title: Widespread effects of alcohol on white matter microstructure.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Evidence suggests that chronic misuse of alcohol may preferentially affect the integrity of frontal white matter (WM) tracts, which can impact executive functions important to achieve and maintain abstinence.
  
  
  METHODS
  Global and regional WM microstructure was assessed using diffusion magnetic resonance measures of fractional anisotropy (FA) for 31 abstinent alcoholics (ALC) with an average of 25 years of abuse and approximately 5 years of sobriety and 20 nonalcoholic control (NC) participants. Data processing was conducted with FreeSurfer and FSL processing streams. Voxelwise processing of the FA data was carried out using tract-based spatial statistics. Clusters of significance were created to provide a quantitative summary of highly significant regions within the voxelwise analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Widespread, bilateral reductions in FA were observed in ALC as compared to NC participants in multiple frontal, temporal, parietal, and cerebellar WM tracts. FA in the left inferior frontal gyrus was associated with drinking severity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study found widespread reductions in WM integrity in a group of ALC compared to NC participants, with most pronounced effects in frontal and superior tracts. Decreased FA throughout the frontostriatal circuits that mediate inhibitory control may result in impulsive behavior and inability to maintain sobriety.
authors.affiliation: Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center (GRECC), Translational Research Center for TBI and Stress Disorders (TRACTS), VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, Massachusetts; Neuroimaging Research Center for Veterans, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Catherine B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Fortier
authors.forename: Elizabeth C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Leritz
authors.forename: David H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Salat
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lindemer
authors.forename: Arkadiy L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Maksimovskiy
authors.forename: Juli
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shepel
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Jonathan R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Venne
authors.forename: William P
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Milberg
authors.forename: Regina E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: McGlinchey
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D064829:Alcohol Abstinence / Q000523:psychology; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000523:psychology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging / Q000379:methods; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D066127:White Matter / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*
keywords: Addiction; Alcoholism; Brain; Diffusion Magnetic Resonance; White Matter