title: Subcortical volumes are reduced in short-term and long-term abstinent alcoholics but not those with a comorbid stimulant disorder.
abstract: Chronic alcohol abuse affects brain structure and function. We examined subcortical structure volumes in 77 short (6-15 week) and 90 long (multi-year) term abstinent alcoholics, along with 74 controls. We used a 3T Siemens MPRAGE sequence for image acquisition and FSL FIRST software for measuring subcortical volumes. When examining alcoholics without a comorbid stimulant disorder we found reduced hippocampal, pallidum and thalamus volumes in short term abstinence compared to a non-substance abusing control sample with numerically smaller yet still significant reductions compared to controls in long term abstinence. When examining alcoholics with a comorbid stimulant disorder, no difference from controls was found for any subcortical volume. Alcoholics with a stimulant disorder had significantly larger subcortical volumes than alcoholics without a stimulant disorder. This study replicates past research showing that chronic alcohol abuse is associated with lower subcortical volumes in short-term abstinent chronic alcoholics and extends this finding, although with smaller effects to long-term abstinent samples. The absence of this effect in the presence of a comorbid stimulant disorder suggests either a protective effect of stimulant abuse/dependence or that the measurements reflect the aggregate of alcohol dependence associated atrophy and stimulant abuse associated inflammation. Associations with function suggest the second of these two alternatives.
authors.affiliation: Neurobehavioral Research, Inc., 1585 Kapiolani Blvd., Ste. 1030, Honolulu, HI 96814, USA ; Department of Psychology, University of Hawai'i, 2530 Dole Street, Sakamaki C 400, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA.
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fein
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fein
keywords: Alcoholism; Subcortical