title: Gray matter volume abnormalities and externalizing symptoms in subjects at high risk for alcohol dependence.
abstract: Reduced right amygdala volumes have been reported in young, alcohol-naïve subjects at high risk (HR) for alcohol dependence. The differences in brain morphometry have been associated with an excess of externalizing behaviors in these subjects. This may reflect a neurobiological vulnerability to alcohol dependence. Existing Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) studies on these subjects have examined only a few, pre-selected brain regions using the manual regions of interest (ROI) approach. MRI of HR subjects (n = 20) and age, sex, and handedness-matched low-risk (LR) subjects (n = 21) were analyzed using optimized voxel-based morphometry and ROI approach. The externalizing symptoms of these subjects and their fathers were measured using the Semi-Structured Assessment for the Genetics of Alcoholism. HR subjects had significantly smaller volumes of superior frontal, cingulate and parahippocampal gyri, amygdala, thalamus and cerebellum. These gray matter volumes correlated negatively with externalizing symptoms scores. Subjects at HR for alcoholism have reduced volumes of critical areas of brain gray matter, which are associated with increased externalizing symptoms. These represent key endophenotypes of alcoholism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences, Bangalore, India. vbenegal@gmail.com
authors.forename: Vivek
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Benegal
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Antony
authors.forename: Ganesan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Venkatasubramanian
authors.forename: Peruvumba N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Jayakumar
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology*; D000679:Amygdala / Q000473:pathology; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology*; D019958:Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology*; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D002421:Caudate Nucleus / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D019955:Conduct Disorder / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology*; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral / Q000502:physiology; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000473:pathology; D012016:Reference Values; D012306:Risk; D013223:Statistics as Topic