White Matter Differences in Early‐Stage Alcohol Use Disorder: Diffusion Tensor and Neurite Orientation Dispersion and Density Measures of Structural Integrity

• Published in: Addiction biology Vol. 30; no. 3; pp. e70019 - n/a
• Main Authors: Baker, Sunderland K., Claus, Eric D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.03.2025; John Wiley and Sons Inc
• Subjects: Adult; Alcohol use; alcohol use disorder; Alcoholism - diagnostic imaging; Alcoholism - pathology; Anisotropy; Axon guidance; connectivity; Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging; diffusion tensor; Diffusion Tensor Imaging; Female; Humans; Immune system; Male; Neurites - pathology; Original; Substantia alba; tract‐based spatial statistics; white matter; White Matter - diagnostic imaging; White Matter - pathology; Young Adult; Young adults; alcohol use disorder; white matter; young adult; connectivity; tract‐based spatial statistics; diffusion tensor
• ISSN: 1355-6215; 1369-1600; 1369-1600
• DOI: 10.1111/adb.70019

ABSTRACT Background. Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is prevalent during young adulthood, and this risk may be linked to aberrations in neurodevelopmental processes. Prior studies examining white matter (WM) integrity in young adult individuals with AUD have shown considerable variability. This is due in part because traditional tensor related metrics such as fractional anisotropy are subject to limitations in estimation precision at sites of crossing or curving fibres. In response, to better understand differences in WM integrity of young adults with AUD, this study sought to uniquely employ two WM integrity measurement domains. Methods. Twenty‐five participants (n = 14 female) diagnosed with AUD and 33 social drinkers (n = 19 female) underwent structural and diffusion‐weighted imaging. Diffusion‐weighted images were processed to extract diffusion tensor (DTI) and neurite orientation dispersion and density (NODDI) metrics in major WM tracts for comparison between the two groups. Results. We identified decreased axial diffusivity in portions of frontolimbic and corticostriatal WM tracts, and increased orientation dispersion at overlapping tracts in participants with AUD relative to social drinkers. Conclusions. These results may represent early‐stage neural immune system activation and axonal reorganization targeting frontolimbic and corticostriatal WM tracts, therein associated with behaviours linked to AUD. This is the first study combining DTI and NODDI metrics to identify early‐stage indicators of alcohol‐related neurobiological pathology in young adults with AUD compared to social drinkers. Young adulthood is marked by vulnerability to alcohol use disorder (AUD), but effects on white matter (WM) integrity are variable due to limitations in estimation precision of measures and other methodological variation. This study used diffusion tensors and neurite orientation dispersion and density metrics, finding decreased diffusivity and increased orientation dispersion in major WM tracts among individuals with AUD relative to social drinkers at cortico‐striatal and frontolimbic regions. These neurobiological aberrations are strongly associated with behaviours linked to AUD.