Cerebellar Morphometry and Cognition in the Context of Chronic Alcohol Consumption and Cigarette Smoking

Abstract

Background: Cerebellar atrophy (especially involving the superior-anterior cerebellar vermis) is among the most salient and clinically significant effects of chronic hazardous alcohol consumption on brain structure. Smaller cerebellar volumes are also associated with chronic cigarette smoking. The present study investigated effects of both chronic alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking on cerebellar structure and its relation to performance on select cognitive/behavioral tasks. Methods: Using T1-weighted Magnetic Resonance Images (MRIs), the Cerebellar Analysis Tool Kit segmented the cerebellum into bilateral hemispheres and 3 vermis parcels from 4 participant groups: smoking (s) and nonsmoking (ns) abstinent alcohol-dependent treatment seekers (ALC) and controls (CON) (i.e., sALC, nsALC, sCON, and nsCON). Cognitive and behavioral data were also obtained. Results: We found detrimental effects of chronic drinking on all cerebellar structural measures in ALC participants, with largest reductions seen in vermis areas. Furthermore, both smoking groups had smaller volumes of cerebellar hemispheres but not vermis areas compared to their nonsmoking counterparts. In exploratory analyses, smaller cerebellar volumes were related to lower measures of intelligence. In sCON, but not sALC, greater smoking severity was related to smaller cerebellar volume and smaller superior-anterior vermis area. In sALC, greater abstinence duration was associated with larger cerebellar and superior-anterior vermis areas, suggesting some recovery with abstinence. Conclusions: Our results show that both smoking and alcohol status are associated with smaller cerebellar structural measurements, with vermal areas more vulnerable to chronic alcohol consumption and less affected by chronic smoking. These morphometric cerebellar deficits were also associated with lower intelligence and related to duration of abstinence in sALC only.

Long‐term associations of cigarette smoking in early mid‐life with predicted brain aging from mid‐ to late life

“…Smoking and alcohol consumption are presumed to affect brain health through multiple pathways involving cardiovascular risk and neurotoxic effects [11,57–60]. In addition, smoking and alcohol consumption in early mid‐life could increase risk for dementia through their effects on brain aging [27].…”

“…A UK Biobank study comprising approximately 20 000 participants reported smaller total gray matter volume in long‐term smokers [10]. Smokers seeking treatment for tobacco use have shown smaller cerebellar volumes relative to non‐smokers [11]. Associations between smoking, the entorhinal cortex, fusiform gyrus and inferior temporal lobe provide additional evidence of links between smoking behaviors and pathological brain aging [6].…”

Associations between Early Midlife Lifestyle Behaviors, Young Adult Cognitive Reserve and Advanced Predicted Brain Age in Late Midlife

“…18 In the much younger VETSA sample, participants with non-amnestic MCI had older-than-predicted brains than either the amnestic MCI or cognitively normal groups. Favorable lifestyle behaviors such as not smoking or low alcohol consumption are presumed to contribute to global brain integrity and cognitive health through multiple pathways involving cardiovascular risk and neurotoxic effects [48][49][50][51][52] . Mechanisms behind social integration's benefits are less clear.…”

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

“…smaller reward system and cerebellar volume compared to women with AUD(Sawyer et al, 2016;Sullivan, Rohlfing, & Pfefferbaum, 2010), although, SG findings are mixed and likely due to the inclusion of a disproportionate sample of men compared to women(Cardenas, Hough, Durazzo, & Meyerhoff, 2020).Conversely, smaller brain volumes in women drinkers or in women with AUD compared to same-sex controls or men with AUD have also been demonstrated. For example, women with AUD exhibited a larger decrease in cortical thickness when compared to same-sex controls (mean difference in right precentral and right postcentral gyrus = 0.402 mm and 0.358 mm, respectively) than did men with AUD compared to same-sex controls (mean difference in right insula and right medial frontal gyrus = 0.291 mm and 0.328 mm, respectively;Momenan et al, 2012).…”