Alcohol Use Disorder and Its Comorbidity With HIV Infection Disrupts Anterior Cingulate Cortex Functional Connectivity

Nicolas Honnorat, Rosemary Fama, Eva M. Müller-Oehring, Natalie M. Zahr, Adolf Pfefferbaum, Edith V. Sullivan, Kilian M. Pohl

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background: Individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD) have a heightened risk of contracting HIV infection. The effects of these two diseases and their comorbidity on brain structure have been well described, but their effects on brain function have never been investigated at the scale of whole-brain connectomes. Methods: In contrast with prior studies that restricted analyses to specific brain networks or examined relatively small groups of participants, our analyses are based on whole-brain functional connectomes of 292 participants. Results: Relative to participants without AUD, the functional connectivity between the anterior cingulate cortex and orbitofrontal cortex was lower for participants with AUD. Compared with participants without AUD+HIV comorbidity, the functional connectivity between the anterior cingulate cortex and hippocampus was lower for the AUD+HIV participants. Compromised connectivity between these pairs was significantly correlated with greater total lifetime alcohol consumption; the effects of total lifetime alcohol consumption on executive functioning were significantly mediated by the functional connectivity between the pairs. Conclusions: Taken together, our results suggest that the functional connectivity of the anterior cingulate cortex is disrupted in individuals with AUD alone and AUD with HIV infection comorbidity. Moreover, the affected connections are associated with deficits in executive functioning, including heightened impulsiveness.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1127-1136
Number of pages10
JournalBiological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging
Volume7
Issue number11
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 2022
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Alcohol use disorder
  • Alcoholism
  • Anterior cingulate cortex
  • HIV infection
  • Hippocampus
  • Orbitofrontal cortex
  • Resting state
  • fMRI

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Clinical Neurology
  • Biological Psychiatry
  • Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Radiology Nuclear Medicine and imaging

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