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Decreased Volume of the Brain Reward System in Alcoholism
Open accessAbstract
Background Reinforcement of behavioral responses involves a complex cerebral circuit engaging specific neuronal networks that are modulated by cortical oversight systems affiliated with emotion, memory, judgment, and decision making (collectively referred to in this study as the "extended reward and oversight system" or "reward network"). We examined whether reward-network brain volumes are reduced in alcoholics and how volumes of subcomponents within this system are correlated with memory and drinking history.Methods Morphometric analysis was performed on magnetic resonance brain scans in 21 abstinent long-term chronic alcoholic men and 21 healthy control men, group-matched on age, verbal IQ, and education. We derived volumes of total brain and volumes of cortical and subcortical reward-related structures including the dorsolateral-prefrontal, orbitofrontal, cingulate cortices, and the insula, as well as the amygdala, hippocampus, nucleus accumbens septi (NAc), and ventral diencephalon.Results Morphometric analyses of reward-related regions revealed decreased total reward-network volume in alcoholic subjects. Volume reduction was most pronounced in right dorsolateral-prefrontal cortex, right anterior insula, and right NAc, as well as left amygdala. In alcoholics, NAc and anterior insula volumes increased with length of abstinence, and total reward-network and amygdala volumes correlated positively with memory scores.Conclusions The observation of decreased reward-network volume suggests that alcoholism is associated with alterations in this neural reward system. These structural reward system deficits and their correlation with memory scores elucidate underlying structural-functional relationships between alcoholism and emotional and cognitive processes.
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“Additionally, several other studies observed that lower gray matter volumes were associated with higher addictive tendencies [77,78].”
From Addictive Features of Social Media/Messenger Platforms and Freemium Games against the Background of Psychological and Economic Theories (2019) · cites this paper as [77]
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Metadata
- Authors
- Makris, N., Oscar-Berman, M., Jaffin, S. K., Hodge, S. M., Kennedy, D. N., Caviness, V. S., Marinkovic, K., Breiter, H. C., Gasic, G. P., & Harris, G. J.
- Affiliations
- Boston University (US)
- Harvard University (US)
- Massachusetts General Hospital (US)
- Venue
- Biological Psychiatry
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2008-08
- Volume
- 64
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 192-202
- ISSN
- 0006-3223 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC2572710
- OpenAlex
- W2003775449
- Cited by
- 372
- References
- 112
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 16 · 2021: 23 · 2020: 22 · 2019: 26 · 2018: 13 · 2017: 35 · 2016: 25 · 2015: 37 · 2014: 29 · 2013: 27 · 2012: 29
- FWCI
- 12.91
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Biological Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (K01AA13402, K01AA013402, R37-AA07112, K05AA00219, R01AA007112, K05AA000219, R37AA007112)
- National Institute on Drug Abuse (P20DA026002)
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (P50NS051343)
- National Center for Research Resources (P41-RR-14075, M01RR001066, P41RR014075)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Keywords
- alcoholism, brain reward system, brain atrophy, abstinence, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, anterior insula, nucleus accumbens, amygdala, memory, brain structural changes, chronic alcohol consumption
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Alcoholism, Brain, Brain Mapping, Educational Status, Humans, Image Processing, Computer-Assisted, Intelligence, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Middle Aged, Reward, Case-Control Studies
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