No in vivo human studies have examined the prevalence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) neuropathology in individuals with alcohol-use disorder (AUD), although recent research suggests that a relationship between the two exists. Therefore, this study used Pittsburgh Compound-B ([C]PiB) PET imaging to test the hypothesis that AUD is associated with greater brain amyloid (Aβ) burden in middle-aged adults compared to healthy controls. Twenty healthy participants (14M and 6F) and 19 individuals with AUD (15M and 4F), all aged 40-65 years, underwent clinical assessment, MRI, neurocognitive testing, and positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. Global [C]PiB standard uptake value ratios (SUVRs), cortical thickness, gray matter volumes (GMVs), and neurocognitive function in subjects with AUD were compared to healthy controls. These measures were selected because they are considered markers of risk for future AD and other types of neurocognitive dysfunction. The results of this study showed no significant differences in % global Aβ positivity or subthreshold Aβ loads between AUD and controls. However, relative to controls, we observed a significant 6.1% lower cortical thickness in both AD-signature regions and in regions not typically associated with AD, lower GMV in the hippocampus, and lower performance on tests of attention as well as immediate and delayed memory in individuals with AUD. This suggest that Aβ accumulation is not greater in middle-aged individuals with AUD. However, other markers of neurodegeneration, such as impaired memory, cortical thinning, and reduced hippocampal GMV, are present. Further studies are needed to elucidate the patterns and temporal staging of AUD-related pathophysiology and cognitive impairment. Imaging β-amyloid in middle age alcoholics as a mechanism that increases their risk for Alzheimer's disease; Registration Number: NCT03746366 .
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41398-021-01374-y | DOI Listing |
Am J Psychiatry
January 2025
Department of Psychiatry, NYU Langone Center for Psychedelic Medicine, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York (Pagni, Zeifman, Mennenga, Carrithers, Goldway, O'Donnell, Ross, Bogenschutz); School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe (Mennenga); Department of Psychology, New York University, New York (Goldway); Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque (Bhatt).
Objective: Evidence suggests that psilocybin-assisted therapy (PAT) leads to durable shifts in personality structure. However, such changes have yet to be characterized in disorders of addiction. In this secondary analysis from a randomized controlled trial, the authors examined the effect of PAT on personality dimensions in patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD), hypothesizing that PAT would attenuate personality abnormalities in AUD and that reductions in trait impulsiveness would be associated with lower drinking.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBrain Behav
January 2025
Rehabilitation Psychology, Health Science Center, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, USA.
Introduction: This extensive literature review investigates the relationship between post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD), focusing on the neurobiological changes associated with their co-occurrence. Given that these disorders frequently coexist, we analyze mechanisms through which alcohol serves as a coping strategy for PTSD symptoms, particularly highlighting the drinking-to-cope self-medication model, which suggests that alcohol use exacerbates PTSD symptoms and complicates recovery.
Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted across multiple databases, including PubMed and Google Scholar, to identify studies examining the intersection of the biopsychosocial model with PTSD, AUD, and associated neural alterations.
JMIR Form Res
December 2024
Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States.
Background: Anxiety disorders are common in alcohol use disorder (AUD) treatment patients. Such co-occurring conditions ("comorbidity") have negative prognostic implications for AUD treatment outcomes, yet they commonly go unaddressed in standard AUD care. Over a decade ago, we developed and validated a cognitive behavioral therapy intervention to supplement standard AUD care that, when delivered by trained therapists, improves outcomes in comorbid patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFront Psychiatry
December 2024
Office of the Clinical Director, DICBR, NIAAA, Bethesda, MD, United States.
Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic may have interfered with individuals' access to alcohol use disorder (AUD) treatment, but limited research has documented the impact of treatment interference on drinking behavior. This study's purpose was to examine the associations of AUD treatment interference with problematic alcohol use, and the moderating roles of perceived stress and resilience.
Method: A cross-sectional survey design was employed.
Sci Rep
December 2024
Department of Neurologic Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA.
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a chronic relapsing brain disorder characterized by an impaired ability to stop or control alcohol consumption despite adverse social, occupational, or health consequences. AUD affects nearly one-third of adults at some point during their lives, with an associated cost of approximately $249 billion annually in the U.S.
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