Publication Abstract Display | Type: Published Abstract | Title: [H] Spectroscopy reveals selective vulnerability of frontal white matter in abstinent alcoholics. | Authors: Schweinsburg BC, Alhassoon OM, Taylor MJ, Videen JS, Brown GG, Patterson TL, Grant I | Year: 2001 | Publication: Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society | Volume: 7 Issue: 2 Pages: 191 | Abstract:Neuropsychological and magnetic resonance imaging investigations have
suggested that the human frontal lobes seem particularly sensitive to the
neurotoxic effects of alcohol. Quantitative volumetry has revealed that white
matter changes may account for the brain shrinkage associated with alcohol
consumption, however, the nature of this change is not well understood.
Single-voxel [1H] magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS)
was used to characterize the metabolic change associated with chronic alcoholism
in frontal (FWM) and posterior (PWM) brain white matter regions,
and to determine the relationship between brain metabolism and
neuropsychological functioning.We hypothesized that the FWM would be
differentially impacted by alcohol consumption compared to a PWM region,
and these alterations would be associated with neuropsychological
dysfunction. Twenty-seven recently detoxified alcoholics [RDA: M age:
39.8 (7.2); M education 13.4 (1.7); M length of abstinence 33.2 (7.1)]
and 14 controls [CON: M age: 37.6 (8.2); M education 14.0 (1.6)] were
examined using MRS (PRESS, TE 5 35 ms, TR 5 3000 ms). Concentrations
of N-acetylaspartate (NAA), choline, creatine, and myo-Inositol were
calculated. Repeated measures ANOVA revealed a Group 3 Region interaction
for concentration of NAA [F (1,39)= 5.90, p= .02] Follow-upanalyses showed RDA had significantly lower NAA in the FWM, [t(39)=4.07, p=.0002], while RDA and CON had similar concentrations of NAA
in the PWM. No between-group changes were found for the other metabolites,
and no relationship between brain metabolism and neuropsychological
functioning was found. The results indicated that the frontal lobes are
particularly susceptible to axonal injury after long-term alcohol consumption.
This is consistent with rodent models of alcoholism and may be due
to altered blood flow and0or glutamate0NMDA mediated injury. |
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