Moreover, the occipital cortex (left hemisphere, including the left primary and secondary visual cortices, BA 17 and 19, respectively) that is potentially impacted by the ELOVL7 splicing event, is one of the main brain areas of neurological alterations induced by alcohol intake [79]. Furthermore, the occipital cortex is activated by drug cues including alcohol, as functional MRI signaled significant alcohol or drug-elicited activity in the left BA 19 and BA 17 [65]. In a recent study, AUD was found to be associated with change of the alpha oscillatory activity in the occipital cortex, indicating that the visual cortex plays a role in alcohol addiction [64]. In addition, the auditory cortex, i.e., Heschl’s gyrus, was impacted by the ELOVL7 splicing event on both hemispheres. This area indeed exhibits alcohol-induced changes in brain functional connectivity studies [79, 80]; however, no studies to date have indicated its role in the development of alcohol addiction. Thus, although our observation here does not imply a causal role for these brain regions, it provides additional relevance of these cortical structures in alcohol use disorder.
