The relationship between alcohol consumption and amygdala volume in a community-based sample

Decreased amygdala volume associated with alcohol use disorder may be related to an increased risk of addiction and relapse. However, the relationship between amygdala volume and a broad range of alcohol consumption is largely unexplored. A cross-sectional analysis investigated the relationship between amygdala volume and self-reported alcohol consumption in participants of the Dallas Heart Study, a community-based study of Dallas County, Texas residents.
Brain imaging and survey data from 2023 participants were obtained, and multiple linear regressions were performed with the average amygdala volume as the dependent variable and drinking status, drinking risk, drinks per week, and binge drinking as independent variables. Drinking risk was categorized such that low-risk constituted ≤ 14 drinks per week in men and ≤ 7 drinks per week in women, while > 14 drinks per week in men and > 7 drinks per week in women constituted high-risk. Age, sex, intracranial volume, body mass index, education, and Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology-Self Report score were included in all models as covariates. No statistically significant associations were observed between self-reported alcohol consumption and amygdala volume.
The study suggests non-significant relationships between self-reported alcohol consumption and amygdala volume when controlling for relevant demographic factors in a large, community-based sample.
Source: Pho, C., Yu, F.F., Palka, J.M. et al. The relationship between alcohol consumption and amygdala volume in a community-based sample. Brain Imaging and Behavior (2024).