Understanding cerebral blood flow (CBF) is important since inadequate blood flow can damage brain tissue. CBF can also influence the blood oxygen dependent signal interpreted in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Moreover, chronic alcoholics have been shown to have reduced blood flow into the brain 48. In a study examining CBF in alcohol dependent young women (n=8), we found decreases as compared to female light drinkers (n=8) using perfusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging 49. In these 18–25 year-olds, decreases were seen in six prefrontal and parietal regions (η2 = .47 to .83), and there were no regions in which perfusion was greater for alcohol dependent participants compared to controls. These findings may help clarify the metabolic changes behind differences in functional brain activity seen in adolescents with histories of alcohol misuse.
