Cognitive dysfunction and cerebral volumetric deficits in individuals with Alzheimer's disease, alcohol use disorder, and dual diagnosis. (30th November 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zhornitsky, Simon; Chaudhary, Shefali; Le, Thang M.; Chen, Yu; Zhang, Sheng; Potvin, Stéphane; Chao, Herta H.; van Dyck, Christopher H.; Li, Chiang-shan R.
• Is Part Of: Psychiatry research. Volume 317(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-11-30
• Subjects: Psychiatry -- Periodicals; Brain -- Imaging -- Periodicals; Psychiatry -- Periodicals; Diagnostic Imaging -- Periodicals; Psychiatrie -- Périodiques; Cerveau -- Imagerie pour le diagnostic -- Périodiques; 616.890754
• DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2021.111380
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0925-4927

Abstract

Highlights: A dual diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease and alcohol use disorder is associated with higher dementia severity than with either disorder alone. Subjects with Alzheimer's disease had lower regional GMV in the inferior / superior parietal cortex, hippocampal formation, occipital cortex, inferior frontal gyrus, posterior cingulate cortex, and isthmus cingulate cortex than subjects without Alzheimer's disease. Subjects with alcohol use disorders had lower regional GMV in the somatomotor cortex, and showed a trend towards lower volume in the hippocampal formation than subjects without alcohol use disorders. Abstract: Epidemiological surveys suggest that excessive drinking is associated with higher risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The present study utilized data from the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center to examine cognition as well as gray/white matter and ventricular volumes among participants with AD and alcohol use disorder (AD/AUD, n = 52), AD only ( n = 701), AUD only ( n = 67), and controls ( n = 1283). AUD diagnosis was associated with higher Clinical Dementia Rating Scale Sum of Boxes (CDR-SB) in AD than in non-AD. AD performed worse on semantic fluency and Trail Making Test A + B (TMT A + B ) and showed smaller total GMV, WMV, and larger ventricular volume than non-AD. AD had smaller regional GMV in the inferior/superior parietal cortex, hippocampal formation, occipital cortex, inferior frontal gyrus, posterior cingulate cortex, and isthmus cingulate cortex than non-AD. AUD had significantly smaller somatomotor cortical GMV and showed a trend towards smaller volume in the hippocampal formation, relative to non-AUD participants. Misuse of alcohol has an additive effect on dementia severity among AD participants. Smaller hippocampal volume is a common feature of both AD and AUD. Although AD is associated with more volumetric deficits overall, AD and AUD are associated with atrophy in largely distinct brain regions.