TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2013//
TI  - Family history of alcohol dependence and gray matter abnormalities in non-alcoholic adults
JO  - World journal of biological psychiatry
A1  - Sjoerds, Zsuzsika
A1  - Tol, Marie-José Van
A1  - Brink, Wim Van Den
A1  - Wee, Nic J. A. Van Der
A1  - Buchem, Mark A. Van
A1  - Aleman, Andre
A1  - Penninx, Brenda W. J. H.
A1  - Veltman, Dick J.
SP  - 565
EP  - 573
VL  - 14
IS  - 8
N2  - Objectives. Alcohol-use disorders in adolescents are associated with gray matter (GM) abnormalities suggesting neurotoxicity by alcohol. However, recently similar GM abnormalities were found in non-drinking children with a family history (FH) of alcohol dependence (AD). The question thus rises whether these abnormalities represent a transient delay in brain maturation or a persistent risk factor for developing neuropsychiatric disorders, rather than a (neurotoxic) consequence of AD. This study investigated whether a FH of AD in non-drinking adults is associated with abnormal GM-volumes similar to those observed in drinking and non-drinking adolescents with a FH of AD. Methods. GM-images were analyzed using Voxel-Based Morphometry in non-alcoholics with (FH+; N = 36) and without (FH-; N = 107) familial AD. Additionally we controlled for possible confounders: diagnosis of depression/anxiety, childhood trauma and familial depression/anxiety. Results. Smaller GM-volumes were shown in the right parahippocampal gyrus in FH+ compared with FH-. Results were unaffected by confounders. Conclusions. We demonstrated an effect of familial AD in non-alcoholic adults on GM volume in the parahippocampal gyrus, similar to drinking and non-drinking FH+ adolescents. These findings suggest that GM abnormalities in the parahippocampal gyrus represent a persistent biological susceptibility for AD or related psychopathology and not neurotoxicity of alcohol or delayed brain maturation.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 1562-2975
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/15622975.2011.640942
ID  - ref1
ER  -