthy controls matched for age and sex.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In patients with alcohol dependence, VBM of GM revealed a significant decrease in density (p<0.001) in the precentral gyrus, middle frontal gyrus, insular cortex, dorsal hippocampus, anterior thalamus and cerebellum compared with controls. Reduced density of WM was found in the periventricular area, pons and cerebellar pedunculi in patients with alcohol addiction.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings provide evidence that alcohol addiction is associated with altered density of GM and WM of specific brain regions. This supports the assumption that alcohol dependence is associated with both local GM dysfunction and altered brain connectivity. Also, VBM is an effective tool for in vivo investigation of cerebral atrophy in patients with alcohol addiction.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Psychiatry, Medical University Innsbruck, Anichstrasse 35, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria. s.mechtcheriakov@uibk.ac.at
authors.forename: Sergei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mechtcheriakov
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Brenneis
authors.forename: Karl
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Egger
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Koppelstaetter
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schocke
authors.forename: Josef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Marksteiner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications*; D001284:Atrophy; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged