Gender effects in alcohol dependence: an fMRI pilot study examining affective processing.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Alcohol dependence (AD) has global effects on brain structure and function, including frontolimbic regions regulating affective processing. Preliminary evidence suggests alcohol blunts limbic response to negative affective stimuli and increases activation to positive affective stimuli. Subtle gender differences are also evident during affective processing.

Methods

Fourteen abstinent AD individuals (8 F, 6 M) and 14 healthy controls (9 F, 5 M), ages 23 to 60, were included in this facial affective processing functional magnetic resonance imaging pilot study. Whole-brain linear regression analyses were performed, and follow-up analyses examined whether AD status significantly predicted depressive symptoms and/or coping.

Results

Fearful Condition-The AD group

SUBMITTER: Padula CB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5303611 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature