Decreased perfusion in young alcohol-dependent women as compared with age-matched controls.
OBJECTIVE
To use the superior spatial resolution of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to examine differences in cerebral perfusion between young alcohol dependent and normal women.


METHODS
Eight alcohol dependent women and 8 controls (all ages 18-25) received single-slice resting perfusion-weighted MRI (directly proportional to brain blood flow), with slices located above the corpus callosum.


RESULTS
Alcohol-dependent women had decreased perfusion in prefrontal and left parietal regions.


CONCLUSIONS
Reduced perfusion has not previously been reported in young, physically healthy alcohol dependent females, yet is consistent with previously reported decreased cerebral activity in alcohol dependence.
Clark
Camellia P
CP
VA San Diego Healthcare System, Department of Psychiatry, University of California at San Diego, San Diego, California, USA. cclark@vapop.ucsd.edu
Brown
Gregory G
GG
Eyler
Lisa T
LT
Drummond
Sean P A
SP
Braun
Deborah R
DR
Tapert
Susan F
SF
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000098:blood supply / Q000503:physiopathology; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology; D003337:Corpus Callosum / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000098:blood supply / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male