title: Deficits in cortical, diencephalic and midbrain gray matter in alcoholism measured by VBM: Effects of co-morbid substance abuse.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Alcoholism has been associated with a widespread pattern of gray matter atrophy. This study sought to investigate the spectrum of volume alterations in a population of alcoholics with only alcohol dependence, polysubstance abusing alcoholics, and a comparison population of healthy controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-seven 'pure' alcoholics, 93 polysubstance abusing alcoholics, and 69 healthy controls underwent structural T1 MRI scans. Voxel-based morphometry was performed to investigate gray matter alterations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Alcoholic dependent inpatients (both with and without a history of DSM-IV substance abuse/dependence diagnosis) displayed significant gray matter differences in the mesial region of the frontal lobe and right temporal lobe. 'Pure' alcoholics exhibited a pattern of subcortical changes similar to that seen in Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome when compared to polysubstance abusing alcoholics. 'Pure' alcoholics and polysubstance abusing alcoholics did not differ significantly in measures of cortical gray matter, liver function, or nutrition.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings reinforce the accepted literature in regards to frontal lobe gray matter atrophy in alcohol dependence. This study calls for additional research in order to investigate the spectrum from uncomplicated alcoholism to Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome. Further research is needed to elucidate the exact cause of this pattern of differences and to determine what factors are responsible for the patterns of gray matter reduction or difference in 'pure' and polysubstance abusing alcoholics.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Clinical Studies, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892-7003, USA.
authors.forename: Erica N
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Grodin
authors.forename: Henry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Caitlin A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Durkee
authors.forename: Daniel W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Hommer
authors.forename: Reza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Momenan
keywords: Alcoholism; Gray matter structure; Polysubstance use; Voxel-based morphometry