The relationship between craving and insular morphometry in regular cocaine users: Does sex matter?

Brain dysfunctions and neurotoxicity induced by psychostimulants in experimental models and humans: an overview of recent findings

Preclinical and clinical studies indicate that psychostimulants, in addition to having abuse potential, may elicit brain dysfunctions and/or neurotoxic effects. Central toxicity induced by psychostimulants may pose serious health risks since the recreational use of these substances is on the rise among young people and adults. The present review provides an overview of recent research, conducted between 2018 and 2023, focusing on brain dysfunctions and neurotoxic effects elicited in experimental models and humans by amphetamine, cocaine, methamphetamine, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine, methylphenidate, caffeine, and nicotine. Detailed elucidation of factors and mechanisms that underlie psychostimulant-induced brain dysfunction and neurotoxicity is crucial for understanding the acute and enduring noxious brain effects that may occur in individuals who use psychostimulants for recreational and/or therapeutic purposes.

Exercise Influences the Brain's Metabolic Response to Chronic Cocaine Exposure in Male Rats

Cocaine use is associated with negative health outcomes: cocaine use disorders, speedballing, and overdose deaths. Currently, treatments for cocaine use disorders and overdose are non-existent when compared to opioid use disorders, and current standard cocaine use disorder treatments have high dropout and recidivism rates. Physical exercise has been shown to attenuate addiction behavior as well as modulate brain activity. This study examined the differential effects of chronic cocaine use between exercised and sedentary rats. The effects of exercise on brain glucose metabolism (BGluM) following chronic cocaine exposure were assessed using Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and [18F]-Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG). Compared to sedentary animals, exercise decreased metabolism in the SIBF primary somatosensory cortex. Activation occurred in the amygdalopiriform and piriform cortex, trigeminothalamic tract, rhinal and perirhinal cortex, and visual cortex. BGluM changes may help ameliorate various aspects of cocaine abuse and reinstatement. Further investigation is needed into the underlying neuronal circuits involved in BGluM changes and their association with addiction behaviors.

Cocaine self-administration behavior is associated with subcortical and cortical morphometry measures in individuals with cocaine use disorder

Background: Individual differences in gray-matter morphometry in the limbic system and frontal cortex have been linked to clinical features of cocaine use disorder (CUD). Self-administration paradigms can provide more direct measurements of the relationship between the regulation of cocaine use and gray-matter morphometry when compared to self-report assessments.Objectives: Our goal was to investigate associations with self-administration behavior in subcortical and cortical brain regions. We hypothesized the number of cocaine infusions self-administered would be correlated with gray-matter volumes (GMVs) in the striatum, amygdala, and hippocampus. Due to scarcity in human studies, we did not hypothesize subcortical directionality. In the frontal cortex, we hypothesized thickness would be negatively correlated with self-administered cocaine.Methods: We conducted an analysis of cocaine self-administration and structural MRI data from 33 (nFemales = 10) individuals with moderate-to-severe CUD. Self-administration lasted 60-minutes and cocaine (8, 16, or 32 mg/70 kg) was delivered on an FR1 schedule (5-minute lockout). Subcortical and cortical regression analyses were performed that included combined bilateral regions and age, experimental variables and use history as confounders.Results: Self-administered cocaine infusions were positively associated with caudal GMV (b = 0.18, p = 0.030) and negatively with putamenal GMV (b = -0.10, p = 0.041). In the cortical model, infusions were positively associated with insular thickness (b = 0.39, p = 0.008) and women appeared to self-administer cocaine more frequently (b = 0.23, p = 0.019).Conclusions: Brain morphometry features in the striatum and insula may contribute to cocaine consumption in CUD. These differences in morphometry may reflect consequences of prolonged use, predisposed vulnerability, or other possibilities.Clinical Trial Numbers: NCT01978431; NCT03471182.

Abnormal neuroanatomical patterns as potential diagnostic biomarkers for cocaine use disorder

Cocaine use disorder (CUD) is a global health problem with serious consequences for both individuals and society. Previous studies on abnormal anatomical patterns in CUD have mainly used voxel-based morphometry to investigate grey matter volume changes, while surface-based morphometry (SBM) has been found to provide detail information on cortical thickness (CT), surface area and cortical meancurve, which can contribute to a better understanding of structural brain changes associated with CUD. In this study, SBM was conducted to investigate abnormal neuroanatomical patterns in CUD and whether these abnormal patterns could be used as potential diagnostic biomarkers for CUD. Sixty-eight CUD individuals and 52 matched healthy controls were enrolled, and all participants performed once MRI scanning and clinical assessments. We found that CUD individuals exhibited altered morphological indicators across widespread brain regions and these abnormal anatomical alterations were significantly predictive of CUD status. Furthermore, the CT reduction of right insula was significantly associated with years of cocaine use in CUD. These findings revealed the association of abnormal anatomical patterns in specific brain regions in CUD, which further improve the understanding of CUD pathophysiology and provide the alternative diagnostic biomarkers for CUD.