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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2017 Jan 1.
Published in final edited form as: Drug Alcohol Depend. 2015 Oct 21;158:8–21. doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2015.10.021

Table 1.

Brain Volume Findings in Familial Alcoholism

Structure Study Age in Years (M±SD) Population (N) Alcohol Use1 Main Findings2
Amygdala Hill et al., 2001 HR=17.6±2.9, LR=17.3±2.2 17 HR, 17 LR 18.2% A/D dependence in HR ↓R Amyg in HR
Hill et al., 2013c HR=18.2±4.2, LR=17.7±5.8 71 HR, 58 LR N=10 with A/D dependence ↓Amyg in HR
Cservenka et al., 2015 M=14.1±1.3, F=14.6±1.3 75 M/65 F, FHM/FHP No heavy A/D use4 ↔FHD on Amyg
Dager et al., 2015 1st ± with AUD=52.6±13,
Controls=40.2±163 		137 1st ° with AUD
227 Controls		 3-4% lifetime substance
abuse/dependence		 ↓Amyg in subjects with 1st °
relative with AUD
Hippocampus Hanson et al., 2010 FHP=13.5±0.9, FHN=13.6±0.9 15 FHP, 15 FHN Minimal/no previous substance use ↑L Hipp in FHP M vs. FHN M
Sjoerds et al., 2013 FHP=38.2±9.8, FHN=38.1±10.7 36 FHP, 107 FHN AUDIT(mean): FHP=3.3, FHN=3.9 ↓R PHG in FHP
Nucleus Accumbens Cservenka et al., 2015 M=14.1±1.3, F=14.6±1.3 75 M/65 F, FHM/FHP No heavy A/D use4 ↑FHD, larger NAcc
Orbitofrontal Cortex Hill et al., 2009 HR=18.3±4.5, LR=16.7±4.9 63 HR, 44 LR N=22 A/D abuse/dependence ↓R/L OFC ratio in HR
Caudate Hill et al., 2013a HR=18.1±4.2, LR=17.6±5.8 71 HR, 59 LR N=23 A/D abuse/dependence ↔risk on caudate5
Cerebellum Hill et al., 2007b HR=17.6±2.9, LR=17.5±2.2 17 HR, 16 LR N=5 A/D dependence in HR ↑cerebellum in HR
Hill et al., 2011 HR=18.3±4.2, LR=17.8±5.8 71 HR, 60 LR N=24 A/D abuse/dependence ↑cerebellum in HR6
Intracranial
Volume 		Gilman et al., 2007 LO=43.9±8.5, EO=37.0±8.7,
Controls=34.6±10.1		 LO (64 FHP, 38 FHN), EO (82
FHP, 47 FHN), 114 Controls		 N=231 alcoholics (with and without
family history of alcoholism)		 ↓ICV in FHP alcoholics
White Matter Silveri et al., 2008 FHP M=12.6±2.7, FHP F=12.4±3.0,
FHN M=12.6±2.5, FHP F=12.4±2.1		 17 FHP, 16 FHN <3 lifetime episodes of A/D use for all
participants		 Information processing speed
related to WM/ICV in FHN F
Cerebrospinal Fluid Cardenas et al., 2005 HD M=40.9±9.7, HD F=43.6±10.4
(ages not specified based on family
history)		 26 FHP HD, 22 FHN HD Heavy drinkers >100 or >80
drinks/month for M, F, respectively for
three years7 		↓frontal, parietal, and
occipital CSF in FHP HD

Amyg = amygdala; A/D = alcohol/drug; AUD = alcohol use disorder; AUDIT = alcohol use disorders identification test; CSF = cerebrospinal fluid; EO = early onset alcoholic; F = female; Hipp = hippocampus; HR = high risk (offspring from multiplex families with alcohol dependence in which two adult brothers with alcohol dependence identified); FHD = family history density (the degree of familial alcoholism in one’s family); FHM = family history mild (individual with at least one 2nd degree relative with AUD); FHN = family history negative (individual with no 1st (or in some cases no 1st or 2nd) degree relatives with AUD); FHP = family history positive (individual with at least one 1st degree relative with AUD or in some cases at least two or more 2nd degree relatives with AUD); HD = heavy drinkers (>100 drinks/month for males and >80 drinks/month for females for three years); ICV = intracranial volume; L = left; LO = late onset alcoholic; LR = low risk (offspring from families in which no Axis I alcohol dependence identified); M = male; NAcc = nucleus accumbens; OFC = orbitofrontal cortex; PHG = parahippocampal gyrus; R = right; WM = white matter;↓ = smaller or decreased; ↑ = larger or increased; ↔ = no difference/no effect;

1

only alcohol use characteristics are noted, even though some studies also included participants with lifetime diagnoses of other psychiatric disorders not listed in this table (i.e. depression, anxiety, externalizing disorders). In some studies results are reanalyzed without subjects who met criteria for A/D dependence, of which details are not included here.

2

relative to the LR, control, or FHN group, unless otherwise specified.

3

study sample also included individuals with lifetime, current, or past AUD diagnoses, and unaffected individuals with 2nd-5th degree relatives with AUDs for which participant characteristics are not listed in table.

4

no more than 10 lifetime drinks and 2 drinks/occasion, no more than 5 uses of marijuana, 4 cigarettes/day, or any other substance use.

5

but ↓caudate in those with externalizing disorders in sample.

6

when 24 subjects with substance use disorder removed from sample (N=107).

7

light drinkers included in study not described in Table.