Alcohol-induced damage to the fimbria/fornix reduces hippocampal-prefrontal cortex connection during early abstinence.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Alcohol dependence is characterized by a gradual reduction in cognitive control and inflexibility to contingency changes. The neuroadaptations underlying this aberrant behavior are poorly understood. Using an animal model of alcohol use disorders (AUD) and complementing diffusion-weighted (dw)-MRI with quantitative immunohistochemistry and electrophysiological recordings, we provide causal evidence that chronic intermittent alcohol exposure affects the microstructural integrity of the fimbria/fornix, decreasing myelin basic protein content, and reducing the effective communication from the hippocampus (HC) to the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Using a simple quantitative neural network model, we show how disturbed HC-PFC communication may impede the extinction of maladaptive

SUBMITTER: Perez-Cervera L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10286362 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature