Resting state fMRI (rs-fMRI) has been used to investigate alcohol use disorder (AUD), mostly in humans; and a wide array of commonly induced neurological changes due to acute and chronic use have been reported. In this work, we established a rat model of AUD to longitudinally study the effects of chronic alcohol abuse on the functional brain connectivity using rs-fMRI at ultrahigh fields. Preliminary results revealed potential changes in reward-processing circuit connectivity and global brain activity. Further research is advised to quantify early effects observed in and between different neural structures (NAc/IBST/PreL/IL and ACC) during withdrawal stress and relapse.
This abstract and the presentation materials are available to members only; a login is required.