BACKGROUND: Neuroimaging studies showed clear evidence of alcoholism-related damage to the frontal lobes and cerebellum. Although these regions have been involved in language processing, language skills are relatively spared in alcoholics. Here, we aimed at identifying neural substrates associated with the preserved mechanisms of language processing in alcoholics. We hypothesized that alcoholics would show a different pattern of neural activity compared with the controls. METHODS: Alcoholic and nonalcoholic subjects performed an auditory language task while receiving a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scan in a 1.5 T magnet. This task has been previously shown to solicit the comprehension processing in healthy controls, with reliable fMRI response in the left frontal and temporal/parietal lobes. RESULTS: Behavioral results showed comparable performance (error rates, response time) between the alcoholics and the matched controls. However, analysis of the functional data revealed that the alcoholics exhibited greater fMRI response in the left middle frontal gyrus (pars triangularis), the right superior frontal gyrus, and the cerebellar vermis relative to the controls. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that frontocerebellar neural activity, supporting the comprehension processing of the auditory language task, may require compensatory mechanisms in alcoholics in order to maintain the same level of performance as the controls.
BACKGROUND: Neuroimaging studies showed clear evidence of alcoholism-related damage to the frontal lobes and cerebellum. Although these regions have been involved in language processing, language skills are relatively spared in alcoholics. Here, we aimed at identifying neural substrates associated with the preserved mechanisms of language processing in alcoholics. We hypothesized that alcoholics would show a different pattern of neural activity compared with the controls. METHODS: Alcoholic and nonalcoholic subjects performed an auditory language task while receiving a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scan in a 1.5 T magnet. This task has been previously shown to solicit the comprehension processing in healthy controls, with reliable fMRI response in the left frontal and temporal/parietal lobes. RESULTS: Behavioral results showed comparable performance (error rates, response time) between the alcoholics and the matched controls. However, analysis of the functional data revealed that the alcoholics exhibited greater fMRI response in the left middle frontal gyrus (pars triangularis), the right superior frontal gyrus, and the cerebellar vermis relative to the controls. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that frontocerebellar neural activity, supporting the comprehension processing of the auditory language task, may require compensatory mechanisms in alcoholics in order to maintain the same level of performance as the controls.
Authors: Jodi M Gilman; Ashley R Smith; James M Bjork; Vijay A Ramchandani; Reza Momenan; Daniel W Hommer Journal: Addict Biol Date: 2014-04-23 Impact factor: 4.280
Authors: Mayra L Padilla; Ian M Colrain; Edith V Sullivan; Benjamin Z Mayer; Sharon R Turlington; Lindsay R Hoffman; Amanda E Wagstaff; Adolf Pfefferbaum Journal: Psychopharmacology (Berl) Date: 2010-10-13 Impact factor: 4.530
Authors: Dominic T Cheng; Laura C Rice; Mary E McCaul; Jessica J Rilee; Monica L Faulkner; Yi-Shin Sheu; Joanna R Mathena; John E Desmond Journal: Alcohol Clin Exp Res Date: 2020-02-16 Impact factor: 3.928