Assessment of regional cerebral blood flow in patients with early and late onset alcohol dependence: SPECT study
Abstract
Aim: Alcohol dependence has negative effects on the structure and functionality of the brain. The age of onset of alcohol is an important parameter in the grouping of alcoholics. The aim of this study is to compare whether regional cerebral blood flow (r-CBF) values differ between early (EO) versus late onset (LO) alcoholic patients.
Methods: A total of 33 male patients with alcohol dependence as per DSM-IV criteria and 13 healthy controls were enrolled for the study. Regional measures of cortical cerebral blood flow were assessed using a high resolution Tc-99m-HMPAO single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Alcoholic subjects were divided into two groups according to onset of problematic alcohol drinking age.
Results: When three groups were compared, r-CBF differences were obtained in inferior frontal, inferior temporal, inferior left occipital and middle left frontal regions. Decreased r-CBF values were found in LO group when they compared to controls in both lower frontal and temporal regions (p<0.05). LO group showed significant reduced r-CBF values in regions of inferior frontal and temporal, inferior left occipital and middle left frontal when compared with EO.
Conclusion: Our findings revealed that, there were differences in r-CBF values in EO and LO alcoholics at early abstinence period. These findings suggest that frontal lobes have a key role in alcoholism neurobiology, as noted in previous studies. Repeating the measurements after a long-term abstinence will be useful in revealing differences among the alcoholic groups.
Keywords
References
- 1. Oscar-Berman M, Marinkovic K. Alcohol: Effects on neurobehavioral functions and the brain alcoholism and the brain: An overview. Neuropsychol Rev. 2007;17:239–57.
- 2. Soyka M, Dresel S, Horak M, Ruther T, Tatsch K. PET and SPECT findings in alcohol hallucinosis: Case report and super-brief review of the pathophysiology of this syndrome. World J.Biol.Psychiatry. 2000;1:215-18.
- 3. Demir B, Ulug B, Lay EE, Erbas B. Regional cerebral blood flow and neuropsychological functioning in early and late onset alcoholism. Psychiatry Res. 2002;115:115-25.
- 4. Suzuki Y, Oishi M, Mizutani T, Sato Y. Regional cerebral blood flow measured by the resting and vascular reserve (RVR) method in chronic alcoholics. Alcohol Clin.Exp Res. 2002;26:95-9.
- 5. Kubota M, Nakazaki S, Hirai S, Saeki N, Yamaura A, Kusaka T. Alcohol consumption and frontal lobe shrinkage: Study of 1432 non-alcoholic subjects. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2001;71:104-6.
- 6. Nicolas JM, Catafau AM, Estruch R, Lomeña FJ, Salamero M, Herranz R, et al. Regional cerebral blood flow-SPECT in chronic alcoholism: relation to neuropsychological testing. J Nucl Med. 1993;34:1452-9.
- 7. Tutus A, Kugu N, Sofuoglu S, Nardali M, Kugu N, Karaaslan F, et al. Transient frontal hypoperfusion in Tc-99m hexamethylpropyleneamineoxime single photon emission computed tomography imaging during alcohol withdrawal. Biol Psychiatry. 1998;43:923-8.
- 8. Noel X, Sferrazza R, Van Der LM, Paternot J, Verhas M, Hanak C, et al. Contribution of frontal cerebral blood flow measured by (99m) Tc-Bicisate spect and executive function deficits to predicting treatment outcome in alcohol-dependent patients. Alcohol Alcohol. 2002;37:347-54.
Details
Primary Language
English
Subjects
Internal Diseases
Journal Section
Research Article
Authors
Esin Erdoğan
*
Türkiye
Erdal Vardar
This is me
Türkiye
Gülay Durmuş Altun
This is me
Mehmet Fatih Fırat
This is me
Publication Date
September 1, 2018
Submission Date
May 2, 2018
Acceptance Date
June 26, 2018
Published in Issue
Year 2018 Volume: 2 Number: 3