Anterior Cingulate Metabolite Levels, Memory, and Inhibitory Control in Abstinent Men and Women with Alcohol Use Disorder

Abstract

Aims: Alcohol use disorder (AUD), has been shown to have harmful cognitive and physiological effects, including altered brain chemistry. Further, although men and women may differ in vulnerability to the neurobiological effects of AUD, results of existing studies have been conflicting. Brain metabolite levels and cognitive functions were examined in a cross section of men with AUD (AUDm) and women with AUD (AUDw) to determine degree of abnormalities after extended periods of abstinence (mean, six years), and to evaluate gender differences in cognitive and metabolite measures. Methods: Participants were 40 abstinent individuals with AUD (22 AUDw, 18 AUDm) and 50 age-equivalent non-AUD comparison participants (26 NCw, 24 NCm). Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) was employed at 3 Tesla to acquire metabolite spectra from the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC). Brain metabolites N-acetylaspartate (NAA), choline (Cho), myo-Inositol (mI), and glutamate & glutamine (Glx) were examined relative to measures of memory and inhibitory control. Results: Metabolite levels in the AUD group showed no significant differences from the NC group. Memory and inhibitory-control impairments were observed in the AUD group. There also were significant group-specific associations between metabolite ratios and measures of inhibitory control. There were no Group-by-Gender interactions for the four metabolite ratios. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that brain metabolite levels in men and women with AUD, following long-term abstinence, do not differ from individuals without AUD. The data also provide evidence of associations between metabolite levels and measures of inhibitory control, a functional domain important for curtailing harmful drinking.