Investigating the causal nature of the relationship of subcortical brain volume with smoking and alcohol use.
Emma LogtenbergMartin F OverbeekJoëlle A PasmanAbdel AbdellaouiMaartje LuijtenRuth J van HolstJacqueline M VinkDamiaan DenysSarah E MedlandKarin J H VerweijJorien L TreurPublished in: The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science (2022)
Our findings suggest that heavy alcohol use and smoking can causally reduce subcortical brain volume. This adds to accumulating evidence that alcohol and smoking affect the brain, and likely mental health, warranting more recognition in public health efforts.