Examining Interhemispheric PFC Connectivity during AUD Abstinence with Multilevel Modeling

ABSTRACT Objective The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is a communicative network involved in information processing and behavioral regulation and is crucial to understanding the impact of alcohol use disorders (AUD). Functional interhemispheric connectivity across PFC regions may be important aspect of networking while seeking abstinence from AUD. This study examines functional PFC activation of persons seeking continued abstinence from AUD to explore potential interhemispheric connectivity in response to alcohol cues and how such connectivity is associated with abstinence duration. Method This study analyzed cerebral blood flow from PFC regional associations or couplings of 46 persons seeking continued abstinence from AUD were presented with alcohol and other affective cues. Intraclass correlations calculated using multilevel modeling (MLM) served as a measure of functional interhemispheric connectivity. Results Connectivity was found in response to alcohol and other affective cues. Results also suggest that interhemispheric connectivity in response to alcohol cues is negatively associated with abstinence duration. Conclusions Findings of this study suggest that functional interhemispheric connectivity may be important during the processing of alcohol-related cues for persons seeking continued abstinence from AUD. Abstaining from consumption in the early stages of abstinence may be a particularly high demand task requiring both PFC hemispheres, with this need decreasing as abstinence length increases.