Neurobiological consequences of binge alcohol consumption in young adults

描述（由申请人提供）：我们提出的研究的目的是使用磁共振波谱（MRS）和神经心理学评估来检查酗酒对18-24岁奥尔兹大脑代谢产物和认知功能的影响。在“成年初显期”，额叶和联合皮层的最后阶段微调允许额叶介导的决策和反应抑制能力显着改善，同时减少冲动行为。先前的研究已经发现，大量饮酒与大脑结构和功能异常以及大脑代谢物的改变有关。这些变化，这是特别突出的前额叶皮层，可能有助于酒精相关的执行功能缺陷，支持额叶功能障碍的酒精使用障碍的假设。该提案将使用专门的质子（1H）MRS技术来量化和比较18-24岁男性和女性酗酒者（BD）和轻度饮酒者（LD）的前扣带皮层（ACC）和顶枕皮层（POC）中的质子代谢物。这个建议的一个新的组成部分是能够可靠地检测和量化GABA和谷氨酸，酒精作用的中央目标，在前额皮质使用MEGAPRESS和2D-JPRESS。N-乙酰天冬氨酸（NAA），胆碱和肌醇（myo-I），据报道，在重度酒精使用者中显示出变化，也将在本提案中进行审查。光谱数据将检查相对于认知性能，重点是执行功能，额叶介导的认知领域最广泛的报道，以显示酒精使用障碍的赤字。这项研究的结果将对公共卫生问题具有重要意义，因为确定与“成年期”酗酒相关的神经生物学相关因素将有助于填补现有文献中关于大脑酒精效应的空白，该文献不仅显示了最高的酗酒率，而且还显示了最高的酒精滥用和依赖率。 公共卫生相关性： 我们提出的研究的总体目标是研究酗酒对18-24岁受试者大脑代谢物的影响，通过应用磁共振波谱（MRS）单体素方法可靠地检测和量化GABA，谷氨酸和其他质子代谢物，在前额叶皮层的前扣带区在4特斯拉。光谱数据将检查相对于认知性能，重点是执行功能，额叶介导的认知领域最广泛的报道，以显示酒精使用障碍的赤字。这项研究的结果将对公共卫生问题具有重要意义，因为确定与“成年期”酗酒相关的神经生物学相关因素将有助于填补现有文献中关于大脑酒精效应的空白，该文献不仅显示了最高的酗酒率，而且还显示了最高的酒精滥用和依赖率。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The aim of our proposed study is to examine the effects of binge alcohol consumption on brain metabolites and cognitive function in 18-24 year olds using magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and neuropsychological assessment. The final stages of fine-tuning in frontal and association cortices that occur during this period of "emerging adulthood" permit notable improvements in frontally mediated decision-making and response inhibition abilities, while decreasing impulsive behavior. Previous work has identified that heavy alcohol consumption is associated with structural and functional brain abnormalities, and altered cerebral metabolites. These alterations, which are particularly prominent in the prefrontal cortex, likely contribute to alcohol-related executive function deficits, supporting a frontal dysfunction hypothesis in alcohol use disorders. This proposal will use specialized proton (1H) MRS techniques to quantify and compare proton metabolites in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and parieto-occipital cortex (POC) of 18-24 year old male and female binge (BD) and light alcohol drinkers (LD). A novel component of this proposal is the ability to reliably detect and quantify GABA and glutamate, central targets of alcohol action, in the prefrontal cortex using MEGAPRESS and 2D-JPRESS. N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA), choline, and myo-inositol (myo-I), reported to show alterations in heavy alcohol users, will also be examined in this proposal. Spectroscopic data will be examined relative to cognitive performance, with a focus on executive functioning, a frontally mediated area of cognition most widely reported to show deficits in alcohol use disorders. The results of this study will have significant relevance for public health concern, as identification of neurobiological correlates associated with binge alcohol consumption during "emerging adulthood" will help fill a gap in the existing literature on brain alcohol effects in a population that demonstrates not only the highest rate of binge drinking, but also the highest rate of alcohol abuse and dependence. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The overall aim of our proposed study is to examine the effects of binge alcohol consumption on brain metabolites in 18-24 year subjects by applying magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) single voxel methods to reliably detect and quantify GABA, glutamate, and other proton metabolites, in the anterior cingulate region of the prefrontal cortex at 4 Tesla. Spectroscopic data will be examined relative to cognitive performance, with a focus on executive functioning, a frontally mediated area of cognition most widely reported to show deficits in alcohol use disorders. The results of this study will have significant relevance for public health concern, as identification of neurobiological correlates associated with binge alcohol consumption during "emerging adulthood" will help fill a gap in the existing literature on brain alcohol effects in a population that demonstrates not only the highest rate of binge drinking, but also the highest rate of alcohol abuse and dependence.