Abstract #3513

The Effect of Ethanol on Resting State Brain BOLD Signal

Alex M. Weber¹, Peter Sheffield¹, Michael D. Noseworthy²

¹School of Biomedical Biomedical Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada; ²Electrical and Computer Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Herein we present the effects of ethanol on resting state blood oxygen level dependent fMRI signal using a novel fractal dimension (FD) analysis technique,correlated with proton MRS detection of ethanol. The FD structure of the resting state BOLD signal in normal healthy males decreased post ethanol ingestion. This correlated with significant ethanol concentration presence in the anterior cingulate cortex and basal ganglia. These findings, although only suggestive, shed further light on alcohols effect on the brain, specifically the brains functional connectivity.