OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine the association between weekly alcohol consumption and brain atrophy in adults aged 60 to 64 years. METHODS: Brain magnetic resonance imaging scans from 385 adults recruited through a community survey were analyzed. Automated segmentation and manual tracing methods were used to obtain brain subvolumes and automated methods were used to obtain quantification and localization of white matter hyperintensities. Visual measures of cortical atrophy were obtained as were data on health and lifestyle factors. Alcohol consumption was assessed with the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. RESULTS: In men, weekly alcohol consumption had a positive linear association with ventricular volume and gray matter and a negative linear association with white matter. In women, weekly alcohol consumption had a nonlinear relationship with cerebrospinal fluid and white matter. Alcohol consumption was not associated with white matter hyperintensities, corpus callosum size, hippocampal or amygdala volumes in analyses adjusting for confounding variables. CONCLUSION: An association between alcohol consumption and brain atrophy is evident at the population level. In women, detrimental effects of alcohol on the brain appear to occur at lower levels of consumption. It remains possible that low levels of alcohol consumption have neuroprotective benefits but is clear that high levels of consumption are detrimental.
OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine the association between weekly alcohol consumption and brain atrophy in adults aged 60 to 64 years. METHODS: Brain magnetic resonance imaging scans from 385 adults recruited through a community survey were analyzed. Automated segmentation and manual tracing methods were used to obtain brain subvolumes and automated methods were used to obtain quantification and localization of white matter hyperintensities. Visual measures of cortical atrophy were obtained as were data on health and lifestyle factors. Alcohol consumption was assessed with the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. RESULTS: In men, weekly alcohol consumption had a positive linear association with ventricular volume and gray matter and a negative linear association with white matter. In women, weekly alcohol consumption had a nonlinear relationship with cerebrospinal fluid and white matter. Alcohol consumption was not associated with white matter hyperintensities, corpus callosum size, hippocampal or amygdala volumes in analyses adjusting for confounding variables. CONCLUSION: An association between alcohol consumption and brain atrophy is evident at the population level. In women, detrimental effects of alcohol on the brain appear to occur at lower levels of consumption. It remains possible that low levels of alcohol consumption have neuroprotective benefits but is clear that high levels of consumption are detrimental.
Authors: Dean Shibata; Astrid Suchy-Dicey; Cara L Carty; Tara Madhyastha; Tauqeer Ali; Lyle Best; Thomas J Grabowski; W T Longstreth; Dedra Buchwald Journal: Neuroepidemiology Date: 2019-06-04 Impact factor: 3.282
Authors: Yian Gu; Nikolaos Scarmeas; Erica Eaton Short; José A Luchsinger; Charles DeCarli; Yaakov Stern; Jennifer J Manly; Nicole Schupf; Richard Mayeux; Adam M Brickman Journal: Clin Nutr Date: 2013-08-21 Impact factor: 7.324
Authors: Manja Koch; Simona Costanzo; Annette L Fitzpatrick; Oscar L Lopez; Steven DeKosky; Lewis H Kuller; Julie Price; Rachel H Mackey; Majken K Jensen; Kenneth J Mukamal Journal: J Alzheimers Dis Date: 2020 Impact factor: 4.472
Authors: A David Smith; Stephen M Smith; Celeste A de Jager; Philippa Whitbread; Carole Johnston; Grzegorz Agacinski; Abderrahim Oulhaj; Kevin M Bradley; Robin Jacoby; Helga Refsum Journal: PLoS One Date: 2010-09-08 Impact factor: 3.240