Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is a pervasive and intricate public health challenge, with significant health and psychosocial consequences. Among the most frequently used substances, alcohol provokes diverse neurochemical and neurophysiological changes within the brain and is in long-term excessive use associated with severe cognitive dysfunctions such as memory, decision-making, and problem-solving abilities. This systematic review aims to compare gray matter volume in healthy individuals and those diagnosed with AUD, with the goal of identifying structural differences between the two groups. The six studies, identified from Scopus, Web of Science, and Medline EBSCO, included in this systematic review were written in English, published within the last 20 years, employed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to quantify volume, involved human participants over the age of 18, and included both AUD and healthy comparison groups examining gray matter volume differences. The number of participants and gender distribution differed among all the included articles, with two studies exclusively including males. The studies employed either region of interest (ROI) or voxel-based morphometry (VBM) as their analysis method. The results revealed gray matter reductions between individuals with AUD and those without through out the whole brain, both cortical and subcortical, with the most prominent reductions observed in the putamen and thalamus. Future research should consider the limitations presented in this systematic review by conducting longitudinal investigations focusing on gray matter reductions and recovery over extended periods. Such studies could offer deeper insights into how the brain's gray matter volume behaves during longer periods of abstinence among individuals with AUD.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:his-23949 |
| Date | January 2024 |
| Creators | Lundqvist, Roosa, Deramond, Jenny |
| Publisher | Högskolan i Skövde, Institutionen för biovetenskap |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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