Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33947835›Full record

ArticleTranslational psychiatry2021

The role of the orbitofrontal cortex and the nucleus accumbens for craving in alcohol use disorder.

Tobias Bracht, Leila Soravia, Franz Moggi, Maria Stein, Matthias Grieder, Andrea Federspiel, Raphaela Tschümperlin, Hallie M Batschelet, Roland Wiest, Niklaus Denier

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Translational psychiatry, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 38 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
38citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
3.9field-weighted citation impact, top 5% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

38 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 56 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. BDNF in ventrolateral orbitofrontal cortex to dorsolateral striatum circuit moderates alcohol consumption, seeking and relapse.Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2026
    Article
  5. Brain-Behavior Relationships: Neural Mechanisms of Impulsivity and Compulsivity in Neuropsychiatric Disorders.Cognitive and behavioral neurology : official journal of the Society for Behavioral and Cognitive Neurology · 2025
    Review
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Thiamine Deficiency and Neuroinflammation Are Important Contributors to Alcohol Use Disorder.Pathophysiology : the official journal of the International Society for Pathophysiology · 2025
    Review
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. Review
  15. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Tobias BrachtUniversity Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland. tobias.bracht@upd.unibe.ch.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9903-8564
Leila SoraviaTranslational Research Center, University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4924-7771
Franz MoggiUniversity Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3302-7229
Maria SteinTranslational Research Center, University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7458-1982
Matthias GriederTranslational Research Center, University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5124-5302
Andrea FederspielTranslational Research Center, University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Raphaela TschümperlinTranslational Research Center, University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Hallie M BatscheletTranslational Research Center, University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Roland WiestInstitute of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Niklaus DenierUniversity Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
University of Bern · CH

Funding

Novartis Stiftung für Medizinisch-Biologische Forschung (Novartis Foundation for Medical-Biological Research) 19A063Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung (Swiss National Science Foundation) 105319_159286Swiss Foundation for Alcohol Research (Schweizerische Stiftung für Alkoholforschung) 283
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate structural and functional alterations of the reward system and the neurobiology of craving in alcohol use disorder (AUD). We hypothesized reduced volume of the nucleus accumbens (NAcc), reduced structural connectivity of the segment of the supero-lateral medial forebrain bundle connecting the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) with the NAcc (OFC-NAcc), and reduced resting-state OFC-NAcc functional connectivity (FC). Furthermore, we hypothesized that craving is related to an increase of OFC-NAcc FC. Thirty-nine recently abstinent patients with AUD and 18 healthy controls (HC) underwent structural (T1w-MP2RAGE, diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI)) and functional (resting-state fMRI) MRI-scans. Gray matter volume of the NAcc, white matter microstructure (fractional anisotropy (FA)) and macrostructure (tract length) of the OFC-NAcc connection and OFC-NAcc FC were compared between AUD and HC using a mixed model MANCOVA controlling for age and gender. Craving was assessed using the thoughts subscale of the obsessive-compulsive drinking scale (OCDS) scale and was correlated with OFC-NAcc FC. There was a significant main effect of group. Results were driven by a volume reduction of bilateral NAcc, reduced FA in the left hemisphere, and reduced tract length of bilateral OFC-NAcc connections in AUD patients. OFC-NAcc FC did not differ between groups. Craving was associated with increased bilateral OFC-NAcc FC. In conclusion, reduced volume of the NAcc and reduced FA and tract length of the OFC-NAcc network suggest structural alterations of the reward network in AUD. Increased OFC-NAcc FC is associated with craving in AUD, and may contribute to situational alcohol-seeking behavior in AUD.

Indexed as

AlcoholismWhite MatterCravingHumansMagnetic Resonance ImagingNucleus AccumbensPrefrontal Cortex

Identifiers

PMID33947835
PMCPMC8097061
OpenAlexW3157932397

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.