Grey Matter Volume Linked to Alcohol Misuse in Young Adults

Strategic Insights -

Researchers from the Beijing University of Technology have shed new light on the relationship between grey matter volume and alcohol misuse in young adults. The study, published in Behavioural Brain Research, investigated how cortical structures, rule-breaking behavior, and severity of drinking are interrelated. Using data from the Human Connectome Project, the researchers analyzed the brain scans of 1053 subjects, 484 of whom were men. They found that higher drinking severity was associated with lower grey matter volume in the superior temporal gyrus/posterior insula (STG/pIN) region, and this effect was more pronounced in men.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study found that alcohol misuse is associated with decreased grey matter volume and more rule-breaking behavior in young adults.
  • The researchers used data from the Human Connectome Project to analyze the brain scans of 1053 subjects, 484 of whom were men.
  • Higher drinking severity was associated with lower grey matter volume in the STG/pIN region, a structure involved in dopamine and serotonin signaling.
  • Spatial correlation analyses associated alcohol-altered GMV predominantly with dopamine and serotonin signaling in men.
  • The study characterized GMV features of alcohol use severity and identified molecular profiles of GMV associated with drink severity in young adults.
  • The researchers used the JuSpace toolbox and Gene enrichment to characterize the molecular profiles of GMV features of alcohol use severity.
  • The study found that men with higher drinking severity had more rule-breaking behavior and lower GMV in the STG/pIN region compared to women.

Statistics:

  • 1053 subjects (484 men) were included in the data analyses.
  • The severity of alcohol use was quantified for individual subjects with the first principal component (PC1) identified from principal component analyses of all drinking measures.
  • Higher drinking PC1 was associated with more rule-breaking and lower dorsomedial prefrontal cortex in all subjects.
  • Higher drinking PC1 was associated with more rule-breaking and lower STG/pIN GMV in men alone.
  • The study found that higher drinking PC1 was associated with lower GMV in the STG/pIN region.

Sources:

  • Grey matter volume and its molecular profiles characteristic drinking severity in young adults. Behavioural Brain Research, 2025;496:115862. Behavioural Brain Research can be contacted at: Elsevier, Radarweg 29, 1043 Nx Amsterdam, Netherlands. (Elsevier - www.elsevier.com; Behavioural Brain Research - www.journals.elsevier.com/behavioural-brain-research/)
  • Xiaohang Ren, et al. Grey Matter Volume and Its Molecular Profiles Characteristic Drinking Severity in Young Adults. Behavioural Brain Research, 2025;496:115862.