Citation

Beresford T, Arciniegas D, Rojas D, Sheeder J, Teale P, Aasal R, Sandberg E, Reite M. J. Stud. Alcohol 1999; 60(5): 586-588.

Affiliation

Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Denver, USA.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1999, Rutgers Center of Alcohol Studies)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

10487726

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Studies to date provide conflicting views of the relationship between corticosteroids and decreased hippocampal volume in alcoholism. If this were mediated through the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, enlarged pituitary volumes relative to hippocampal volumes might be expected and be measurable using the hippocampus to pituitary volume (H:P) ratio. METHOD: Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), we performed volumetric analysis of the pituitary and hippocampus on 10 subjects with alcohol dependence (AD) and on 10 normal control subjects. RESULTS: Compared to normal controls, AD subjects demonstrated a trend towards decreased hippocampal volume (p < .06) and increased pituitary volume (p < .07). More importantly, H:P ratios were significantly smaller in AD subjects (p < .01). This observation persisted even when covaried for age. CONCLUSIONS: Reduced H:P ratio fits the hypothesis that ethanol stimulates pituitary corticotrophs resulting in elevated corticosteroid levels and possible injury to the hippocampus. If replicated, reduced H:P ratio may serve as a clinical measure of reciprocal neuroendocrine changes in chronic heavy ethanol use.

Language: en