Further, our analyses do not account for individuals with a past diagnosis of AUD. Earlier studies have shown that the brain shows some recovery with the cessation of drinking in individuals with AUD, but this varies with age and sex, and recovery might be incomplete54–56. Thus, a past diagnosis of AUD would likely influence our results. We hope future studies will shed light on how a history of AUD with prolonged recovery is associated with brain structure in middle-aged and older adults. Moreover, partial volume effects (e.g., voxels containing cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)) can reduce the accuracy of tissue characterization and WM microstructural estimates. Previous research indicates that partial volume effects can bias diffusion measures toward a pattern of high diffusivity (MD) and reduced FA, particularly in intraventricular locations like the fornix57,58. As such, our findings could reflect partial volume effects; however, it should be noted that the structural data were acquired using T2-weighted FLAIR imaging, a structural technique that mitigates CSF contamination by suppressing signal from fluid (i.e., CSF).
