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Cid-Jofré V, Bahamondes T, Zúñiga Correa A, Ahumada Arias I, Reyes-Parada M, Renard GM. Psychostimulants and social behaviors. Front Pharmacol 2024; 15:1364630. [PMID: 38725665 PMCID: PMC11079219 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2024.1364630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Mounting evidence from animal models and human studies indicates that psychostimulants can significantly affect social behaviors. This is not surprising considering that the neural circuits underlying the regulation and expression of social behaviors are highly overlapped with those targeted by psychostimulants, which in most cases have strong rewarding and, consequently, addictive properties. In the present work, we provide an overview regarding the effects of illicit and prescription psychostimulants, such as cocaine, amphetamine-type stimulants, methylphenidate or modafinil, upon social behaviors such as social play, maternal behavior, aggression, pair bonding and social cognition and how psychostimulants in both animals and humans alter them. Finally, we discuss why these effects can vary depending on numerous variables such as the type of drug considered, acute versus long-term use, clinical versus recreational consumption, or the presence or absence of concomitant risk factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeska Cid-Jofré
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica y Aplicada (CIBAP), Escuela de Medicina, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad de Santiago de Chile (USACH), Santiago, Chile
| | - Tamara Bahamondes
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica y Aplicada (CIBAP), Escuela de Medicina, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad de Santiago de Chile (USACH), Santiago, Chile
| | - Agustina Zúñiga Correa
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica y Aplicada (CIBAP), Escuela de Medicina, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad de Santiago de Chile (USACH), Santiago, Chile
| | - Ivalú Ahumada Arias
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica y Aplicada (CIBAP), Escuela de Medicina, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad de Santiago de Chile (USACH), Santiago, Chile
| | - Miguel Reyes-Parada
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica y Aplicada (CIBAP), Escuela de Medicina, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad de Santiago de Chile (USACH), Santiago, Chile
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Talca, Chile
| | - Georgina M. Renard
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica y Aplicada (CIBAP), Escuela de Medicina, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad de Santiago de Chile (USACH), Santiago, Chile
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Chmiel J, Malinowska A, Rybakowski F, Leszek J. The Effectiveness of Mindfulness in the Treatment of Methamphetamine Addiction Symptoms: Does Neuroplasticity Play a Role? Brain Sci 2024; 14:320. [PMID: 38671972 PMCID: PMC11047954 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14040320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2024] [Revised: 03/23/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Methamphetamine is a highly stimulating psychoactive drug that causes life-threatening addictions and affects millions of people around the world. Its effects on the brain are complex and include disturbances in the neurotransmitter systems and neurotoxicity. There are several known treatment methods, but their effectiveness is moderate. It must be emphasised that no drugs have been approved for treatment. For this reason, there is an urgent need to develop new, effective, and safe treatments for methamphetamine. One of the potential treatments is mindfulness meditation. In recent years, this technique has been researched extensively in the context of many neurological and psychiatric disorders. METHODS This review explores the use of mindfulness in the treatment of methamphetamine addiction. Searches were conducted in the PubMed/Medline, Research Gate, and Cochrane databases. RESULTS Ten studies were identified that used mindfulness-based interventions in the treatment of methamphetamine addiction. The results show that mindfulness is an effective form of reducing hunger, risk of relapses, stress indicators, depression, and aggression, alone or in combination with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). Mindfulness also improved the cognitive function in addicts. The included studies used only behavioural measures. The potential mechanisms of mindfulness in addiction were explained, and it was proposed that it can induce neuroplasticity, alleviating the symptoms of addiction. CONCLUSIONS Evidence from the studies suggest that mindfulness may be an effective treatment option for methamphetamine addiction, used alone or in combination with tDCS. However, further high-quality research is required to establish the role of this treatment option in this field. The use of neuroimaging and neurophysiological measures is fundamental to understand the mechanisms of mindfulness.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Chmiel
- Institute of Neurofeedback and tDCS Poland, 70-393 Szczecin, Poland
| | | | - Filip Rybakowski
- Department and Clinic of Psychiatry, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 61-701 Poznań, Poland
| | - Jerzy Leszek
- Department and Clinic of Psychiatry, Wrocław Medical University, 54-235 Wrocław, Poland
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Opitz A, Zimmermann J, Cole DM, Coray RC, Zachäi A, Baumgartner MR, Steuer AE, Pilhatsch M, Quednow BB, Beste C, Stock AK. Conflict monitoring and emotional processing in 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and methamphetamine users - A comparative neurophysiological study. Neuroimage Clin 2024; 41:103579. [PMID: 38447413 PMCID: PMC10924209 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2024.103579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
In stimulant use and addiction, conflict control processes are crucial for regulating substance use and sustaining abstinence, which can be particularly challenging in social-affective situations. Users of methamphetamine (METH, "Ice") and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, "Ecstasy") both experience impulse control deficits, but display different social-affective and addictive profiles. We thus aimed to compare the effects of chronic use of the substituted amphetamines METH and MDMA on conflict control processes in different social-affective contexts (i.e., anger and happiness) and investigate their underlying neurophysiological mechanisms. For this purpose, chronic but recently abstinent users of METH (n = 38) and MDMA (n = 42), as well as amphetamine-naïve healthy controls (n = 83) performed an emotional face-word Stroop paradigm, while event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded. Instead of substance-specific differences, both MDMA and METH users showed smaller behavioral effects of cognitive-emotional conflict processing (independently of emotional valence) and selective deficits in emotional processing of anger content. Both effects were underpinned by stronger P3 ERP modulations suggesting that users of substituted amphetamines employ altered stimulus-response mapping and decision-making. Given that these processes are modulated by noradrenaline and that both MDMA and METH use may be associated with noradrenergic dysfunctions, the noradrenaline system may underlie the observed substance-related similarities. Better understanding the functional relevance of this currently still under-researched neurotransmitter and its functional changes in chronic users of substituted amphetamines is thus an important avenue for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antje Opitz
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Germany
| | - Josua Zimmermann
- Experimental and Clinical Pharmacopsychology, Department of Adult Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Switzerland; Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Switzerland
| | - David M Cole
- Experimental and Clinical Pharmacopsychology, Department of Adult Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Switzerland; Translational Psychiatry Lab, University Psychiatric Clinics Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Rebecca C Coray
- Experimental and Clinical Pharmacopsychology, Department of Adult Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Switzerland; Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Anna Zachäi
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Germany
| | - Markus R Baumgartner
- Center for Forensic Hair Analytics, Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Andrea E Steuer
- Department of Forensic Pharmacology & Toxicology, Zurich Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Maximilian Pilhatsch
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Carl Gustav Carus University Hospital, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Elblandklinikum, Radebeul, Germany
| | - Boris B Quednow
- Experimental and Clinical Pharmacopsychology, Department of Adult Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Switzerland; Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Christian Beste
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Germany
| | - Ann-Kathrin Stock
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Germany; Biopsychology, Department of Psychology, School of Science, TU Dresden, Germany.
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Shahveisi K, Zarei SA, Naderi S, Khodamoradi M. Role of sex hormones in the effects of sleep deprivation on methamphetamine reward memory. Neurosci Lett 2023; 814:137440. [PMID: 37586558 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2023.137440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Abstract
Sleep deficiency is known as an important risk factor for relapse to drug abuse, especially for the powerful psychostimulant methamphetamine (METH). On the other hand, both drug addiction and sleep neurobiology are affected by sex hormones. We, therefore, aimed to examine the probable effects of sleep deprivation (SD) on methamphetamine (METH) reward memory in male and female rats. Moreover, we asked if sex hormones influence the effects of SD on METH reward memory. Adult male and female Wistar rats were divided into two main groups, sham and gonadectomized groups. Three weeks later, they were conditioned to receive METH (2 mg/kg, i.p.) in the conditioned place preference. METH reward memory was then reinstated following a 10-day extinction period. SD was induced for 72 h, either before or after extinction, in different groups. In gonadectomized animals, they daily received either subcutaneous administration of estrogen (5 μg/0.1 ml oil) or progesterone (2 mg/0.1 ml oil) or dihydrotestosterone (25 mg/0.1 ml oil) for thirteen days, from post-conditioning day to reinstatement session. We found that SD facilitated relapse to METH reward memory, depending on the time interval between SD and METH reinstatement. Furthermore, we found that estrogen and SD showed synergistic effects to facilitate METH reward memory, whereas testosterone and progesterone revealed inhibitory effects in the controls, but not in the SD, animals. Our findings would seem to suggest that sex hormones should be considered as determinant factors to manage METH abuse and relapse to METH seeking/taking behavior, especially for those with sleep deficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaveh Shahveisi
- Sleep Disorders Research Center, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Shahab A Zarei
- Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology (Institute of Neuroscience), Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yue Yang Road, Shanghai, China
| | - Safoura Naderi
- Faculty of Medicine, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Mehdi Khodamoradi
- Substance Abuse Prevention Research Center, Health Institute, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah, Iran.
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Maliske LZ, Schurz M, Kanske P. Interactions within the social brain: Co-activation and connectivity among networks enabling empathy and Theory of Mind. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 147:105080. [PMID: 36764638 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2021] [Revised: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/05/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
Empathy and Theory of Mind (ToM) have classically been studied as separate social functions, however, recent advances demonstrate the need to investigate the two in interaction: naturalistic settings often blur the distinction of affect and cognition and demand the simultaneous processing of such different stimulus dimensions. Here, we investigate how empathy and ToM related brain networks interact in contexts wherein multiple cognitive and affective demands must be processed simultaneously. Building on the findings of a recent meta-analysis and hierarchical clustering analysis, we perform meta-analytic connectivity modeling to determine patterns of task-context specific network changes. We analyze 140 studies including classical empathy and ToM tasks, as well as complex social tasks. For studies at the intersection of empathy and ToM, neural co-activation patterns included areas typically associated with both empathy and ToM. Network integration is discussed as a means of combining mechanisms across unique behavioral domains. Such integration may enable adaptive behavior in complex, naturalistic social settings that require simultaneous processing of a multitude of different affective and cognitive information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara Z Maliske
- Clinical Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Chemnitzer Straße 46, 01187 Dresden, Germany.
| | - Matthias Schurz
- Institute of Psychology and Digital Science Center, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 52, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, & Behaviour, Radboud University, Heyendaalseweg 135, 6525 Nijmegen, Netherlands; Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, 13 Mansifield Road, Oxford OX1 3SR, United Kingdom
| | - Philipp Kanske
- Clinical Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Chemnitzer Straße 46, 01187 Dresden, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Stephanstraße 1a, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
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Li M, Zhang M, Yuan T, Rao L. Impaired social decision‐making in males with methamphetamine use disorder. Addict Biol 2022; 27:e13204. [DOI: 10.1111/adb.13204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ming‐Hui Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
- Department of Psychology University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | - Mingming Zhang
- Research Center of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience Liaoning Normal University Dalian China
| | - Ti‐Fei Yuan
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine Shanghai China
- Co‐innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University Nantong Jiangsu China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Anesthesiology and Brain Functional Modulation, Translational Research Institute of Brain and Brain‐Like Intelligence, Shanghai Fourth People's Hospital Affiliated to Tongji University School of Medicine Shanghai China
| | - Li‐Lin Rao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
- Department of Psychology University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
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7
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Empathy deficits and their behavioral, neuroanatomical, and functional connectivity correlates in smoked cocaine users. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2021; 110:110328. [PMID: 33865925 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2021.110328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Revised: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Reduced empathic abilities are frequently observed in drug abusers. These deficits may compromise interpersonal interactions and contribute to diminished social functioning. However, previous evidence regarding empathy and addiction is behaviorally unspecific and virtually null in terms of their brain structural or functional correlates. Moreover, no previous study has investigated how empathy is affected by drugs whose consumption is particularly characterized by counter-empathic behaviors. Here, we conducted the first assessment of neurocognitive correlates of empathy for pain in dependent users (predominantly men) of smoked cocaine (SC, coca paste, n = 37). We compared their performance in the empathy task with that of two groups matched in relevant demographic variables: 24 dependent users of insufflated cocaine hydrochloride (CC) and 21 healthy controls. In addition, we explored the structural anatomy and functional connectivity (FC) correlates of empathic impairments across groups. Our results showed that, compared to CC and controls, SC users exhibited a selective reduction of empathic concern for intentional harms. These impairments were associated with lower gray matter volumes in regions subserving social cognition (i.e., right inferior parietal lobule, supramarginal and angular gyri). Furthermore, reduced empathic concern correlated with FC within affective empathy and social cognition networks, which are also linked to cognitive changes reported in addiction (i.e., inferior frontal and orbital gyri, posterior insula, supplementary motor area, cingulate cortex). Our findings suggest that chronic consumption of SC may involve reduced empathic concern and relevant neuroanatomical and FC abnormalities, which, in turn, may result in social interaction dysfunction. These results can inform theoretical and applied developments in neuropsychopharmacology.
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Razavi Y, Keyhanfar F, Haghparast A, Shabani R, Mehdizadeh M. Cannabidiol promotes neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus during an abstinence period in rats following chronic exposure to methamphetamine. Metab Brain Dis 2021; 36:1381-1390. [PMID: 34143376 DOI: 10.1007/s11011-021-00774-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/06/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Chronic methamphetamine (meth) abuse can lead to certain deficits in the hippocampal function by affecting the hippocampal neurogenesis and plasticity. To determine whether cannabidiol (CBD) can promote proliferation and maturation of neuronal progenitor cells, this study investigated the CBD effect on neurogenesis in the hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG) following chronic exposure to meth in rats. The rats received 2 mg/kg of meth twice a day for ten days. Next, immunofluorescence was performed to evaluate the effect of intracerebroventricular (ICV) administration of CBD (50 μg/5 μL) over an abstinence period (ten days) on the expression levels of neurogenesis markers, such as Ki67, NeuN, and doublecortin (DCX). Moreover, neuronal degeneration in the hippocampus was assessed using Nissl staining. According to our findings, repeated ICV administration of CBD improved cell proliferation and neurogenesis and increased the number of Ki-67 and DCX-positive cells in the abstinence period. Meanwhile, meth treatment subjects caused a significant decrease in the number of neurogenesis makers, as compared to the control group. The neurogenesis markers (Ki-67 and DCX) could be somewhat reversed, while NeuN did not show any significant increase in the CBD group. Our findings demonstrated that CBD can induce neuroprotective effects by modulating neurogenesis. Therefore, it can provide a promising therapeutic approach to improve cognitive performance following chronic exposure to psychostimulant drugs, including meth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasaman Razavi
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fariborz Keyhanfar
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Abbas Haghparast
- Neuroscience Research Center, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ronak Shabani
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mehdi Mehdizadeh
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
- Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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Yan C, Yang X, Yang R, Yang W, Luo J, Tang F, Huang S, Liu J. Treatment Response Prediction and Individualized Identification of Short-Term Abstinence Methamphetamine Dependence Using Brain Graph Metrics. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:583950. [PMID: 33746790 PMCID: PMC7965948 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.583950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: The abuse of methamphetamine (MA) worldwide has gained international attention as the most rapidly growing illicit drug problem. The classification and treatment response prediction of MA addicts are thereby paramount, in order for effective treatments to be more targeted to individuals. However, there has been limited progress. Methods: In the present study, 43 MA-dependent participants and 38 age- and gender-matched healthy controls were enrolled, and their resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data were collected. MA-dependent participants who showed 50% reduction in craving were defined as responders to treatment. The present study used the machine learning method, which is a support vector machine (SVM), to detect the most relevant features for discriminating and predicting the treatment response for MA-dependent participants based on the features extracted from the functional graph metrics. Results: A classifier was able to differentiate MA-dependent subjects from normal controls, with a cross-validated prediction accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of 73.2% [95% confidence interval (CI) = 71.23-74.17%), 66.05% (95% CI = 63.06-69.04%), and 80.35% (95% CI = 77.77-82.93%), respectively, at the individual level. The most accurate combination of classifier features included the nodal efficiency in the right middle temporal gyrus and the community index in the left precentral gyrus and cuneus. Between these two, the community index in the left precentral gyrus had the highest importance. In addition, the classification performance of the other classifier used to predict the treatment response of MA-dependent subjects had an accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of 71.2% (95% CI = 69.28-73.12%), 86.75% (95% CI = 84.48-88.92%), and 55.65% (95% CI = 52.61-58.79%), respectively, at the individual level. Furthermore, the most accurate combination of classifier features included the nodal clustering coefficient in the right orbital part of the superior frontal gyrus, the nodal local efficiency in the right orbital part of the superior frontal gyrus, and the right triangular part of the inferior frontal gyrus and right temporal pole of middle temporal gyrus. Among these, the nodal local efficiency in the right temporal pole of the middle temporal gyrus had the highest feature importance. Conclusion: The present study identified the most relevant features of MA addiction and treatment based on SVMs and the features extracted from the graph metrics and provided possible biomarkers to differentiate and predict the treatment response for MA-dependent patients. The brain regions involved in the best combinations should be given close attention during the treatment of MA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cui Yan
- Department of Radiology, Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Xuefei Yang
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering, Ministry of Education, Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Ru Yang
- Department of Radiology, Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Wenhan Yang
- Department of Radiology, Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Jing Luo
- Department of Radiology, Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Fei Tang
- Department of Radiology, Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Sihong Huang
- Department of Radiology, Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Jun Liu
- Department of Radiology, Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
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Paulus MP, Stewart JL. Neurobiology, Clinical Presentation, and Treatment of Methamphetamine Use Disorder: A Review. JAMA Psychiatry 2020; 77:959-966. [PMID: 32267484 PMCID: PMC8098650 DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2020.0246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 144] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
IMPORTANCE The prevalence of and mortality associated with methamphetamine use has doubled during the past 10 years. There is evidence suggesting that methamphetamine use disorder could be the next substance use crisis in the United States and possibly worldwide. OBSERVATION The neurobiology of methamphetamine use disorder extends beyond the acute effect of the drug as a monoaminergic modulator and includes intracellular pathways focused on oxidative stress, neurotoxic and excitotoxic effects, and neuroinflammation. Similarly, the clinical picture extends beyond the acute psychostimulatory symptoms to include complex cardiovascular and cerebrovascular signs and symptoms that need to be identified by the clinician. Although there are no pharmacologic treatments for methamphetamine use disorder, cognitive behavioral therapy, behavioral activation, and contingency management show modest effectiveness. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE There is a need to better understand the complex neurobiology of methamphetamine use disorder and to develop interventions aimed at novel biological targets. Parsing the disorder into different processes (eg, craving or mood-associated alterations) and targeting the neural systems and biological pathways underlying these processes may lead to greater success in identifying disease-modifying interventions. Finally, mental health professionals need to be trained in recognizing early cardiovascular and cerebrovascular warning signs to mitigate the mortality associated with methamphetamine use disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin P. Paulus
- Scientific Director and President Laureate Institute for Brain Research 6655 S Yale Ave, Tulsa, OK 74136-3326,Department of Community Medicine, University of Tulsa, Tulsa OK 74104
| | - Jennifer L. Stewart
- Scientific Director and President Laureate Institute for Brain Research 6655 S Yale Ave, Tulsa, OK 74136-3326,Department of Community Medicine, University of Tulsa, Tulsa OK 74104
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May AC, Aupperle RL, Stewart JL. Dark Times: The Role of Negative Reinforcement in Methamphetamine Addiction. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:114. [PMID: 32256392 PMCID: PMC7090143 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2019] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Methamphetamine use is associated with substantial adverse outcomes including poor mental and physical health, financial difficulties, and societal costs. Despite deleterious long-term consequences associated with methamphetamine, many people use drugs for short-term reduction of unpleasant physical or emotional sensations. By removing these aversive states, drug use behaviors are negatively reinforced. Abstinence from methamphetamine can then result in a return to previous aversive emotional states linked to withdrawal and craving, often contributing to an increased likelihood for relapse. This negative reinforcement cycle is hypothesized to be a motivating and maintaining factor for addiction. Thus, this review highlights the current evidence for negative reinforcement mechanisms in methamphetamine use disorder by integrating studies of subjective experience, behavior, functional magnetic resonance imaging, positron emission tomography, and event-related potentials and examining the efficacy of treatments targeting aspects of negative reinforcement. Overall, the literature demonstrates that individuals who use methamphetamine have diminished cognitive control and process emotions, loss of reward, and interoceptive information differently than non-using individuals. These differences are reflected in behavioral and subjective experiments as well as brain-based experiments which report significant differences in various frontal regions, insula, anterior cingulate cortex, and striatum. Together, the results suggest methamphetamine users have an altered experience of negative outcomes, difficulties employing effective emotion regulation, and difficulty engaging in adaptive or goal-directed decision-making. Suggestions for future research to improve our understanding of how negative reinforcement contributes to methamphetamine addiction and to develop effective interventions are provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- April C. May
- Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego State University and University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Robin L. Aupperle
- Laureate Institute for Brain Research, Tulsa, OK, United States
- Department of Community Medicine, University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK, United States
| | - Jennifer L. Stewart
- Laureate Institute for Brain Research, Tulsa, OK, United States
- Department of Community Medicine, University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK, United States
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Abstract
One of the consequences of chronic methamphetamine (Meth) abuse and Meth addiction is impaired hippocampal function which plays a critical role in enhanced propensity for relapse. This impairment is predicted by alterations in hippocampal neurogenesis, structural- and functional-plasticity of granule cell neurons (GCNs), and expression of plasticity-related proteins in the dentate gyrus. This review will elaborate on the effects of Meth in animal models during different stages of addiction-like behavior on proliferation, differentiation, maturation, and survival of newly born neural progenitor cells. We will then discuss evidence for the contribution of adult neurogenesis in context-driven Meth-seeking behavior in animal models. These findings from interdisciplinary studies suggest that a subset of newly born GCNs contribute to context-driven Meth-seeking in Meth addicted animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshio Takashima
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of California San Diego, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Chitra D. Mandyam
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of California San Diego, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA
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Takashima Y, Fannon MJ, Galinato MH, Steiner NL, An M, Zemljic-Harpf AE, Somkuwar SS, Head BP, Mandyam CD. Neuroadaptations in the dentate gyrus following contextual cued reinstatement of methamphetamine seeking. Brain Struct Funct 2018; 223:2197-2211. [PMID: 29441405 PMCID: PMC5970030 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-018-1615-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2017] [Accepted: 01/17/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Abstinence from unregulated methamphetamine self-administration increases hippocampal dependent, context-driven reinstatement of methamphetamine seeking. The current study tested the hypothesis that alterations in the functional properties of granule cell neurons (GCNs) in the dentate gyrus (DG) of the hippocampus in concert with altered expression of synaptic plasticity-related proteins and ultrastructural changes in the DG are associated with enhanced context-driven methamphetamine-seeking behavior. Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings were performed in acute brain slices from methamphetamine naïve (controls) and methamphetamine experienced animals (during acute withdrawal, during abstinence, after extinction and after reinstatement). Spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic currents (sEPSCs) and intrinsic excitability were recorded from GCNs. Reinstatement of methamphetamine seeking increased sEPSC frequency and produced larger amplitude responses in GCNs compared to controls and all other groups. Reinstatement of methamphetamine seeking reduced spiking capability in GCNs compared to controls, and all other groups, as indicated by reduced intrinsic spiking elicited by increasing current injections, membrane resistance and fast after hyperpolarization. In rats that reinstated methamphetamine seeking, these altered electrophysiological properties of GCNs were associated with enhanced expression of Fos, GluN2A subunits and PSD95 and reduced expression of GABAA subunits in the DG and enhanced expression of synaptic PSD in the molecular layer. The alterations in functional properties of GCNs and plasticity related proteins in the DG paralleled with no changes in structure of microglial cells in the DG. Taken together, our results demonstrate that enhanced reinstatement of methamphetamine seeking results in alterations in intrinsic spiking and spontaneous glutamatergic synaptic transmission in the GCNs and concomitant increases in neuronal activation of GCNs, and expression of GluNs and decreases in GABAA subunits that may contribute to the altered synaptic connectivity-neuronal circuitry-and activity in the hippocampus, and enhance propensity for relapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshio Takashima
- Department of Neuroscience, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | | | - Melissa H Galinato
- Department of Neuroscience, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
- VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA
| | | | - Michelle An
- VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Alice E Zemljic-Harpf
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
- VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA
| | | | - Brian P Head
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
- VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Chitra D Mandyam
- Department of Neuroscience, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA.
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA.
- VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA.
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14
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Uhlmann A, Ipser JC, Wilson D, Stein DJ. Social cognition and aggression in methamphetamine dependence with and without a history of psychosis. Metab Brain Dis 2018; 33:559-568. [PMID: 29224181 DOI: 10.1007/s11011-017-0157-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2017] [Accepted: 11/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
In substance use and psychotic disorders, socially problematic behaviours, such as high aggression may, in part, be explained by deficits in social cognition skills, like the detection of emotions or intentions in others. The aim of this study was to assess the magnitude of social cognition impairment and its association with aggression in individuals with methamphetamine (MA) dependence, methamphetamine-associated psychosis (MAP), and healthy controls (CTRL). A total of 20 MAP participants, 21 MA-dependent participants without psychosis, and 21 CTRL participants performed a facial morphing emotion recognition task (ERT) across four basic emotions (anger, fear, happiness and sadness) and the reading the mind in the eyes task (RMET), and completed the aggression questionnaire. Both MA-dependent groups showed impairment in social cognition in terms of lower RMET scores relative to CTRL participants (MA; p = .047; MAP: p < .001). Additionally, performance decrements were significantly greater in MAP (p = .040), compared to MA-dependent participants. While deficits in recognising emotional expressions were restricted to anger in the MA group (p = .020), a generalized impairment across all four emotions was observed in MAP (all p ≤ .001). Additionally, both patient groups demonstrated higher levels of aggression than CTRLs, yet no association was found with social cognition. This study supported the notion of deficits in recognising facial emotional expressions and inferring mental states of others in MA dependence, with additional impairments in MAP. Failure to detect an association between social cognitive impairment and aggressive behaviour may implicate independent disturbances of the two phenomena in MA dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Uhlmann
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
- Department of Psychiatry, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa.
| | - Jonathan C Ipser
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Don Wilson
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Dan J Stein
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- MRC Unit on Risk and Resilience in Mental Disorders, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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15
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Zhang S, Wang W, Zhornitsky S, Li CSR. Resting State Functional Connectivity of the Lateral and Medial Hypothalamus in Cocaine Dependence: An Exploratory Study. Front Psychiatry 2018; 9:344. [PMID: 30100886 PMCID: PMC6072838 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2018] [Accepted: 07/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The role of dopamine in cocaine misuse has been extensively documented for the mesocorticolimbic circuit. Preclinical work from earlier lesion studies to recent multidisciplinary investigations has suggested that the hypothalamus is critically involved in motivated behavior, with the lateral and medial hypothalamus each involved in waking/feeding and resting/satiety. However, little is known of hypothalamus function and dysfunction in cocaine misuse. Here, we examined resting state functional connectivity of the lateral and medial hypothalamus in 70 individuals with cocaine dependence (CD) and 70 age as well as gender matched healthy controls (HC). Image pre-processing and analyses followed published work. Compared to HC, CD showed increased lateral hypothalamic connectivity with dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and decreased functional connectivity with the ventral precuneus. CD showed increased medial hypothalamic connectivity with the inferior parietal lobule and decreased connectivity with the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, temporal gyrus, fusiform gyrus, and ventral striatum. Further, at trend level significance, the connectivity strength between lateral hypothalamus and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex was positively correlated with total amount of cocaine use in the past month (p = 0.004, r = 0.35) and the connectivity strength between medial hypothalamus and ventral striatum was negatively correlated with cocaine craving as assessed by the Tiffany Cocaine Craving Questionnaire (p = 0.008, r = -0.33). Together, the findings demonstrated altered resting state functional connectivity of the hypothalamus and may provide new insight on circuit level deficits in cocaine dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheng Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Wuyi Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Simon Zhornitsky
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Chiang-Shan R Li
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States.,Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States.,Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States.,Beijing Huilongguan Hospital, Beijing, China
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16
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Massey SH, Newmark RL, Wakschlag LS. Explicating the role of empathic processes in substance use disorders: A conceptual framework and research agenda. Drug Alcohol Rev 2017; 37:316-332. [PMID: 28493364 DOI: 10.1111/dar.12548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2016] [Revised: 10/05/2016] [Accepted: 03/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
ISSUES Elucidating the role of empathic processes in developmental pathways to substance use disorders could have important implications for prevention. APPROACH We searched the biomedical and social sciences literature to determine what is known about empathy and psychopathological manifestations of severe lack of empathy in the initiation, development and maintenance of psychoactive substance use. Thirty-seven empirical studies were identified and formally reviewed. KEY FINDINGS Adults with alcohol and stimulant use disorders exhibited detectable impairments in both cognitive and affective empathy, measured behaviourally, neuroanatomically and by self-report, relative to controls. There were no developmental studies specifically designed to test the role of empathy in substance use pathways, but several studies that included measures of empathy suggest that empathy may be protective. Studies on severe empathic deficits were mixed regarding a unique role of empathy in substance use trajectories, independent of interpersonal style, impulsivity and social deviance. Implications and Conclusions. In the context of findings and methodological limitations of this review, we recommend more rigorous examination of empathy across the spectrum of substance use behaviour. Future work should utilise the following: (i) prospective assessment of empathic capacity in substance abusers during and following treatment; (ii) large, developmentally based prospective designs beginning prior to substance initiation incorporating multiple measures of empathy; (iii) assessment of the moderating role of gender, race and ethnicity; and (iv) prospective study of empathy in children at elevated risk for substance use disorders. [Massey SH, Newmark RL, Wakschlag LS. Explicating the role of empathic processes in substance use disorders: A conceptual framework and research agenda.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suena H Massey
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, USA.,Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, USA
| | - Rebecca L Newmark
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, USA
| | - Lauren S Wakschlag
- Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, USA.,Institute for Innovations in Developmental Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, USA
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17
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18
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Fede SJ, Harenski CL, Borg JS, Sinnott-Armstrong W, Rao V, Caldwell B, Nyalakanti PK, Koenigs M, Decety J, Calhoun VC, Kiehl KA. Abnormal fronto-limbic engagement in incarcerated stimulant users during moral processing. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2016; 233:3077-87. [PMID: 27401337 PMCID: PMC4982833 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-016-4344-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2016] [Accepted: 05/09/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Stimulant use is a significant and prevalent problem, particularly in criminal populations. Previous studies found that cocaine and methamphetamine use is related to impairment in identifying emotions and empathy. Stimulant users also have abnormal neural structure and function of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), amygdala, and anterior (ACC) and posterior cingulate (PCC), regions implicated in moral decision-making. However, no research has studied the neural correlates of stimulant use and explicit moral processing in an incarcerated population. OBJECTIVES Here, we examine how stimulant use affects sociomoral processing that might contribute to antisocial behavior. We predicted that vmPFC, amygdala, PCC, and ACC would show abnormal neural response during a moral processing task in incarcerated methamphetamine and cocaine users. METHODS Incarcerated adult males (N = 211) were scanned with a mobile MRI system while completing a moral decision-making task. Lifetime drug use was assessed. Neural responses during moral processing were compared between users and non-users. The relationship between duration of use and neural function was also examined. RESULTS Incarcerated stimulant users showed less amygdala engagement than non-users during moral processing. Duration of stimulant use was negatively associated with activity in ACC and positively associated with vmPFC response during moral processing. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest a dynamic pattern of fronto-limbic moral processing related to stimulant use with deficits in both central motive and cognitive integration elements of biological moral processes theory. This increases our understanding of how drug use relates to moral processing in the brain in an ultra-high-risk population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha J. Fede
- University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM,Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, NM
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Vince C. Calhoun
- University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM,Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, NM
| | - Kent A. Kiehl
- University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM,Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, NM
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19
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Somkuwar SS, Staples MC, Fannon MJ, Ghofranian A, Mandyam CD. Evaluating Exercise as a Therapeutic Intervention for Methamphetamine Addiction-Like Behavior. Brain Plast 2015; 1:63-81. [PMID: 29765835 PMCID: PMC5928557 DOI: 10.3233/bpl-150007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The need for effective treatments for addiction and dependence to the illicit stimulant methamphetamine in primary care settings is increasing, yet no effective medications have been FDA approved to reduce dependence [1]. This is partially attributed to the complex and dynamic neurobiology underlying the various stages of addiction [2]. Therapeutic strategies to treat methamphetamine addiction, particularly the relapse stage of addiction, could revolutionize methamphetamine addiction treatment. In this context, preclinical studies demonstrate that voluntary exercise (sustained physical activity) could be used as an intervention to reduce methamphetamine addiction. Therefore, it appears that methamphetamine disrupts normal functioning in the brain and this disruption is prevented or reduced by engaging in exercise. This review discusses animal models of methamphetamine addiction and sustained physical activity and the interactions between exercise and methamphetamine behaviors. The review highlights how methamphetamine and exercise affect neuronal plasticity and neurotoxicity in the adult mammalian striatum, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex, and presents the emerging mechanisms of exercise in attenuating intake and in preventing relapse to methamphetamine seeking in preclinical models of methamphetamine addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sucharita S Somkuwar
- Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Miranda C Staples
- Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - McKenzie J Fannon
- Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Atoosa Ghofranian
- Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Chitra D Mandyam
- Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
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20
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Van Overwalle F, D'aes T, Mariën P. Social cognition and the cerebellum: A meta-analytic connectivity analysis. Hum Brain Mapp 2015; 36:5137-54. [PMID: 26419890 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2015] [Revised: 08/06/2015] [Accepted: 09/08/2015] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
This meta-analytic connectivity modeling (MACM) study explores the functional connectivity of the cerebellum with the cerebrum in social cognitive processes. In a recent meta-analysis, Van Overwalle, Baetens, Mariën, and Vandekerckhove (2014) documented that the cerebellum is implicated in social processes of "body" reading (mirroring; e.g., understanding other persons' intentions from observing their movements) and "mind" reading (mentalizing, e.g., inferring other persons' beliefs, intentions or personality traits, reconstructing persons' past, future, or hypothetical events). In a recent functional connectivity study, Buckner et al. (2011) offered a novel parcellation of cerebellar topography that substantially overlaps with the cerebellar meta-analytic findings of Van Overwalle et al. (2014). This overlap suggests that the involvement of the cerebellum in social reasoning depends on its functional connectivity with the cerebrum. To test this hypothesis, we explored the meta-analytic co-activations as indices of functional connectivity between the cerebellum and the cerebrum during social cognition. The MACM results confirm substantial and distinct connectivity with respect to the functions of (a) action understanding ("body" reading) and (b) mentalizing ("mind" reading). The consistent and strong connectivity findings of this analysis suggest that cerebellar activity during social judgments reflects distinct mirroring and mentalizing functionality, and that these cerebellar functions are connected with corresponding functional networks in the cerebrum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank Van Overwalle
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, Brussels, 1050, Belgium
| | - Tine D'aes
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, Brussels, 1050, Belgium
| | - Peter Mariën
- Faculty of Arts, Department of Clinical and Experimental Neurolinguistics, CLIN, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050, Brussels, Belgium.,Department of Neurology and Memory Clinic, ZNA Middelheim Hospital, Lindendreef 1, Antwerp, B-2020, Belgium
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21
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Du J, Quan M, Zhuang W, Zhong N, Jiang H, Kennedy DN, Harrington A, Ziedonis D, Fan X, Zhao M. Hippocampal volume reduction in female but not male recent abstinent methamphetamine users. Behav Brain Res 2015; 289:78-83. [PMID: 25920682 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2015.04.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2015] [Revised: 04/13/2015] [Accepted: 04/19/2015] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Growing evidence suggests abnormalities in brain morphology including hippocampal structure in patients with methamphetamine (MA) dependence. This study was performed to examine hippocampal volume in abstinent MA users, and to further explore its relationship with cognitive function. 30 abstinent MA users (20 males and 10 females) with average 5.52 months of duration of abstinence and 29 healthy controls (19 males and 10 females) age 18-45 years old were recruited for clinical assessment and imaging scan. FreeSurfer was used to segment the hippocampus bilaterally, and hippocampal volumes were extracted for group and gender comparisons. Cognitive function was measured using the CogState Battery Chinese language version (CSB-C). Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) controlling for education showed a significant group by gender interaction for the right hippocampal relative volume adjusted for total brain size (p = 0.020); there was a significant difference between male controls and female controls (p < 0.001), but such a difference did not exist between male patients and female patients (p = 0.203). No significant correlations were found between hippocampal volume and cognitive measures. There seems to be a gender difference in how MA affects hippocampal volume in abstinent MA users. Hippocampus might be an important treatment target for cognitive improvement and functional recovery in this patient population, especially in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiang Du
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Meina Quan
- UMass Memorial Medical Center/University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Wenxu Zhuang
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Na Zhong
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Haifeng Jiang
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - David N Kennedy
- UMass Memorial Medical Center/University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Amy Harrington
- UMass Memorial Medical Center/University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Douglas Ziedonis
- UMass Memorial Medical Center/University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Xiaoduo Fan
- UMass Memorial Medical Center/University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.
| | - Min Zhao
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
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22
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Galinato MH, Orio L, Mandyam CD. Methamphetamine differentially affects BDNF and cell death factors in anatomically defined regions of the hippocampus. Neuroscience 2014; 286:97-108. [PMID: 25463524 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2014.11.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2014] [Revised: 10/25/2014] [Accepted: 11/08/2014] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Methamphetamine exposure reduces hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) and neurogenesis and these alterations partially contribute to hippocampal maladaptive plasticity. The potential mechanisms underlying methamphetamine-induced maladaptive plasticity were identified in the present study. Expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF; a regulator of LTP and neurogenesis), and its receptor tropomyosin-related kinase B (TrkB) were studied in the dorsal and ventral hippocampal tissue lysates in rats that intravenously self-administered methamphetamine in a limited access (1h/day) or extended access (6h/day) paradigm for 17days post baseline sessions. Extended access methamphetamine enhanced expression of BDNF with significant effects observed in the dorsal and ventral hippocampus. Methamphetamine-induced enhancements in BDNF expression were not associated with TrkB receptor activation as indicated by phospho (p)-TrkB-706 levels. Conversely, methamphetamine produced hypophosphorylation of N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor subunit 2B (GluN2B) at Tyr-1472 in the ventral hippocampus, indicating reduced receptor activation. In addition, methamphetamine enhanced expression of anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 and reduced pro-apoptotic protein Bax levels in the ventral hippocampus, suggesting a mechanism for reducing cell death. Analysis of Akt, a pro-survival kinase that suppresses apoptotic pathways and pAkt at Ser-473 demonstrated that extended access methamphetamine reduces Akt expression in the ventral hippocampus. These data reveal that alterations in Bcl-2 and Bax levels by methamphetamine were not associated with enhanced Akt expression. Given that hippocampal function and neurogenesis vary in a subregion-specific fashion, where dorsal hippocampus regulates spatial processing and has higher levels of neurogenesis, whereas ventral hippocampus regulates anxiety-related behaviors, these data suggest that methamphetamine self-administration initiates distinct allostatic changes in hippocampal subregions that may contribute to the altered synaptic activity in the hippocampus, which may underlie enhanced negative affective symptoms and perpetuation of the addiction cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- M H Galinato
- Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - L Orio
- Departamento de Psicobiología, Facultad Psicología, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Campus Somosaguas, 28223 Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, Spain
| | - C D Mandyam
- Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
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23
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London ED, Kohno M, Morales AM, Ballard ME. Chronic methamphetamine abuse and corticostriatal deficits revealed by neuroimaging. Brain Res 2014; 1628:174-85. [PMID: 25451127 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2014.10.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 124] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2014] [Revised: 10/17/2014] [Accepted: 10/22/2014] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Despite aggressive efforts to contain it, methamphetamine use disorder continues to be major public health problem; and with generic behavioral therapies still the mainstay of treatment for methamphetamine abuse, rates of attrition and relapse remain high. This review summarizes the findings of structural, molecular, and functional neuroimaging studies of methamphetamine abusers, focusing on cortical and striatal abnormalities and their potential contributions to cognitive and behavioral phenotypes that can serve to promote compulsive drug use. These studies indicate that individuals with a history of chronic methamphetamine abuse often display several signs of corticostriatal dysfunction, including abnormal gray- and white-matter integrity, monoamine neurotransmitter system deficiencies, neuroinflammation, poor neuronal integrity, and aberrant patterns of brain connectivity and function, both when engaged in cognitive tasks and at rest. More importantly, many of these neural abnormalities were found to be linked with certain addiction-related phenotypes that may influence treatment response (e.g., poor self-control, cognitive inflexibility, maladaptive decision-making), raising the possibility that they may represent novel therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edythe D London
- Departments of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90024; Departments of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90024; Departments of Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90024.
| | - Milky Kohno
- Departments of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90024
| | - Angelica M Morales
- Departments of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90024
| | - Michael E Ballard
- Departments of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90024
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24
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Carmona-Perera M, Verdejo-García A, Young L, Molina-Fernández A, Pérez-García M. Moral decision-making in polysubstance dependent individuals. Drug Alcohol Depend 2012; 126:389-92. [PMID: 22749562 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2012.05.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2012] [Revised: 05/13/2012] [Accepted: 05/31/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Moral judgments depend on the integration of complex cognitive and emotional processes. Addiction is associated with core deficits in both cognitive and emotional processing, which may jointly lead to utilitarian biases in moral decision-making. METHODS We assessed 32 polysubstance dependent males and 32 non-drug using controls using a previously validated moral judgment task, including non-moral scenarios, and moral dilemmas that were either high in emotional salience ("personal scenarios") or low in emotional salience ("impersonal scenarios"). RESULTS Polysubstance dependent individuals endorsed more utilitarian choices for personal dilemmas (e.g., smothering a baby to save a group of hidden people during wartime). These choices were also perceived as less difficult. Severity of alcohol use correlated with the proportion of utilitarian judgments. CONCLUSION Polysubstance dependent individuals show a more utilitarian pattern of moral decision-making for personal moral scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Carmona-Perera
- Department of Personality, Assessment and Psychological Treatment, School of Psychology, University of Granada, Campus de Cartuja, s/n, 18071 Granada, Spain
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25
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Prior methamphetamine self-administration attenuates serotonergic deficits induced by subsequent high-dose methamphetamine administrations. Drug Alcohol Depend 2012; 126:87-94. [PMID: 22647900 PMCID: PMC3546538 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2012.04.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2012] [Revised: 04/19/2012] [Accepted: 04/21/2012] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pre-clinical studies indicate that high-dose, non-contingent methamphetamine (METH) administration both rapidly and persistently decreases serotonergic neuronal function. Despite research indicating the hippocampus plays an important role in METH abuse and is affected by METH use, effects of METH self-administration on hippocampal serotonergic neurons are not well understood, and were thus an important focus of the current study. Because humans often administer METH in a binge-like pattern, effects of prior METH self-administration on a subsequent "binge-like" METH treatment were also examined. METHODS Rats were treated as described above, and sacrificed 1 or 8d after self-administration or 1h or 7d after the final binge METH or saline exposure. Hippocampal serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5HT) content and transporter (SERT) function were assessed. RESULTS METH self-administration per se had no persistent effect on hippocampal 5HT content or SERT function. However, this treatment attenuated the persistent, but not acute, hippocampal serotonergic deficits caused by a subsequent repeated, high-dose, non-continent METH treatment administered 1 d the last self-administration session. No attenuation in persistent deficits were seen when the high-dose administration of METH occurred 15d after the last self-administration session. CONCLUSIONS The present findings demonstrate that METH self-administration alters serotonergic neurons so as to engender "tolerance" to the persistent serotonergic deficits caused by a subsequent METH exposure. However, this "tolerance" does not persist. These data provide a foundation to investigate complex questions including how the response of serotonergic neurons to METH may contribute to contingent-related disorders such as dependence and relapse.
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Recinto P, Samant ARH, Chavez G, Kim A, Yuan CJ, Soleiman M, Grant Y, Edwards S, Wee S, Koob GF, George O, Mandyam CD. Levels of neural progenitors in the hippocampus predict memory impairment and relapse to drug seeking as a function of excessive methamphetamine self-administration. Neuropsychopharmacology 2012; 37:1275-87. [PMID: 22205547 PMCID: PMC3306889 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2011.315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2011] [Revised: 11/02/2011] [Accepted: 11/13/2011] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Methamphetamine affects the hippocampus, a brain region crucial for learning and memory, as well as relapse to drug seeking. Rats self-administered methamphetamine for 1 h twice weekly (intermittent-short-I-ShA), 1 h daily (limited-short-ShA), or 6 h daily (extended-long-LgA) for 22 sessions. After 22 sessions, rats from each access group were withdrawn from self-administration and underwent spatial memory (Y-maze) and working memory (T-maze) tests followed by extinction and reinstatement to methamphetamine seeking or received one intraperitoneal injection of 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) to label progenitors in the hippocampal subgranular zone (SGZ) during the synthesis phase. Two-hour-old and 28-day-old surviving BrdU-immunoreactive cells were quantified. I-ShA rats performed better on the Y-maze and had a greater number of 2-h-old SGZ BrdU cells than nondrug controls. LgA rats, but not ShA rats, performed worse on the Y- and T-maze and had a fewer number of 2-h-old SGZ BrdU cells than nondrug and I-ShA rats, suggesting that new hippocampal progenitors, decreased by methamphetamine, were correlated with impairment in the acquisition of new spatial cues. Analyses of addiction-related behaviors after withdrawal and extinction training revealed methamphetamine-primed reinstatement of methamphetamine-seeking behavior in all three groups (I-ShA, ShA, and LgA), and this effect was enhanced in LgA rats compared with I-ShA and ShA rats. Protracted withdrawal from self-administration enhanced the survival of SGZ BrdU cells, and methamphetamine seeking during protracted withdrawal enhanced Fos expression in the dentate gyrus and medial prefrontal cortex in LgA rats to a greater extent than in ShA and I-ShA rats. These results indicate that changes in the levels of the proliferation and survival of hippocampal neural progenitors and neuronal activation of hippocampal granule cells predict the effects of methamphetamine self-administration (limited vs extended access) on cognitive performance and relapse to drug seeking and may contribute to the impairments that perpetuate the addiction cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Recinto
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Anjali Rose H Samant
- Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Gustavo Chavez
- Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Airee Kim
- Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Clara J Yuan
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Matthew Soleiman
- Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Yanabel Grant
- Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Scott Edwards
- Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Sunmee Wee
- Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - George F Koob
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Olivier George
- Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Chitra D Mandyam
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
- Committee on the Neurobiology of Addictive Disorders, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA
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Kim YT, Song HJ, Seo JH, Lee JJ, Lee J, Kwon DH, Yoo DS, Lee HJ, Suh KJ, Chang Y. The differences in neural network activity between methamphetamine abusers and healthy subjects performing an emotion-matching task: functional MRI study. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2011; 24:1392-1400. [PMID: 21472808 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.1702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2010] [Revised: 01/31/2011] [Accepted: 02/06/2011] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Methamphetamine (MA) abusers commonly exhibit socially problematic behaviors, such as diminished empathy, decreased emotional regulation and interpersonal violence, which may be attributable to alterations in emotional experience. However, few studies have used functional MRI to examine directly the emotional experience of threatening or fearful non-face images in MA abusers. In this study, we investigated possible differences in neural correlates of negative emotional experiences between abstinent MA abusers and healthy subjects using complex visual scenes depicting fear or threat derived from the International Affective Picture System. In within-group analyses, healthy subjects and MA abusers activated a similarly distributed cortical network, prominently including the amygdala, fusiform gyrus, parahippocampal gyrus, ventrolateral prefrontal cortex and inferior frontal cortex. In between-group analyses, however, MA abusers showed a reduced activation in the bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and insula, and increased activation in the fusiform gyrus, hippocampus, parahippocampal gyrus and posterior cingulate cortex, relative to healthy subjects. Hypoactivation of the insula in MA abusers relative to healthy subjects suggests that the ability to have an emotional response to threatening scenes and empathy for another's pain could be compromised in MA abusers. Hyperactivity in the fusiform gyrus, parahippocampal gyrus and posterior cingulate cortex in MA abusers relative to healthy subjects indicates that threatening and fearful images from the International Affective Picture System may remind MA abusers of episodic memory related to similar experiences. Therefore, functional impairment of these neural networks in MA abusers may contribute to altered emotional experience in social interactions, which could lead to increased negative mood and stress in interpersonal communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang-Tae Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Bugok National Hospital, Gyeongsang nam-do, South Korea
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Dysfunction of the prefrontal cortex in addiction: neuroimaging findings and clinical implications. Nat Rev Neurosci 2011; 12:652-69. [PMID: 22011681 DOI: 10.1038/nrn3119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1627] [Impact Index Per Article: 125.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The loss of control over drug intake that occurs in addiction was initially believed to result from disruption of subcortical reward circuits. However, imaging studies in addictive behaviours have identified a key involvement of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) both through its regulation of limbic reward regions and its involvement in higher-order executive function (for example, self-control, salience attribution and awareness). This Review focuses on functional neuroimaging studies conducted in the past decade that have expanded our understanding of the involvement of the PFC in drug addiction. Disruption of the PFC in addiction underlies not only compulsive drug taking but also accounts for the disadvantageous behaviours that are associated with addiction and the erosion of free will.
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Kim YT, Kwon DH, Chang Y. Impairments of facial emotion recognition and theory of mind in methamphetamine abusers. Psychiatry Res 2011; 186:80-4. [PMID: 20643485 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2010.06.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2009] [Revised: 04/28/2010] [Accepted: 06/24/2010] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Chronic use of methamphetamine is related to behavioral disturbances including depression, aggressive behavior, and social isolation. These alterations of social behavior may be attributable to impairments in social cognition. However, few studies have evaluated social cognition in methamphetamine (MA) abusers. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate whether MA abusers exhibit social cognition deficits in terms of facial emotion recognition and theory of mind (ToM). We also assessed cognitive flexibility by using the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) to evaluate the impact of this function on social cognition. Twenty-eight MA abusers and twenty-seven healthy subjects enrolled in this study. All participants performed the Facial Emotion Recognition Task and advanced ToM tasks such as the Eye Test and Hinting Task. The Korean Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised and computerized versions of the WCST were also administrated. The performances of MA abusers on the Facial Emotion Recognition Task and Eyes Test were lower than those of healthy subjects. In the WCST, MA abusers completed significantly fewer categories and made more total and perseverative errors than healthy subjects did. In addition, impairments in cognitive flexibility are correlated with impairments in facial emotion recognition and ToM within MA abusers. These findings lend further support to the assertion that the capacity to identify emotions from facial expression and infer mental state of others is impaired in MA abusers. Therefore, treatment and rehabilitation for MA abusers must consider role of social cognition and include relearning social interactions and behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang-Tae Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Bugok National Hospital, Gyeongsang nam-do, Republic of Korea.
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Payer DE, Lieberman MD, London ED. Neural correlates of affect processing and aggression in methamphetamine dependence. ARCHIVES OF GENERAL PSYCHIATRY 2011; 68:271-82. [PMID: 21041607 PMCID: PMC3447632 DOI: 10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2010.154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
CONTEXT Methamphetamine abuse is associated with high rates of aggression but few studies have addressed the contributing neurobiological factors. OBJECTIVE To quantify aggression, investigate function in the amygdala and prefrontal cortex, and assess relationships between brain function and behavior in methamphetamine-dependent individuals. DESIGN In a case-control study, aggression and brain activation were compared between methamphetamine-dependent and control participants. SETTING Participants were recruited from the general community to an academic research center. PARTICIPANTS Thirty-nine methamphetamine-dependent volunteers (16 women) who were abstinent for 7 to 10 days and 37 drug-free control volunteers (18 women) participated in the study; subsets completed self-report and behavioral measures. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was performed on 25 methamphetamine-dependent and 23 control participants. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES We measured self-reported and perpetrated aggression and self-reported alexithymia. Brain activation was assessed using fMRI during visual processing of facial affect (affect matching) and symbolic processing (affect labeling), the latter representing an incidental form of emotion regulation. RESULTS Methamphetamine-dependent participants self-reported more aggression and alexithymia than control participants and escalated perpetrated aggression more following provocation. Alexithymia scores correlated with measures of aggression. During affect matching, fMRI showed no differences between groups in amygdala activation but found lower activation in methamphetamine-dependent than control participants in the bilateral ventral inferior frontal gyrus. During affect labeling, participants recruited the dorsal inferior frontal gyrus and exhibited decreased amygdala activity, consistent with successful emotion regulation; there was no group difference in this effect. The magnitude of decrease in amygdala activity during affect labeling correlated inversely with self-reported aggression in control participants and perpetrated aggression in all participants. Ventral inferior frontal gyrus activation correlated inversely with alexithymia in control participants. CONCLUSIONS Contrary to the hypotheses, methamphetamine-dependent individuals may successfully regulate emotions through incidental means (affect labeling). Instead, low ventral inferior frontal gyrus activity may contribute to heightened aggression by limiting emotional insight.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Matthew D. Lieberman
- UCLA Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences
- UCLA Department of Psychology
| | - Edythe D. London
- UCLA Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences
- UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, Department of Molecular & Medical Pharmacology
- UCLA Brain Research Institute
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Comparative neuroscience of stimulant-induced memory dysfunction: role for neurogenesis in the adult hippocampus. Behav Pharmacol 2010; 21:379-93. [PMID: 20700045 DOI: 10.1097/fbp.0b013e32833e16b6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The discovery that the addictive drugs impair neurogenesis in the adult hippocampus has prompted the elaboration of new biological hypotheses to explain addiction and drug-induced cognitive dysfunction. Considerable evidence now implicates the process of adult neurogenesis in at least some critical components of hippocampal-dependent memory function. In experimental models, psychomotor stimulant drugs produce alterations in the rate of birth, survival, maturation and functional integration of adult-born hippocampal neurons. Thus some of the deleterious consequences of drug abuse on memory could result from the neurotoxic actions of drugs on adult hippocampal neurogenesis. In this review, we will first summarize preclinical and clinical literature on the disruptive effects of drugs such as cocaine and ecstasy in the areas of learning, memory and attention. We will also summarize data that document the widespread effects of stimulant drugs on progenitor activity and precursor incorporation in the adult dentate gyrus. Finally, we will examine evidence that supports the involvement of hippocampal neurogenesis in specific aspects of learning and memory function and we will consider critically the hypothesis that some of the negative consequences of drug abuse on cognition might be ascribed to deficits in adult hippocampal neurogenesis. Evidence suggests that stimulant abuse impacts negatively on at least four areas of memory/cognitive function that may be influenced by adult hippocampal neurogenesis: contextual memory, spatial memory, working memory and cognitive flexibility.
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