Altered structural connectivity and functional brain dynamics in individuals with heavy alcohol use.

TitleAltered structural connectivity and functional brain dynamics in individuals with heavy alcohol use.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2023
AuthorsS Singleton P, Velidi P, Schilling L, Luppi AI, Jamison K, Parkes L, Kuceyeski A
JournalbioRxiv
Date Published2023 Nov 29
Abstract

Heavy alcohol use and its associated conditions, such as alcohol use disorder (AUD), impact millions of individuals worldwide. While our understanding of the neurobiological correlates of AUD has evolved substantially, we still lack models incorporating whole-brain neuroanatomical, functional, and pharmacological information under one framework. Here, we utilize diffusion and functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate alterations to brain dynamics in N = 130 individuals with a high amount of current alcohol use. We compared these alcohol using individuals to N = 308 individuals with minimal use of any substances. We find that individuals with heavy alcohol use had less dynamic and complex brain activity, and through leveraging network control theory, had increased control energy to complete transitions between activation states. Further, using separately acquired positron emission tomography (PET) data, we deploy an in silico evaluation demonstrating that decreased D2 receptor levels, as found previously in individuals with AUD, may relate to our observed findings. This work demonstrates that whole-brain, multimodal imaging information can be combined under a network control framework to identify and evaluate neurobiological correlates and mechanisms of AUD.

DOI10.1101/2023.11.27.568762
Alternate JournalbioRxiv
PubMed ID38077021
PubMed Central IDPMC10705230
Grant ListR00 MH127296 / MH / NIMH NIH HHS / United States
R01 DA003980 / DA / NIDA NIH HHS / United States
RF1 MH123232 / MH / NIMH NIH HHS / United States
Related Institute: 
Brain Health Imaging Institute (BHII)

Weill Cornell Medicine
Department of Radiology
525 East 68th Street New York, NY 10065