title: Disruption of orbitofronto-striatal functional connectivity underlies maladaptive persistent behaviors in alcohol-dependent patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Alcohol dependence is characterized by persistent alcohol-seeking despite negative consequences. Previous studies suggest that maladaptive persistent behaviors reflect alcohol-induced brain changes that cause alterations in the cortico-striatal-limbic circuit.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty one alcohol dependent patients and 24 age-matched healthy controls performed a decision-making task during functional MRI. We defined the medial orbitofrontal cortex (mOFC) as a region-of-interest and performed seed-based functional connectivity analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Healthy controls were more flexible in adapting an alternative behavioral strategy, which correlated with stronger mOFC-dorsal striatum functional connectivity. In contrast, alcohol dependent patients persisted to the first established behavioral strategy. The mOFC-dorsal striatum functional connectivity was impaired in the alcohol-dependent patients, but increased in correlation with the duration of abstinence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings support that the disruption of the mOFC-striatal circuitry contribute to the maldaptive persistent behaviors in alcohol dependent patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Seojung
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Eun
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jeonghun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ku
authors.forename: Kang-Jun
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Kee
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Namkoong
authors.forename: Young-Chul
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Jung
keywords: Alcohol; Decision-making; Dorsal striatum; Medial orbitofrontal cortex; fMRI