title: Imaging of language-related brain regions in detoxified alcoholics.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Neuroimaging studies showed clear evidence of alcoholism-related damage to the frontal lobes and cerebellum. Although these regions have been involved in language processing, language skills are relatively spared in alcoholics. Here, we aimed at identifying neural substrates associated with the preserved mechanisms of language processing in alcoholics. We hypothesized that alcoholics would show a different pattern of neural activity compared with the controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  Alcoholic and nonalcoholic subjects performed an auditory language task while receiving a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scan in a 1.5 T magnet. This task has been previously shown to solicit the comprehension processing in healthy controls, with reliable fMRI response in the left frontal and temporal/parietal lobes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Behavioral results showed comparable performance (error rates, response time) between the alcoholics and the matched controls. However, analysis of the functional data revealed that the alcoholics exhibited greater fMRI response in the left middle frontal gyrus (pars triangularis), the right superior frontal gyrus, and the cerebellar vermis relative to the controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that frontocerebellar neural activity, supporting the comprehension processing of the auditory language task, may require compensatory mechanisms in alcoholics in order to maintain the same level of performance as the controls.
authors.affiliation: INSERM U797 Research Unit, Neuroimaging & Psychiatry, 4 place du Général Leclerc, Orsay, France.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chanraud-Guillermo
authors.forename: Jamila
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Andoh
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Martelli
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Artiges
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pallier
authors.forename: Henri-Jean
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Aubin
authors.forename: Jean-Luc
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Martinot
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reynaud
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001307:Auditory Perception / Q000502:physiology; D001519:Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D000431:Ethanol / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000473:pathology* / Q000502:physiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008658:Inactivation, Metabolic; D007802:Language; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000473:pathology* / Q000502:physiology / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D000431:Ethanol