Do alcohol-dependent patients show different neural activation during response inhibition than healthy controls in an alcohol-related fMRI go/no-go-task?
Alcohol dependence is associated with impaired response inhibition and heightened cue reactivity towards alcohol-related stimuli. Several brain areas, but mainly prefrontal structures, have been linked to response inhibition in addiction. This study aimed at combining both aspects: salience of drug-associated cues and response inhibition using a go/no-go task with alcohol-associated stimuli during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).



Nineteen abstinent alcohol-dependent patients (ADP) and 21 healthy control subjects (HC) were compared on blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) responses during successful inhibition of no-go stimuli and successful reactions to go stimuli.



ADP and HC did not significantly differ in their behavioural performance in the task. However, both groups performed worse during the inhibition of alcoholic-associated stimuli compared to neutral stimuli. On the neural level, ADP displayed enhanced BOLD activity relative to HC during successful response inhibition in several areas involved in visual processing, cognitive and impulse control, including occipital structures, anterior cingulate gyrus, medial frontal gyrus and medial orbitofrontal cortex.



We interpret these findings as a possible compensation strategy for impaired cognitive processing. Furthermore, the results underline the impact of salience of alcohol-related stimuli on response inhibition, which seems to affect both ADP and HC.
Department of General Psychiatry, University of Heidelberg, Voßstraße 4, 69115, Heidelberg, Germany. Marta.Czapla@med.uni-heidelberg.de.
Marta
M
Czapla
Department of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
Christian
C
Baeuchl
Department of General Internal and Psychosomatics, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.|Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
Joe J
JJ
Simon
Department for Addictive Disorders, Psychiatric Centre Nordbaden, Wiesloch, Germany.
Barbara
B
Richter
Department for Addictive Disorders, Psychiatric Centre Nordbaden, Wiesloch, Germany.
Matthias
M
Kluge
Department of General Internal and Psychosomatics, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.|Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
Hans-Christoph
HC
Friederich
Centre for Addictive Disorders, Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim, Germany.
Karl
K
Mann
Department of General Psychiatry, University of Heidelberg, Voßstraße 4, 69115, Heidelberg, Germany.
Sabine C
SC
Herpertz
Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Otto-Friedrich-University of Bamberg, Bamberg, Germany.
Sabine
S
Loeber
D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003463:Cues; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D059907:Functional Neuroimaging; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009778:Occipital Lobe / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology
Alcohol dependence; Go/no-go task; Response inhibition; fMRI