Meeting Banner
Abstract #3345

Does Obesity Account for Brain Injury in Alcohol Dependent Individuals? a Multimodal Magnetic Resonance Study at 1.5T.

Stefan Gazdzinski1, Anderson Mon2, Timothy C. Durazzo2, Dieter J. Meyerhoff1,2

1Center for Imaging of Neurodegenerative Diseases, San Francisco, CA, USA; 2Radiology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA


Unhealthy weight is associated with brain structural alterations, lower prefrontal glucose metabolism, and lower N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA, marker of neuronal viability) in healthy individuals. Recent clinical and epidemiological studies suggest higher rates of obesity among alcohol dependent individuals and individuals excessively consuming alcohol. Here, we evaluated whether elevated body mass index (BMI) accounts for brain injury in treated alcoholics abstinent for one month.