Caudate Volumetric Reductions Predicted by Carbohydrate-Deficient Transferrin in Patients with Alcohol Dependence

Abstract

The caudate nucleus has shown a high relevance with substance craving and addiction in the pathophysiology of alcohol dependence. In this study, caudate volumetric deficits in patients with alcohol dependence and their associations with carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT), a biomarker of chronic alcohol consumption, were evaluated in 21 patients with alcohol dependence and age- and sex-matched 21 healthy comparison subjects. Between-group difference in caudate volumes and correlations between CDT and caudate volumes in the patient group were examined after adjusting for age, sex, and intracranial volume. Volumetric analysis results show prominent abnormalities in the left caudate among patients with alcohol dependence (z = - 2.70, p = 0.007). CDT levels significantly predicted volumetric deficits in the left caudate (beta = - 1.23, p = 0.003). These findings suggest that the caudate nucleus may be one of the important brain regions related to alcohol-induced chronic brain damages.