Fractional amplitude analysis of low frequency fluctuation in alcohol dependent individuals : a resting state functional MRI study

Objective To explore brain activity features during the resting state in alcohol dependent individuals,and study the relationship between the brain activity features and alcohol dependent individuals' clinical symptoms.Methods Twenty-four alcohol dependent individuals and 22 healthy control subjects,well matched in gender,age,education and handedness,were enrolled as the alcohol dependent group and control group respectively.AGE 3.0 T MR scanner was used to acquire all the subjects' resting state data. DPARSF software was used to process resting functional MRI data,and then the whole brain fractional amplitudes of low frequency fluctuation (fALFF) data were acquired.Two-sample t test statistical analysis was made to access fALFF difference between the two groups. Results In comparison with the control group,the alcohol dependent group showed reduced fALFF in bilateral medial prefrontal gyrus,right inferior occipital gyrus,left precuneus,left inferior temporal gyrus,and left posterior lobe of cerebellum (0.64-1.69 vs.0.87-1.78,t =- 4.23- - 2.79,P ＜ 0.05 ). fALFF was increased in the alcohol dependent group at the anterior cingulate,bilateral inferior frontal gyrus,right middle frontal gyrus,bilateral insular lobe,bilateral dorsal thalamus ( 0.86-1.82 vs. 0.76-1.58,t =3.56-3.96,P ＜ 0.05 ).Conclusion Alcohol dependent individuals had abnormal activity at the bilateral prefrontal lobe,anterior cingulate,bilateral dorsal thalamus,bilateral insular lobe,left posterior lobe of cerebellum et al,during the resting state,and these abnormal activities might be related with clinical manifestation and pathophysiology. Key words: Alcoholism; Magnetic resonance imaging