Problem drinking alters gray matter volume and food cue responses of the lateral orbitofrontal cortex. (20th November 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Le, Thang M.; Zhornitsky, Simon; Wang, Wuyi; Zhang, Sheng; Li, Chiang‐Shan R.
• Is Part Of: Addiction biology. Volume 26:Number 1(2021)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2019-11-20
• Subjects: alcohol misuse -- food cue processing -- food intake -- functional connectivity -- gray matter volume -- lateral orbitofrontal cortex; Substance abuse -- Periodicals; Substance abuse -- Physiological aspects -- Periodicals; Substance-Related Disorders -- periodicals; 616.86
• DOI: 10.1111/adb.12857
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1355-6215

Abstract

Abstract: Alcohol misuse is associated with significant energy deficits. As feeding involves multiple sensory, cognitive, and affective processes, low food intake in problem drinkers likely reflects alterations in both regional and inter‐regional responses. To investigate the effects of problem drinking on feeding‐related neural activities and connectivities, we examined functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data in 82 drinkers who viewed palatable food and nonfood images in alternating blocks. Drinking severity was assessed with the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). A whole‐brain multiple regression with AUDIT scores as the predictor showed a negative correlation between drinking severity and activation to food vs nonfood cues in the lateral orbitofrontal cortex (lOFC). AUDIT scores were also negatively correlated with the gray matter volume (GMV) of the lOFC and regions that responded preferentially to food stimuli, including the left middle frontal gyrus, bilateral middle insula, and occipital cortices. Connectivity strength between the lOFC and these regions was negatively modulated by drinking severity. In contrast, there was no relationship between AUDIT scores and lOFC connectivity with regions that did not show either selectivity to food images or GMV loss. A mediation analysis further suggested that alcohol misuse may have compromised lOFC's structural integrity, which in turn disrupted lOFC interactions with regions that support the processing of visual food cues. Overall, the findings provide evidence for the effects of problem drinking on the brain substrates of feeding, potentially shedding light on the neural mechanisms underlying energy deficits in at‐risk drinkers. Abstract : Individuals with drinking problem showed reduced lateral orbitofrontal cortex (lOFC) activity and connectivity during food cue processing. The latter reduction was related to alcohol‐induced gray matter volume loss of the lOFC and regions with preferential response to food stimuli. In contrast, lOFC connectivity with non‐food ‐related regions showed no relationship with drinking problem. Thus, alcohol misuse impairs structural integrity of the lOFC and other food‐sensitive regions, disrupting the neural mechanism for food intake, likely contributing to energy deficit in drinkers.