To identify VBM and DTI studies on WM macro- and microstructural changes in AUD, we first conducted a systematic literature review in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) [34]. The reported spatial coordinates of each study were extracted, weighted, and tested for spatial convergence using anatomical likelihood estimation (ALE). This method allows quantitative and unbiased integration of neuroimaging findings. Current guidelines for quantitative coordinate-based meta-analyses [27, 28] were meticulously followed in all steps of the work.
