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Published in: Journal of Neurology 11/2020

Open Access 01-11-2020 | Dementia | Original Communication

Midlife alcohol consumption and longitudinal brain atrophy: the PREVENT-Dementia study

Authors: Michael J. Firbank, John T. O’Brien, Karen Ritchie, Katie Wells, Guy Williams, Li Su, Craig W. Ritchie

Published in: Journal of Neurology | Issue 11/2020

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Abstract

Background and aims

Consensus is lacking on whether light to moderate consumption of alcohol compared to abstinence is neuroprotective. In this study, we investigated the relationship between self-reported alcohol use and brain volume change over 2 years in middle-aged subjects.

Methods

A sample of 162 subjects (aged 40–59 at baseline) from the PREVENT-Dementia programme underwent MRI scans on two separate occasions (mean interval 734 days; SD 42 days). We measured longitudinal rates of brain atrophy using the FSL Siena toolbox, and change in hippocampal volume from segmentation in SPM.

Results

Controlling for age and sex, there were no significant associations of either total brain, ventricular, or hippocampal volume change with alcohol consumption. Adjusting for lifestyle, demographic and vascular risk factors did not alter this.

Conclusions

We did not find any evidence of influence of alcohol consumption on changes in brain volume over a 2-year period in 40–60-year-olds.
Literature
Metadata
Title
Midlife alcohol consumption and longitudinal brain atrophy: the PREVENT-Dementia study
Authors
Michael J. Firbank
John T. O’Brien
Karen Ritchie
Katie Wells
Guy Williams
Li Su
Craig W. Ritchie
Publication date
01-11-2020
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Keywords
Dementia
Dementia
Published in
Journal of Neurology / Issue 11/2020
Print ISSN: 0340-5354
Electronic ISSN: 1432-1459
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00415-020-10000-8

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