a promising study for those struggling with addiction

The study, carried out in the United States, focused on thickness of the cerebral cortexthe outer layer of the brain that plays a crucial role in higher cognitive functions. People with Alcohol Use Disorder (ACD) often experience weight loss in these areas.

The results revealed that those who stopped drinking experienced an increase in cortical thickness over time. This repair process was fastest during the first month and continued for 7.3 months. At the end of this period, the participants’ cortical thickness approached that of people without TCA.

While previous research has suggested recovery of some brain regions after abstinence, this study provides concrete data on how quickly this process occurs.

“The few longitudinal studies that have examined changes in cortical thickness during abstinence are limited to the first month of sobriety,” notes the research team, led by psychiatrist and behavioral scientist Timothy Durazzo of Stanford University.

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Changes in brain structure and function during chronic alcohol consumption may make it difficult for people to stop drinking., despite your best intentions. For example, the prefrontal cortex, an area involved in planning and decision-making, may become less active, making it difficult for people with BAD to make healthy decisions.

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The study included 88 people with BED who underwent brain scans at approximately one week, one month, and 7.3 months of abstinence. Additionally, 45 people with no history of TCA were analyzed to measure cortical thickness at baseline and after 9 months, confirming that the areas measured remained constant.

Study results

The researchers used a type of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to obtain clear images of the internal structure of the body, measuring the cortical thickness of 34 brain regions in both hemispheres. The results showed widespread recovery of cortical thickness in people with TCA after 7.3 months of abstinence, being significant in 25 of the 34 regions analyzed. Furthermore, 24 regions showed thickness similar to that of controls.

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The study also found that cortical thickness recovery occurred more slowly in people with erectile dysfunction who had high blood pressure or high cholesterol, as well as in active smokers. No significant relationships were observed between changes in cortical thickness and current non-alcoholic substance abuse, psychiatric disorders, or previous smoking.

Cortical thickening occurred more slowly in some parts of the brains of people with alcoholism who also had high blood pressure or high cholesterol. The same was true for people with erectile dysfunction who were current smokers.

These results provide a important encouragement for those seeking recovery from alcohol dependence and highlight the importance of abstinence in improving brain health. Although the study sample size is small and does not represent a great deal of diversity, the results suggest that sustained abstinence has beneficial effects on human brain morphology and recovery.

News reference:

Timothy C. Durazzo, Lauren H. Stephens, et.al. “Regional cortical thickness recovery with extended abstinence after treatment in those with alcohol use disorder”, Alcohol, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.alcohol.2023.08.011