Alcohol and Alcoholism Advance Access originally published online on January 31, 2008
Alcohol and Alcoholism 2008 43(3):296-299; doi:10.1093/alcalc/agn002
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Hippocampal volume loss in patients with alcoholism is influenced by the consumed type of alcoholic beverage
1 Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany
2 Department of Psychiatry, University of Göttingen, Germany
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed at: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Schwabachanlage 6, D-91054 Erlangen, Germany. Tel.: +49 9131 8533001; Fax: +49 9131 8534105; E-mail: julia.wilhelm{at}uk-erlangen.de
Received 25 July 2007; in revised form 20 August 2007; in revised form 11 October 2007; accepted 18 December 2007
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Abstract |
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Aims: The individual extent of structural brain tissue changes in patients with alcohol dependence is influenced by genetic factors, gender, age and possibly a dose/duration-effect. Aim of the present study was to investigate different types of alcoholic beverages with regard to hippocampal volume loss in patients suffering from alcoholism. Methods: We included 52 patients with alcohol dependence and divided them according to their preferred type of beverage consumption (beer, wine, and spirits). Hippocampal volumes were determined using volumetric high-resolution MR imaging. Results: There was a significant difference in hippocampal volumes between patients consuming different beverages (ANOVA: F = 7.454; df = 2; P = 0.0015) with the smallest volumes in the wine group, followed by the spirits group. Furthermore, patients with a preferred spirits consumption showed significantly higher plasma homocysteine levels (ANOVA: F = 3.39; df = 2; P = 0.042). Linear regression analyses revealed an association of homocysteine and hippocampal volume only in the group of patients preferring spirits (R2 = 0.364; P = 0.008). Conclusions: Homocysteine-mediated excitotoxicity may be an important pathophysiological mechanism in ethanol-related brain damage, particularly in patients consuming wine and spirits. The extent of brain atrophy in beer consuming patients seems to be more moderate.