A limitation of this study is the small AUD subgroup sizes: although the study began with 20 AUD subjects with complete MRS scans, 5 were lost to follow-up, 15 relapsed, and only 5 AUD subjects remained sober. These numbers are, nonetheless, consistent with attrition rates upwards of 25% of treatment-seekers reported in the AUD literature (e.g., Epstein et al., 1994; Kranzler et al., 1996; Ojehagen and Berglund, 1992); further, the percentage of AUD individuals that remain sober versus those who relapse is low (Noda et al., 2001; Pagano et al., 2004; Watson et al., 1984; Yates et al., 1994). Despite the small sample size, the current findings are supported by the literature.
