Frontiers in Psychiatry (Nov 2018)

Lower Choline Rate in the Left Prefrontal Cortex Is Associated With Higher Amount of Alcohol Use in Alcohol Use Disorder

  • Rodrigo Stênio Moll de Souza,
  • Rodrigo Stênio Moll de Souza,
  • Rodrigo Stênio Moll de Souza,
  • Rodrigo Stênio Moll de Souza,
  • Marcos Rosa,
  • Thaísa Malbar Rodrigues,
  • Thayssa Dalla Costa Escobar,
  • Thayssa Dalla Costa Escobar,
  • Emerson Leandro Gasparetto,
  • Ester Miyuki Nakamura-Palacios,
  • Ester Miyuki Nakamura-Palacios

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00563
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 9

Abstract

Read online

Excessive and long-term alcohol consumption produce metabolic changes, such as of choline, in many brain regions in alcohol use disorder (AUD) and in non-AUD subjects as well. This study examined the association of choline proportion in the prefrontal cortex with pattern of alcohol use in AUD patients. The choline metabolite was acquired through a single voxel Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (1H MRS). Between-groups comparison corrected by age showed that the ratio of Choline/Creatine (Cho/Cr) was significantly smaller (p = 0.005) in the Left Prefrontal (LPF) of AUD patients when compared to paired non-AUD subjects. A multiple regression analysis corrected by age showed that decreasing ratios of Cho/Cr in the LPF was associated with increasing amount of alcohol consumption in drinks per day (p < 0.01) in AUD patients. Rates of Cho/Cr in the LPF was inversely related to amounts of alcohol consumption possibly indicating the severity of the AUD. Thus, low proportion of Cho/Cr in the LPF could indicate more severe AUD (higher alcohol intake).

Keywords