TY - JOUR
T1 - Brain activation elicited by affectively positive stimuli is associated with a lower risk of relapse in detoxified alcoholic subjects
AU - Heinz, Andreas
AU - Wrase, Jana
AU - Kahnt, Thorsten
AU - Beck, Anne
AU - Bromand, Zohra
AU - Grüsser, Sabine M.
AU - Kienast, Thorsten
AU - Smolka, Michael N.
AU - Flor, Herta
AU - Mann, Karl
PY - 2007/7/1
Y1 - 2007/7/1
N2 - Background: Stimuli that are regularly associated with alcohol intake (AI) may acquire incentive salience, while other reinforcers can be devalued. We assessed whether brain activation elicited by (1) alcohol associated, (2) affectively positive, and (3) negative versus neutral stimuli is associated with the subsequent risk of relapse. Methods: Twelve detoxified alcoholic subjects (6 women and 6 men) and 12 age-matched and gender-matched healthy control subjects were assessed with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and a fast single-event paradigm using standardized affective and alcohol-associated pictures. Patients were followed for 6 months and AI was recorded. Results: In alcoholic subjects, compared with healthy control subjects, (1) alcohol-related versus neutral visual stimuli elicited increased activation in the prefrontal (PFC; BA 6 and 10) and cingulate cortex (BA 23 and 24), precuneus and adjacent parietal cortex; (2) positive versus neutral stimuli elicited increased activation in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC; BA 24), PFC (BA 10), ventral striatum and thalamus; and (3) negative versus neutral stimuli elicited increased activation in the PFC (BA 10). Seven alcoholic subjects relapsed. Within the follow-up period of 6 months, the number of subsequent drinking days (DD) and the amount of AI were inversely correlated with brain activation elicited by positive versus neutral stimuli in the thalamus (DD: r=-0.63, p=0.03; AI: r=-0.63, p=0.03) and in the ventral striatum (DD: r=-0.60, p=0.04; AI: r=-0.48, p=0.11). Conclusions: In this study, brain activation elicited by briefly presented alcohol-associated stimuli was not associated with the prospective risk of relapse. Unexpectedly, alcoholic subjects displayed increased limbic brain activation during the presentation of affectively positive but not negative stimuli, which may reflect a protective factor in detoxified alcoholic subjects.
AB - Background: Stimuli that are regularly associated with alcohol intake (AI) may acquire incentive salience, while other reinforcers can be devalued. We assessed whether brain activation elicited by (1) alcohol associated, (2) affectively positive, and (3) negative versus neutral stimuli is associated with the subsequent risk of relapse. Methods: Twelve detoxified alcoholic subjects (6 women and 6 men) and 12 age-matched and gender-matched healthy control subjects were assessed with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and a fast single-event paradigm using standardized affective and alcohol-associated pictures. Patients were followed for 6 months and AI was recorded. Results: In alcoholic subjects, compared with healthy control subjects, (1) alcohol-related versus neutral visual stimuli elicited increased activation in the prefrontal (PFC; BA 6 and 10) and cingulate cortex (BA 23 and 24), precuneus and adjacent parietal cortex; (2) positive versus neutral stimuli elicited increased activation in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC; BA 24), PFC (BA 10), ventral striatum and thalamus; and (3) negative versus neutral stimuli elicited increased activation in the PFC (BA 10). Seven alcoholic subjects relapsed. Within the follow-up period of 6 months, the number of subsequent drinking days (DD) and the amount of AI were inversely correlated with brain activation elicited by positive versus neutral stimuli in the thalamus (DD: r=-0.63, p=0.03; AI: r=-0.63, p=0.03) and in the ventral striatum (DD: r=-0.60, p=0.04; AI: r=-0.48, p=0.11). Conclusions: In this study, brain activation elicited by briefly presented alcohol-associated stimuli was not associated with the prospective risk of relapse. Unexpectedly, alcoholic subjects displayed increased limbic brain activation during the presentation of affectively positive but not negative stimuli, which may reflect a protective factor in detoxified alcoholic subjects.
KW - Alcoholism
KW - International Affective Picture System
KW - Positive and Negative Emotion
KW - Relapse Risk
KW - fMRI
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=34250614220&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=34250614220&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2007.00406.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2007.00406.x
M3 - Article
C2 - 17488322
AN - SCOPUS:34250614220
SN - 0145-6008
VL - 31
SP - 1138
EP - 1147
JO - Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research
JF - Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research
IS - 7
ER -
