Neural mechanisms underlying cognitive changes in individuals with alcohol use disorder: insights from resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging.

BACKGROUND

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is associated with cognitive impairment and disruptions in brain function. This study aimed to investigate the neural mechanisms underlying these cognitive changes. This study employed multiple analytical approaches to analyze resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (RS-fMRI) data.

METHODS

In total, 30 individuals with AUD and 29 healthy control (HC) individuals were enrolled in the study. All the participants completed the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and underwent RS-fMRI scans. Neural activity was assessed using the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) method, and a seed-based functional connectivity (FC) analysis was then conducted to examine network interactions.

RESULTS

Compared to the HC group, the AUD group had significantly lower total MoCA scores, particularly in terms of visuospatial/executive function, attention, and orientation (P<0.05). In the AUD group, there was a significant increase in ALFF in the right inferior frontal gyrus and bilateral parahippocampal gyrus, and a significant decrease in ALFF in the right middle frontal gyrus (P<0.05). A positive correlation was found between the ALFF values and total MoCA scores in the right inferior frontal gyrus of the AUD group (P<0.05). Additionally, there was enhanced self-interactive FC between the medial and lateral regions of the right inferior frontal gyrus (different subregions within the same brain area), and a positive correlation between the FC values and attention scores in the group (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The AUD patients demonstrated significant resting-state functional alterations across multiple brain regions, and dysregulation in the right inferior frontal gyrus emerged as a potential neural substrate for their cognitive deficits.