journal.pone.0074164.pdf (950.01 kB)
Increased ventral striatal volume in college-aged binge drinkers
journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-08, 18:01 authored by Nicholas A Howell, Yulia Worbe, Iris Lange, Roger Tait, Michael Irvine, Paula Banca, Neil Harrison, Edward T Bullmore, William D Hutchison, Valerie VoonBACKGROUND Binge drinking is a serious public health issue associated with cognitive, physiological, and anatomical differences from healthy individuals. No studies, however, have reported subcortical grey matter differences in this population. To address this, we compared the grey matter volumes of college-age binge drinkers and healthy controls, focusing on the ventral striatum, hippocampus and amygdala. METHOD T1-weighted images of 19 binge drinkers and 19 healthy volunteers were analyzed using voxel-based morphometry. Structural data were also covaried with Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) scores. Cluster-extent threshold and small volume corrections were both used to analyze imaging data. RESULTS Binge drinkers had significantly larger ventral striatal grey matter volumes compared to controls. There were no between group differences in hippocampal or amygdalar volume. Ventral striatal, amygdalar, and hippocampal volumes were also negatively related to AUDIT scores across groups. CONCLUSIONS Our findings stand in contrast to the lower ventral striatal volume previously observed in more severe forms of alcohol use disorders, suggesting that college-age binge drinkers may represent a distinct population from those groups. These findings may instead represent early sequelae, compensatory effects of repeated binge and withdrawal, or an endophenotypic risk factor.
Funding
Medical Research Council/United Kingdom
Wellcome Trust/United Kingdom
History
Publication status
- Published
File Version
- Published version
Journal
PLoS ONEISSN
1932-6203Publisher
Public Library of ScienceExternal DOI
Issue
9Volume
8Article number
e74164Department affiliated with
- BSMS Neuroscience Publications
Notes
PMCID: PMC3785474Full text available
- Yes
Peer reviewed?
- Yes
Legacy Posted Date
2014-08-05First Open Access (FOA) Date
2014-08-05First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date
2014-08-05Usage metrics
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