Alcohol attenuates amygdala–frontal connectivity during processing social signals in heavy social drinkers

Gorka, Stephanie M.; Fitzgerald, Daniel A.; King, Andrea C.; Phan, K. Luan

doi:10.1007/s00213-013-3090-0

Original Investigation
Published: 13 April 2013

Alcohol attenuates amygdala–frontal connectivity during processing social signals in heavy social drinkers

A preliminary pharmaco-fMRI study

Stephanie M. Gorka¹,
Daniel A. Fitzgerald²,
Andrea C. King³ &
K. Luan Phan^2,4

Psychopharmacology volume 229, pages 141–154 (2013)Cite this article

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Abstract

Rationale

Convergent evidence shows that alcohol exerts its effects on social behavior via modulation of amygdala reactivity to affective stimuli. Given that affective processing involves dynamic interactions between the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex (PFC), alcohol’s effects are likely to extend beyond regional changes in brain activity to changes that manifest on a broader functional circuit level.

Objective

The current study examines alcohol’s effects on functional connectivity (i.e., "coupling") between the amygdala and the PFC during the processing of socio-emotional stimuli using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

Methods

In a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled, within-subjects cross-over design, 12 heavy, social drinkers performed an fMRI task designed to probe amygdala response to socio-emotional stimuli (angry, fearful, and happy faces) following acute ingestion of alcohol or placebo. Functional connectivity between the amygdala and PFC was examined and compared between alcohol and placebo sessions using a conventional generalized psychophysiological interaction (gPPI) analysis.

Results

Relative to placebo, alcohol reduced functional coupling between the amygdala and the right orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) during processing of both angry and fearful faces. Alcohol also reduced functional coupling between the amygdala and left OFC during processing of happy faces.

Conclusions

These preliminary findings suggest that alcohol’s effects on social behavior may be mediated by alternations in functional connectivity between the amygdala and OFC during processing of emotional faces.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by a Brain Research Foundation Grant awarded to ACK and KLP.

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All authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

Department of Psychology, University of Illinois–Chicago, 1007 West Harrison Street (M/C 285), Chicago, IL, 60657, USA
Stephanie M. Gorka
Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois–Chicago, 1747 West Roosevelt Road, Chicago, IL, 60608, USA
Daniel A. Fitzgerald & K. Luan Phan
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, University of Chicago, 5841 S. Maryland Avenue (MC-3077), Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
Andrea C. King
Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Mental Health Service Line, 820 S. Damen Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
K. Luan Phan

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Stephanie M. Gorka
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Daniel A. Fitzgerald
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Andrea C. King
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K. Luan Phan
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Correspondence to K. Luan Phan.

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Gorka, S.M., Fitzgerald, D.A., King, A.C. et al. Alcohol attenuates amygdala–frontal connectivity during processing social signals in heavy social drinkers. Psychopharmacology 229, 141–154 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-013-3090-0

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Received: 13 December 2012
Accepted: 25 March 2013
Published: 13 April 2013
Issue Date: September 2013
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-013-3090-0

Keywords

Alcohol
Amygdala
Functional connectivity
Social threat