Rodrigo Stenio Moll De Souza MD,MBA, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Ester Miyuki Nakamura Palacios MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Maria da Penha Zago Gomes MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Adriana Maria Fonseca de Melo MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Flavia Silva Braga MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Emerson L. Gasparetto MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Tadeu Takao Almodovar Kubo MSc, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Impairments of executive functions are observed in alcoholics with preserved global cognitive function. This study aimed to correlate frontal function and global cognitive state with structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) performed in alcoholics from an outpatient service.

The Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) and the Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE) were given to 60 alcoholic patients that underwent to brain MRI. Alcoholic brain structures were visualized and analyzed by FreeSurfer and compared to 27 non-alcoholic controls matched for age and gender from a database provided by different outpatient services.

Subjects were majority male (78.8%), aging 47.2±10.4 years, with a history of long-term (13 to 63 years) of heavy alcohol use. Control group was also majority male (66.7%) aging 46.3±10.6. Student t-tests for independent samples showed that the total intracortical volume, volume of right hippocampus and bilateral frontal surface were significantly smaller, whereas bilateral frontal thickness and the proportion to total intracerebral volume of right and left hippocampal and amygdala volumes showed to be larger in alcoholics when compared to control group. Alcoholics showed low overall FAB scores (mean score of 11.1±3.2 having 18 as maximum score) but quite preserved MMSE (74.6% subjects showed normal scores for age and years of education). Linear regressions showed that in alcoholics FAB scores were positively correlated with intracortical volume and with bilateral frontal cortical surface and frontal grey matter volume, whereas MMSE scores were positively correlated only with bilateral hippocampal structures.

Alcoholics showed global cortical and frontal structural reduction with no substantial structural changes of hippocampus and amygdala. These differences of chronic alcohol effects on brain structures are consistent with impaired frontal function and the quite preserved global cognitive function, respectively. In addition, FAB scores seem to be useful as clinical tool to predict frontal structural changes whereas MMSE would predict for hippocampal changes.

Correlate frontal function and global cognitive state with structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in alcoholics.

Souza, R, Palacios, E, Gomes, M, Melo, A, Braga, F, Gasparetto, E, Kubo, T, Correlation of Brain Structural MRI with Frontal and Global Cognitive Functions in Alcoholics.  Radiological Society of North America 2012 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, November 25 - November 30, 2012 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2012/12026464.html