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Brown GG, Jacobus J, McKenna B. Structural imaging for addiction medicine: From neurostructure to neuroplasticity. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2016; 224:105-27. [PMID: 26822356 PMCID: PMC4856004 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2015.07.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Quantitative morphometry and diffusion tensor imaging have provided new insights into structural brain changes associated with drugs of abuse. In this chapter, we review recent studies using these methods to investigate structural brain abnormalities associated with excessive use of marijuana, stimulants, and opiates. Although many brain regions have been associated with structural abnormalities following abuse of these drugs, brain systems underlying inhibition, mood regulation, and reward are particularly involved. Candidate pathological mechanisms underlying these structural abnormalities include the direct toxic effects of the drugs, neuroinflammation, ischemia, hemorrhage, and abnormal brain development. Returning damaged brain areas to neural health would involve enhancing neuroplasticity. Behavioral, environmental, pharmacological, and cell-based therapies have been correlated with enhanced neuroplasticity following brain injury, providing a basis for new treatments of brain changes associated with excessive drug use. When testing new treatments, structural imaging may prove useful in selecting patients, monitoring recovery, and perhaps, tailoring interventions.
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Noyan CO, Kose S, Nurmedov S, Metin B, Darcin AE, Dilbaz N. Volumetric brain abnormalities in polysubstance use disorder patients. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat 2016; 12:1355-63. [PMID: 27358566 PMCID: PMC4912342 DOI: 10.2147/ndt.s107733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
AIM Polysubstance users represent the largest group of patients seeking treatment at addiction and rehabilitation clinics in Turkey. There is little knowledge about the structural brain abnormalities seen in polysubstance users. This study was conducted to examine the structural brain differences between polysubstance use disorder patients and healthy control subjects using voxel-based morphometry. METHODS Forty-six male polysubstance use disorder patients in the early abstinence period and 30 healthy male controls underwent structural magnetic resonance imaging scans. Voxel-based morphometry analysis was performed to examine gray matter (GM) abnormality differences. RESULTS Polysubstance use disorder patients displayed significantly smaller GM volume in the thalamus, temporal pole, superior frontal gyrus, cerebellum, gyrus rectus, occipital lobe, anterior cingulate cortex, superior temporal gyrus, and postcentral gyrus. CONCLUSION A widespread and smaller GM volume has been found at different regions of the frontal, temporal, occipital, and parietal lobes, cerebellum, and anterior cingulate cortex in polysubstance users.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Samet Kose
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Center for Neurobehavioral Research on Addictions, University of Texas Medical School, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Serdar Nurmedov
- Acibadem Healthcare Group, Kanuni Sultan Suleyman Research and Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Baris Metin
- Department of Psychology, Uskudar University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Aslı Enez Darcin
- Department of Psychiatry, Kanuni Sultan Suleyman Research and Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Nesrin Dilbaz
- Department of Psychology, Uskudar University, Istanbul, Turkey
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Müller UJ, Truebner K, Schiltz K, Kuhn J, Mawrin C, Dobrowolny H, Bernstein HG, Bogerts B, Steiner J. Postmortem volumetric analysis of the nucleus accumbens in male heroin addicts: implications for deep brain stimulation. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2015; 265:647-53. [PMID: 26189034 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-015-0617-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2015] [Accepted: 07/07/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the nucleus accumbens (NAc) is increasingly investigated in neuropsychiatric disorders. DBS requires computer-assisted 3D planning to implant the stimulation electrode precisely. Recently, there has been a debate about the true dimensions of NAc in healthy as well as in mentally ill individuals. Knowing its true dimensions in different neuropsychiatric disorders may improve even more precise targeting of NAc for therapeutic DBS. Volumes of NAc of heroin addicts (n = 14) and healthy controls (n = 12) were calculated by using morphometry of serial whole-brain sections. Total brain volume was larger in the heroin group (mean 1478.85 ± 62.34 vs. mean 1352.38 ± 103.24 cm(3)), as the heroin group was more than 10 years younger (p = 0.001). However, the mean volume of the NAc in heroin addicts was smaller than in controls (0.528 ± 0.166 vs. 0.623 ± 0.196 cm(3); p = 0.019). This group effect did not significantly differ between the hemispheres. When assessed separately, left-hemispheric NAc volume was 15 % lower (p = 0.020), while right-hemispheric NAc volume was 16 % lower (p = 0.047) in the heroin-addicted group compared to controls. Based on these diagnosis-related differences, we believe it is important to further analyze NAc volumes in different psychiatric disorders to further improve precise targeting and electrode placement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulf J Müller
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Magdeburg, Leipziger Str. 44, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany. .,Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany.
| | - Kurt Truebner
- Institute of Legal Medicine, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Kolja Schiltz
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Magdeburg, Leipziger Str. 44, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany.,Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Jens Kuhn
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Christian Mawrin
- Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany.,Department of Neuropathology, University of Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Henrik Dobrowolny
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Magdeburg, Leipziger Str. 44, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany.,Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Hans-Gert Bernstein
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Magdeburg, Leipziger Str. 44, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany.,Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Bernhard Bogerts
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Magdeburg, Leipziger Str. 44, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany.,Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Johann Steiner
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Magdeburg, Leipziger Str. 44, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany.,Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany
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Reich-Erkelenz D, Schmitt A, Falkai P. Unravelling basic mechanisms in addiction and neuropsychiatric disorders. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2015; 265:633-5. [PMID: 26459020 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-015-0645-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Reich-Erkelenz
- Institute of Psychiatric Phenomics and Genomics, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Nußbaumstr. 7, 80336, Munich, Germany
| | - Andrea Schmitt
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Nußbaumstr. 7, 80336, Munich, Germany.
| | - Peter Falkai
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Nußbaumstr. 7, 80336, Munich, Germany
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Zou F, Wu X, Zhai T, Lei Y, Shao Y, Jin X, Tan S, Wu B, Wang L, Yang Z. Abnormal resting-state functional connectivity of the nucleus accumbens in multi-year abstinent heroin addicts. J Neurosci Res 2015; 93:1693-702. [PMID: 26280556 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.23608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2015] [Revised: 05/12/2015] [Accepted: 05/20/2015] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Functional neuroimaging studies suggest that abnormal brain functional connectivity may be the neural underpinning of addiction to illicit drugs and of relapse after successful cessation therapy. Aberrant brain networks have been demonstrated in addicted patients and in newly abstinent addicts. However, it is not known whether abnormal brain connectivity patterns persist after prolonged abstinence. In this cross-sectional study, whole-brain resting-state functional magnetic resonance images (8 min) were collected from 30 heroin-addicted individuals after a long period of abstinence (more than 3 years) and from 30 healthy controls. We first examined the group differences in the resting-state functional connectivity of the nucleus accumbens (NAc), a brain region implicated in relapse-related processes, including craving and reactivity to stress following acute and protracted withdrawal from heroin. We then examined the relation between the duration of abstinence and the altered NAc functional connectivity in the heroin group. We found that, compared with controls, heroin-dependent participants exhibited significantly greater functional connectivity between the right ventromedial prefrontal cortex and the NAc and weaker functional connectivity between the NAc and the left putamen, left precuneus, and supplementary motor area. However, with longer abstinence time, the strength of NAc functional connectivity with the left putamen increased. These results indicate that dysfunction of the NAc functional network is still present in long-term-abstinent heroin-dependent individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Zou
- Cognitive and Mental Health Research Center, Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Science, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Xinhuai Wu
- Department of Radiology, Beijing Military General Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Tianye Zhai
- Cognitive and Mental Health Research Center, Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Science, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Yu Lei
- Cognitive and Mental Health Research Center, Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Science, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Yongcong Shao
- Cognitive and Mental Health Research Center, Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Science, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiao Jin
- Cognitive and Mental Health Research Center, Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Science, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Shuwen Tan
- Cognitive and Mental Health Research Center, Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Science, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Bing Wu
- Department of Radiology, Beijing Military General Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Lubin Wang
- Cognitive and Mental Health Research Center, Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Science, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Zheng Yang
- Cognitive and Mental Health Research Center, Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Science, Beijing, People's Republic of China
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