In a new study by Sullivan et al,¹ cortical brain structure was examined across a 50-year adult age range in 222 individuals with alcohol dependence and an age-matched control group of 199 individuals. The authors used atlas-based, quantitative magnetic resonance imaging and criteria for substance dependence on alcohol based on the DSM-IV, which likely represents moderate to severe alcohol use disorder (AUD) in the DSM-5. Regionally selective volume deficits were observed most extensively in the lateral and medial frontal, parietal, and insular cortices, with additional deficits in temporal and cingulate regions. These effects remained in participants without comorbidity of drug dependence or hepatitis C virus infection, although there was evidence of compounded untoward effects of drug dependence and hepatitis C infection on AUD.

在Sullivan等人的一项新研究中，检查了222位酒精依赖者和199位年龄匹配的对照组在50岁成人年龄范围内的^1个皮质脑结构。作者使用基于图集的定量磁共振成像和基于DSM-IV的酒精依赖物质标准，DSM-5可能代表中度至重度酒精使用障碍（AUD）。在外侧和内侧额叶，顶叶和岛状皮质中，观察到的区域选择性容量不足最为广泛，而颞部和扣带状区域则出现额外的不足。尽管有证据表明，药物依赖和丙型肝炎感染对澳元有不利的复合影响，但这些影响仍然存在于参与者中，没有药物依赖性或丙型肝炎病毒感染的合并症。