Associations between drinking and cortical thickness in young adult drinkers: Findings from the Human Connectome Project

Abstract

Background. Previous neuroimaging studies examining relations between alcohol misuse and cortical thickness have revealed that increased drinking quantity and alcohol use disorder severity are associated with thinner cortex. Although conflicting regional effects are often observed, associations are generally localized to frontal regions (e.g., dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), and anterior cingulate cortex), with parietal and temporal cortex also implicated in some studies. Inconsistent findings may be attributed to methodological differences, modest sample sizes, and limited consideration of sex differences.Method. This study examined neuroanatomical correlates of drinking quantity and heavy episodic drinking in a large sample of young adults (N=706; M age = 28.8; 51% female) using magnetic resonance imaging data from the Human Connectome Project (HCP). Results.Hierarchical linear regression models (controlling for age, sex, education, income, smoking, drug use, twin status, and intracranial volume) revealed significant inverse associations between drinks/week and frequency of heavy drinking and cortical thickness in a majority of regions examined. The largest effect sizes were found for frontal regions (i.e., DLPFC, IFG, and the precentral gyrus). Follow-up regression models revealed that the left DLPFC was uniquely associated with both drinking variables. Sex differences were also observed, with significant effects largely specific to men. Conclusions. This study adds to the understanding of brain correlates of alcohol use in a large, gender-balanced sample of young adults who exhibit a range of drinking levels. Although the cross-sectional methodology used in the present study preclude causal inferences, these findings provide a foundation for rigorous hypothesis testing in future longitudinal investigations.

Differing effects of alcohol use on epigenetic and brain age in adult children of alcoholic parents

“…Additionally, previous research has shown increased ventral striatal volume in binge drinkers (common amongst college students) compared to healthy controls but decreased volume in individuals with AUD (Howell et al, 2013). Other reported changes include reduced prefrontal gray matter volume, (Luciana et al, 2013, Yang et al, 2016, Meda et al, 2017 and greater than expected decreases in cortical thickness in adolescents and young adults using alcohol (Luciana et al, 2013, Pennington et al, 2015, Morris et al, 2019, indicating alterations in natural developmental changes that occur in adolescence and young adulthood in those who consume alcohol. Finally, significantly smaller amygdala volume has been seen in alcohol-naïve individuals with a parent who developed AUD by age twenty-five with at least two more first-degree relatives with AUD (Benegal et al, 2007).…”

Sex/gender differences in brain function and structure in alcohol use: A narrative review of neuroimaging findings over the last 10 years

“…In young adults, associations between reduced cortical thickness in frontal regions (e.g., dlPFC, ACC, orbitofrontal cortex [OFC]) and drinking were driven by men; an effect not observed in women (Morris et al, 2019). In a longitudinal cohort study of over 30 years, moderate-to-high alcohol consumption was also associated with greater hippocampal shrinkage in men compared to women (Topiwala et al, 2017).…”