Alcohol and its effects on the corpus callosum. (Medical Science and Health Poster Session 09:...

BOARD 05

Alcohol use and abuse continues to be a major concern, as its effects are detrimental to millions of Americans. Individuals with high levels of consumption may be classified as alcohol dependent. The hypothesis of this study was that high levels of consumption would cause

a decreased volume of the corpus callosum through possible demyelination of the neuronal axons. Subjects were right-handed females between the ages of 20 and 36. The subjects were divided into three groups based on drinking habits in the last year: six heavy drinkers (250-375 drinks per year), eight moderate drinkers (50-130 drinks per year), and seven light drinkers (0-6 drinks per year). MRI scans were taken for each subject and the corpus callosum was traced in 1 mm slices using 3D Brainstation. Slices were then added to obtain a total volume for each subject. Using an univariate ANOVA, there were no significant differences between the groups for age, IQ, history of abuse, pack years smoking, marijuana, or major depression (p>0.13). While there was a designated difference between drinks per year (p<0.001), there was no significant difference between groups in volume of the corpus callosum (p=0.57) despite their different levels of alcohol consumption.

WHITNEY W. HENDRICKS S03.WHENDRICKS@WITTENBERG.EDU, CHRISTOHER SANDERS S04.CSANDERS@WITTENBERG.EDU, RICH ZIEGLER, CATHY PEDERSON CPEDERSON@WITTENBERG.EDU, WITTENBERG UNIVERSITY, PO BOX 720, SPRINGFIELD OH 45501