Dataset Information

Increased Nucleus Accumbens Volume in College Binge Drinkers - Preliminary Evidence From Manually Segmented MRI Analysis.

ABSTRACT: Introduction:Binge drinking (BD) is characterized by high alcohol intake in a short time followed by periods of withdrawal. This pattern is very common during adolescence and early adulthood, a developmental stage marked by the maturation of the fronto-striatal networks. The basal ganglia, specifically the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) and the caudate nucleus (CN), are part of the fronto-striatal limbic circuit involved in reward processes underlying addictive behaviors. Abnormal NAcc and CN morphometry has been noted in alcoholics and other drug abusers, however the effects of BD on these subcortical regions have been poorly explored. Accordingly, the main goal of the present study was to address potential morphological alterations in the NAcc and CN in a sample of college binge drinkers (BDs). Method:Manual segmentation of the NAcc and the CN was performed in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of 20 college BDs and 16 age-matched alcohol abstainers (18-23 years-old). Results:A two-way mixed ANOVA revealed no group differences in the volumetry of the CN, whereas increased NAcc volume was observed in the BD group when compared to their abstinent control peers. Discussion:These findings are in line with previous automatically segmented MRI reports highlighting abnormalities in a key region involved in drug rewarding processes in BDs.

SUBMITTER: Sousa SS

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7025595 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Increased Nucleus Accumbens Volume in College Binge Drinkers - Preliminary Evidence From Manually Segmented MRI Analysis.

Sousa Sónia S SS Sampaio Adriana A López-Caneda Eduardo E Bec Clothilde C Gonçalves Óscar F ÓF Crego Alberto A

Frontiers in psychiatry 20200210

<h4>Introduction</h4>Binge drinking (BD) is characterized by high alcohol intake in a short time followed by periods of withdrawal. This pattern is very common during adolescence and early adulthood, a developmental stage marked by the maturation of the fronto-striatal networks. The basal ganglia, specifically the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) and the caudate nucleus (CN), are part of the fronto-striatal limbic circuit involved in reward processes underlying addictive behaviors. Abnormal NAcc and CN ...[more]

PMID: 32116822

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Project description:Aims:Dysfunctional brain reward circuitry, particularly in the nucleus accumbens (NAcc), has been proposed as a risk factor for alcohol use disorder (AUD). This risk factor may be evident in binge drinkers (BD), who are at high risk for developing AUD. We examined whole-brain and NAcc reactivity to reward in BD compared to non-binge drinkers (NBD), hypothesizing that groups would differ in their neural reactivity and connectivity. Methods:Healthy BD (N = 27) and NBD (N = 23)-none meeting AUD criteria-completed a reward-guessing game, the 'Doors' task, during functional magnetic resonance imaging. We conducted an exploratory whole-brain search for group differences, but given our a priori hypotheses, we also extracted activation from the NAcc to examine reactivity during reward (Win > Loss) and functional connectivity (FC) to the prefrontal cortex. Results:Compared to NBD, BD exhibited greater activation in both the right and left NAcc during reward relative to loss. Additionally, NBD drinkers exhibited positive FC between the NAcc and dorsal anterior cingulate (dACC) whereas the BD showed negative FC between these regions. Furthermore, less NAcc-dACC FC was related to more past month alcohol use. Conclusions:Our results provide preliminary evidence that BD exhibit greater NAcc activation during reward receipt relative to loss. This is consistent with the broader AUD literature and suggests aberrant neural reactivity may precede disorder onset. In addition, BD exhibited less NAcc-dACC FC, perhaps reflecting deficient regulation of activation to rewards compared to losses. This profile of reward brain circuitry could represent neural correlates of vulnerability for AUD. Short summary:Healthy binge drinkers, at risk for alcohol use disorder, exhibited greater nucleus accumbens activation during reward relative to loss. In addition, binge drinkers exhibited reduced connectivity between the nucleus accumbens and dorsal anterior cingulate, which was associated with more past month alcohol use.

Dataset Information

Increased Nucleus Accumbens Volume in College Binge Drinkers - Preliminary Evidence From Manually Segmented MRI Analysis.

Publications

Increased Nucleus Accumbens Volume in College Binge Drinkers - Preliminary Evidence From Manually Segmented MRI Analysis.

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