Meta-analysis of grey matter changes and their behavioral characterization in patients with alcohol use disorder

Carolin Spindler,Markus Stuppe,Sonja Bröning,Sebastian Trautmann,Sarah Bartscher,Markus Muehlhan,Nina Alexander

doi:10.1038/s41598-021-84804-7

Carolin Spindler, Markus Stuppe + Show 5 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-84804-7

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Abstract

Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is associated with reductions in grey matter (GM) volume which can lead to changes in numerous brain functions. The results of previous studies on altered GM in AUD differ considerably in the regions identified. Three meta-analyses carried out between 2014 and 2017 yielded different results. The present study includes the considerable amount of newer research and delivers a state-of-the art meta-analysis in line with recently published guidelines. Additionally, we behaviorally characterized affected regions using fMRI metadata and identified related brain networks by determining their meta-analytic connectivity patterns. Twenty-seven studies with 1,045 AUD patients and 1,054 healthy controls were included in the analysis and analyzed by means of Anatomical Likelihood Estimation (ALE). GM alterations were identified in eight clusters covering different parts of the cingulate and medial frontal gyri, paracentral lobes, left post- and precentral gyri, left anterior and right posterior insulae and left superior frontal gyrus. The behavioral characterization associated these regions with specific cognitive, emotional, somatosensory and motor functions. Moreover, the clusters represent nodes within behaviorally relevant brain networks. Our results suggest that GM reduction in AUD could disrupt network communication responsible for the neurocognitive impairments associated with high chronic alcohol consumption.

Highlights

Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is associated with reductions in grey matter (GM) volume which can lead to changes in numerous brain functions
Three meta-analyses[26,27,28] integrated the results of studies that analyzed GM changes in AUD patients compared to healthy controls using voxel-based morphometry ( VBM29)
Their resulting meta-analytic maps indicated significantly reduced GM in both hemispheres comprising parts of the prefrontal cortices (PFC), anterior cingulate cortices (ACC), striatal and insular regions and parts of the posterior cingulate cortices (PCC) in AUD patients compared to healthy controls

Summary

Introduction

Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is associated with reductions in grey matter (GM) volume which can lead to changes in numerous brain functions. Numerous studies indicate widely distributed GM volume reductions in AUD patients compared to healthy c ontrols[19,20,21,22,23] The results of these individual studies refer to various cortical and subcortical regions that are altered by alcohol consumption. Xiao et al.[26] identified nine eligible VBM studies (published from January 2000 to November 2014) and included neuroimaging data from 269 AUD patients compared to 359 healthy controls in an effect-size based meta-analytical approach. Their resulting meta-analytic maps indicated significantly reduced GM in both hemispheres comprising parts of the prefrontal cortices (PFC), anterior cingulate cortices (ACC), striatal and insular regions and parts of the posterior cingulate cortices (PCC) in AUD patients compared to healthy controls

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