Investigating DTI-ALPS index and its association with cognitive impairments in patients with alcohol use disorder: A diffusion tensor imaging study

Background

The glymphatic system, a physiological pathway recently identified, has attracted considerable attention for its potential role in the pathophysiology of neurological disorders. Despite significant research efforts, the exact contribution of the glymphatic system to alcohol use disorder (AUD) remains largely elusive. This study was a secondary analysis by analyzing a subset of the original data to examine changes in the ALPS index and determine its association with cognitive abilities in individuals with AUD.

Methods

We recruited 40 individuals with AUD and 40 healthy controls (HC). All subjects underwent MRI scans and clinical cognitive scale assessments. Diffusion tensor imaging along the perivascular space (DTI-ALPS) index was used to estimate the differences in glymphatic activity between both groups, and linear regression analysis was used to examine the association between ALPS index and cognitive performance measures.

Results

A statistically significant difference in the ALPS index was observed between both groups (p < 0.001), with the AUD group showing statistically lower ALPS index compared with the HC group (p < 0.001). Additionally, a positive correlation was identified between the ALPS index and MoCA/MMSE scores, indicating that higher ALPS index is indicative of better cognitive performance in individuals with AUD.

Conclusions

The findings of this study provide evidence of ALPS index in individuals with AUD and establish a link between the ALPS index and the cognitive impairments observed in AUD patients. These findings might suggest the importance of glymphatic activity in the emergence of cognitive deficits among those impacted by AUD, but a stronger link between ALPS index and glymphatic system is needed to better understand the relationship between glymphatic function and healthy outcomes.