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A preliminary study on the effects of acute ethanol ingestion on default mode network and temporal fractal properties of the brain

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Abstract

Object

To study the effect of acute alcohol intoxication on the functional connectivity of the default mode network (DMN) and temporal fractal properties of the healthy adult brain.

Materials and methods

Eleven healthy male volunteers were asked to drink 0.59 g/kg of ethanol. Resting state blood oxygen level dependent (rsBOLD) MRI scans were obtained before consumption, 60 min post-consumption and 90 min post-consumption. Before each rsBOLD scan, pointed-resolved spectroscopy (PRESS) 1H-MRS (magnetic resonance spectroscopy) scans were acquired to measure ethanol levels in the right basal ganglia.

Results

Significant changes in DMN connectivity were found following alcohol consumption (p < 0.01). Both increased and decreased regional connectivity were found after 60 min, whereas mostly decreased connectivity was found after 90 min. The fractal behaviour of the rsBOLD signal, which is believed to help reveal complexity of small-scale neuronal circuitry, became more ordered after both 60 and 90 min of alcohol consumption (p < 0.01).

Conclusion

The DMN has been linked to personal identity and social behavior. As such, our preliminary findings may provide insight into the neuro-functional underpinnings of the cognitive and behavioral changes observed during acute alcohol intoxication. The reduced fractal dimension implies a change in function of small-scale neural networks towards less complex signaling.

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Acknowledgments

The work was funded by a postgraduate scholarship from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada (AMW).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Biomedical Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada

    Alexander M. Weber, Noam Soreni & Michael D. Noseworthy

  2. Pediatric OCD Consultation Team, Anxiety Treatment and Research Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neuroscience, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada

    Noam Soreni

  3. Electrical and Computer Engineering, McMaster University, 1280 Main St. West, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada

    Michael D. Noseworthy

  4. Medical Physics and Applied Radiation Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada

    Michael D. Noseworthy

  5. Department of Radiology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada

    Michael D. Noseworthy

  6. Imaging Research Centre, St. Joseph’s Healthcare, Hamilton, ON, Canada

    Michael D. Noseworthy

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  1. Alexander M. Weber
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Correspondence to Michael D. Noseworthy.

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Weber, A.M., Soreni, N. & Noseworthy, M.D. A preliminary study on the effects of acute ethanol ingestion on default mode network and temporal fractal properties of the brain. Magn Reson Mater Phy 27, 291–301 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10334-013-0420-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10334-013-0420-5

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