Elevated myo‐Inositol in Gray Matter of Recently Detoxified but Not Long‐Term Abstinent Alcoholics: A Preliminary MR Spectroscopy Study
BC Schweinsburg, MJ Taylor, JS Videen… - Alcoholism: Clinical …, 2000 - Wiley Online Library
BC Schweinsburg, MJ Taylor, JS Videen, OM Alhassoon, TL Patterson, I Grant
Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, 2000•Wiley Online LibraryBackground: Individuals in short‐term abstinence from chronic alcohol consumption
commonly have neuropsychological impairments with parallel abnormalities in brain
structure. Stable, long‐term sobriety often results in improvements in both brain structure
and function, although the mechanisms underlying these changes are currently not well
understood. Methods: To investigate further the neurobiological underpinnings of alcohol‐
associated brain abnormalities in short‐term and long‐term abstinence from alcohol, proton …
commonly have neuropsychological impairments with parallel abnormalities in brain
structure. Stable, long‐term sobriety often results in improvements in both brain structure
and function, although the mechanisms underlying these changes are currently not well
understood. Methods: To investigate further the neurobiological underpinnings of alcohol‐
associated brain abnormalities in short‐term and long‐term abstinence from alcohol, proton …
Background: Individuals in short‐term abstinence from chronic alcohol consumption commonly have neuropsychological impairments with parallel abnormalities in brain structure. Stable, long‐term sobriety often results in improvements in both brain structure and function, although the mechanisms underlying these changes are currently not well understood.
Methods: To investigate further the neurobiological underpinnings of alcohol‐associated brain abnormalities in short‐term and long‐term abstinence from alcohol, proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (echo time, 35 msec; repetition time, 1.5 sec) was used to assay metabolites in the anterior centrum semiovale, anterior cingulate gyrus, and right thalamus of two groups of non‐Korsakoff alcoholic men, at different stages of abstinence, compared with a control group of alcohol‐nonabusing men. Absolute concentrations of N‐acetylaspartate, choline, myo‐inositol, and creatine were measured in four recently detoxified alcoholics (mean age, 48.7 years; median abstinence, 41.5 days), five long‐term abstinent alcoholics (mean age, 45.1 years; median abstinence, 1.7 years), and five nonalcoholic controls (mean age, 45.0 years).
Results: Although there were no between‐group differences in concentrations of N‐acetylaspartate, choline, or creatine, recently detoxified alcoholics had significantly higher myo‐inositol in the thalamus, compared with controls and long‐term abstinent alcoholics, and significantly higher myo‐inositol in the anterior cingulate gyrus, compared with the controls.
Conclusions: Elevations in myo‐inositol in recently detoxified alcoholics are compatible with an acute alcohol cytotoxicity model. myo‐Inositol is elevated in hyperosmolar states such as hypernatremia, renal failure, and diabetes; alcohol‐induced hyperosmolarity may trigger accumulation of myo‐inositol to stabilize the intracellular environment. Increases in myo‐inositol may also reflect proliferation or activation of glia. The reduction of myo‐inositol to control group levels in long‐term abstinent alcoholics may reflect osmolar stability in abstinent alcoholics and/or a reduction in glial cell activation.