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BMC Psychiatry
Published in: BMC Psychiatry 1/2019

Open Access 01-12-2019 | Research article

Selective micro-structural integrity impairment of the isthmus subregion of the corpus callosum in alcohol-dependent males

Authors: Yajun Wang, Xiaohu Li, Cun Zhang, Haibao Wang, Zipeng Li, Jiajia Zhu, Yongqiang Yu

Published in: BMC Psychiatry | Issue 1/2019

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Abstract

Background

Previous studies have provided evidence that alcohol-dependent patients have abnormality in corpus callosum (CC); however, it is unclear whether micro-structural integrity of the CC subregions is differentially affected in this disorder.

Methods

In this study, a total of 39 male individuals, including 19 alcohol-dependent patients and 20 age-matched healthy controls, underwent diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). CC was reconstructed by DTI tractography and was divided into seven subregions. Multiple diffusion metrics of each subregion were compared between two groups.

Results

Compared to healthy controls, patients exhibited increased axial diffusivity (P = 0.007), radial diffusivity (P = 0.009) and mean diffusivity (P = 0.005) in the isthmus. In addition, we observed that daily alcohol intake was correlated positively with radial diffusivity and mean diffusivity and negatively with fractional anisotropy, while abstinence time of hospitalization was negatively correlated with mean diffusivity in the patients.

Conclusion

These findings suggest a selective micro-structural integrity impairment of the corpus callosum subregions in alcohol dependence, characterized by axon and myelin alterations in the isthmus.
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Metadata
Title
Selective micro-structural integrity impairment of the isthmus subregion of the corpus callosum in alcohol-dependent males
Authors
Yajun Wang
Xiaohu Li
Cun Zhang
Haibao Wang
Zipeng Li
Jiajia Zhu
Yongqiang Yu
Publication date
01-12-2019
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Psychiatry / Issue 1/2019
Electronic ISSN: 1471-244X
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-019-2079-6

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