Alcohol intake and brain white matter in middle aged men: Microscopic and macroscopic differences

NeuroImage. Clinical
Linda K McEvoyWilliam S Kremen

Abstract

Heavy alcohol consumption is associated with deleterious changes in the brain but associations of moderate alcohol intake are not well understood. We examined the association of alcohol consumption with brain white matter health in 377 middle-aged men (56-66 years old; mean 61.8 ± 2.6 years) who were participants in the Vietnam Era Twin Study of Aging (VETSA). T1-, T2-, proton density-, and diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance images were obtained. Diffusion measures were quantified from 12 major white matter tracts. Global white matter lesion (WML) burden was also quantified. Mixed effects linear models examined differences in diffusivity and WMLs by amount of alcohol intake. Analyses adjusted for numerous demographic, health, and lifestyle variables. An inverted-U association was found between alcohol intake and fractional anisotropy (FA) in several tracts, including the inferior-frontal-occipital fasciculus, uncinate fasciculus, superior longitudinal fasciculus, the forceps minor and the anterior thalamic radiations. In these tracts, FA increased with increasing alcohol intake, peaking with moderate alcohol intake (9-28 drinks in 14 days), and declining with heavier intake. Associations remained significant after exclusion ...Continue Reading

Citations

Jun 30, 2018·Alcoholism, Clinical and Experimental Research·Joseph M GullettRonald A Cohen
Feb 11, 2020·Journal of Alzheimer's Disease : JAD·Manja KochKenneth J Mukamal
Jan 29, 2021·Scientific Reports·Sergio GrosuSophia Stoecklein
Jan 26, 2021·Frontiers in Physiology·Soo K ShinFranklin D West
Mar 16, 2019·Drug and Alcohol Dependence·William H HamptonIngrid R Olson

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FreeSurfer
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