title: Examining cortical thickness in male and female DWI offenders.
abstract: Some sex differences have been detected in driving while impaired by alcohol (DWI) offenders. However, understanding of the key factors contributing to DWI among male and female drivers remains elusive, limiting development of targeted interventions. Sex-based neurocognitive analyses could provide the much-needed insight. We examined whether male DWI offenders show cortical thickness anomalies that differ from those in female DWI offenders, when compared to their respective controls. Moderating role of sex and alcohol use on DWI status was also investigated. Sixty-one DWI offenders (29 male; 32 female) and 58 controls (29 male; 29 female) completed an anatomical brain scan and assessments on other relevant characteristics. Only male DWI offenders had reduced cortical thickness in the right dorsal posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), a region involved in cognitive control. Lower cortical thickness was associated with increased odds of DWI status only among males who have not engaged in very hazardous pattern of alcohol misuse in the previous 12 months. Thus, for these male DWI drivers, interventions that could impact PCC could be most advantageous. Continued multidimensional sex analysis of the neural characteristics of male and female DWI offenders is warranted.
authors.affiliation: Douglas Hospital Research Centre, Montreal, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, USA. Electronic address: katarina.dedovic@mail.mcgill.ca.
authors.forename: Katarina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dedovic
authors.affiliation: Douglas Hospital Research Centre, Montreal, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pruessner
authors.affiliation: Douglas Hospital Research Centre, Montreal, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tremblay
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada.
authors.forename: Louise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nadeau
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Sherbrooke, Longueuil, Canada.
authors.forename: Marie Claude
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Ouimet
authors.affiliation: Douglas Hospital Research Centre, Montreal, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lepage
authors.affiliation: Douglas Hospital Research Centre, Montreal, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada; Foster Addiction Rehabilitation Centre, St. Philippe de LaPrairie, Canada.
authors.forename: Thomas G
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Brown
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000473:pathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000473:pathology*; D000066448:Driving Under the Influence; D056344:Executive Function; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012737:Sex Factors; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000473:pathology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Alcohol; DUI; DWI; Driving while impaired; Executive control; First-time offenders; Magnetic resonance imaging