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Mulholland PJ, Berto S, Wilmarth PA, McMahan C, Ball LE, Woodward JJ. Adaptor protein complex 2 in the orbitofrontal cortex predicts alcohol use disorder. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:4766-4776. [PMID: 37679472 PMCID: PMC10918038 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02236-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a life-threatening disease characterized by compulsive drinking, cognitive deficits, and social impairment that continue despite negative consequences. The inability of individuals with AUD to regulate drinking may involve functional deficits in cortical areas that normally balance actions that have aspects of both reward and risk. Among these, the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) is critically involved in goal-directed behavior and is thought to maintain a representation of reward value that guides decision making. In the present study, we analyzed post-mortem OFC brain samples collected from age- and sex-matched control subjects and those with AUD using proteomics, bioinformatics, machine learning, and reverse genetics approaches. Of the 4,500+ total unique proteins identified in the proteomics screen, there were 47 proteins that differed significantly by sex that were enriched in processes regulating extracellular matrix and axonal structure. Gene ontology enrichment analysis revealed that proteins differentially expressed in AUD cases were involved in synaptic and mitochondrial function, as well as transmembrane transporter activity. Alcohol-sensitive OFC proteins also mapped to abnormal social behaviors and social interactions. Machine learning analysis of the post-mortem OFC proteome revealed dysregulation of presynaptic (e.g., AP2A1) and mitochondrial proteins that predicted the occurrence and severity of AUD. Using a reverse genetics approach to validate a target protein, we found that prefrontal Ap2a1 expression significantly correlated with voluntary alcohol drinking in male and female genetically diverse mouse strains. Moreover, recombinant inbred strains that inherited the C57BL/6J allele at the Ap2a1 interval consumed higher amounts of alcohol than those that inherited the DBA/2J allele. Together, these findings highlight the impact of excessive alcohol consumption on the human OFC proteome and identify important cross-species cortical mechanisms and proteins that control drinking in individuals with AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick J Mulholland
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA.
- Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA.
| | - Stefano Berto
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - Phillip A Wilmarth
- Proteomics Shared Resource, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - Christopher McMahan
- School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences, Clemson-MUSC Artificial Intelligence Hub, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, 29634-0975, USA
| | - Lauren E Ball
- Cell and Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - John J Woodward
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
- Charleston Alcohol Research Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
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2
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Mulholland PJ, Berto S, Wilmarth PA, McMahan C, Ball LE, Woodward JJ. Adaptor protein complex 2 in the orbitofrontal cortex predicts alcohol use disorder. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.05.28.542637. [PMID: 37398482 PMCID: PMC10312445 DOI: 10.1101/2023.05.28.542637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a life-threatening disease characterized by compulsive drinking, cognitive deficits, and social impairment that continue despite negative consequences. The inability of individuals with AUD to regulate drinking may involve functional deficits in cortical areas that normally balance actions that have aspects of both reward and risk. Among these, the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) is critically involved in goal-directed behavior and is thought to maintain a representation of reward value that guides decision making. In the present study, we analyzed post-mortem OFC brain samples collected from age- and sex-matched control subjects and those with AUD using proteomics, bioinformatics, machine learning, and reverse genetics approaches. Of the 4,500+ total unique proteins identified in the proteomics screen, there were 47 proteins that differed significantly by sex that were enriched in processes regulating extracellular matrix and axonal structure. Gene ontology enrichment analysis revealed that proteins differentially expressed in AUD cases were involved in synaptic and mitochondrial function, as well as transmembrane transporter activity. Alcohol-sensitive OFC proteins also mapped to abnormal social behaviors and social interactions. Machine learning analysis of the post-mortem OFC proteome revealed dysregulation of presynaptic (e.g., AP2A1) and mitochondrial proteins that predicted the occurrence and severity of AUD. Using a reverse genetics approach to validate a target protein, we found that prefrontal Ap2a1 expression significantly correlated with voluntary alcohol drinking in male and female genetically diverse mouse strains. Moreover, recombinant inbred strains that inherited the C57BL/6J allele at the Ap2a1 interval consumed higher amounts of alcohol than those that inherited the DBA/2J allele. Together, these findings highlight the impact of excessive alcohol consumption on the human OFC proteome and identify important cross-species cortical mechanisms and proteins that control drinking in individuals with AUD.
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3
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Bach P, de Timary P, Gründer G, Cumming P. Molecular Imaging Studies of Alcohol Use Disorder. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2023. [PMID: 36639552 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2022_414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a serious public health problem in many countries, bringing a gamut of health risks and impairments to individuals and a great burden to society. Despite the prevalence of a disease model of AUD, the current pharmacopeia does not present reliable treatments for AUD; approved treatments are confined to a narrow spectrum of medications engaging inhibitory γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) neurotransmission and possibly excitatory N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, and opioid receptor antagonists. Molecular imaging with positron emission tomography (PET) and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) can open a window into the living brain and has provided diverse insights into the pathology of AUD. In this narrative review, we summarize the state of molecular imaging findings on the pharmacological action of ethanol and the neuropathological changes associated with AUD. Laboratory and preclinical imaging results highlight the interactions between ethanol and GABA A-type receptors (GABAAR), but the interpretation of such results is complicated by subtype specificity. An abundance of studies with the glucose metabolism tracer fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) concur in showing cerebral hypometabolism after ethanol challenge, but there is relatively little data on long-term changes in AUD. Alcohol toxicity evokes neuroinflammation, which can be tracked using PET with ligands for the microglial marker translocator protein (TSPO). Several PET studies show reversible increases in TSPO binding in AUD individuals, and preclinical results suggest that opioid-antagonists can rescue from these inflammatory responses. There are numerous PET/SPECT studies showing changes in dopaminergic markers, generally consistent with an impairment in dopamine synthesis and release among AUD patients, as seen in a number of other addictions; this may reflect the composite of an underlying deficiency in reward mechanisms that predisposes to AUD, in conjunction with acquired alterations in dopamine signaling. There is little evidence for altered serotonin markers in AUD, but studies with opioid receptor ligands suggest a specific up-regulation of the μ-opioid receptor subtype. Considerable heterogeneity in drinking patterns, gender differences, and the variable contributions of genetics and pre-existing vulnerability traits present great challenges for charting the landscape of molecular imaging in AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Bach
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany.
| | - Philippe de Timary
- Department of Adult Psychiatry, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc and Institute of Neuroscience, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Gerhard Gründer
- Department of Molecular Neuroimaging, Central Institute of Mental Health, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Paul Cumming
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Bern University Hospital, Bern, Switzerland
- School of Psychology and Counselling, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- International Centre for Education and Research in Neuropsychiatry (ICERN), Samara State Medical University, Samara, Russia
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Lyu X, Hu Y, Zhao Y, Wang H, Du J, Wang J, Jiang H. Euphoric effect induced by zolpidem: a case study of magnetoencephalography. Gen Psychiatr 2022; 35:e100729. [PMID: 35243205 PMCID: PMC8819779 DOI: 10.1136/gpsych-2021-100729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Initially, zolpidem, a non-benzodiazepine hypnotic agent, was considered to have fewer adverse reactions than traditional benzodiazepines. However, after zolpidem was approved for medical use, an increasing number of case reports have described abuse or dependence complications. We were especially interested in the cases of dependence that presented a paradoxical ‘euphoric’ effect of zolpidem. This article reports the case of a female zolpidem-dependent patient who presented with 6 years of daily use of 400–1400 mg of zolpidem. She reported subjective effects of euphoria, intense craving and the inability to stop drug ingestion. Her diagnoses were zolpidem dependence and a depressive episode induced by substance abuse. To explore the neural mechanisms of the euphoric effect caused by high-dose zolpidem, we performed repeated magnetoencephalography (MEG) recordings. Before undergoing detoxification, her MEG results indicated that cerebellar electrical signal activation increased when taking high zolpidem doses. However, the prefrontal and parietal lobes’ electrical signal activity showed a tendency to recover to a normal state as the withdrawal time progressed to completion. This case suggests that the cerebellum plays a role in the euphoria induced by high zolpidem doses and provides clues for further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuechan Lyu
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yegang Hu
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai, China
| | - Yan Zhao
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Haihong Wang
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiang Du
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai, China
| | - Jijun Wang
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai, China
| | - Haifeng Jiang
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai, China
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5
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Alcohol. Alcohol 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-816793-9.00001-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
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6
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Shields CN, Gremel CM. Review of Orbitofrontal Cortex in Alcohol Dependence: A Disrupted Cognitive Map? Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2020; 44:1952-1964. [PMID: 32852095 PMCID: PMC8261866 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Alcoholism is a persistent worldwide problem associated with long-lasting impairments to decision making processes. Some aspects of dysfunction are thought to reflect alcohol-induced changes to relevant brain areas such as the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). In this review, we will examine how chronic alcohol exposure alters OFC function to potentially contribute to maladaptive decision making, and explore experimental behavioral approaches that may be better suited to test whether alcohol dependence disrupts OFC's function. We argue that although past works suggest impairments in aspects of OFC function, more information may be gained by specifically targeting tasks to the broader function of OFC as put forth by the recent hypothesis of OFC as a "cognitive map" of task space. Overall, we suggest that such a focus could provide a better understanding of how OFC function changes in alcohol dependence, and could inform better assessment tools and treatment options for clinicians working with this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloe N. Shields
- Department of Psychology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Christina M. Gremel
- Department of Psychology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
- The Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
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Hernandez JS, Binette AN, Rahman T, Tarantino JD, Moorman DE. Chemogenetic Inactivation of Orbitofrontal Cortex Decreases Cue-induced Reinstatement of Ethanol and Sucrose Seeking in Male and Female Wistar Rats. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2020; 44:1769-1782. [PMID: 32628778 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) encodes internal representations of outcomes and subjective value to facilitate flexible reward seeking. OFC activation is associated with drug seeking in both human subjects and animal models. OFC plays a role in alcohol use, but studies in animal models have produced conflicting results with some showing decreased seeking after OFC inactivation but others showing increased seeking or no changes. In part, this may be due to the different measures of alcohol seeking used (e.g., homecage drinking vs. operant seeking). METHODS We characterized the impact of transient inactivation of OFC (primarily lateral and, to a lesser extent, ventral subregions) using inhibitory hM4Di designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADDs). OFC neurons were transiently inhibited during 10% and 20% alcohol (ethanol, EtOH) and sucrose homecage consumption, fixed ratio (FR1) operant self-administration, and cue-induced reinstatement of either 10% EtOH or sucrose in male and female rats. RESULTS OFC inactivation did not affect sucrose or EtOH consumption in the homecage, nor did it influence seeking or consumption under FR1 operant conditions. In contrast, OFC inactivation suppressed cued-induced reinstatement for both EtOH and sucrose in both male and female rats. CONCLUSIONS Our results are aligned with previous work indicating a selective suppressive effect of OFC inactivation on reinstatement for alcohol and other drugs of abuse. They extend these findings to demonstrate no effect on homecage consumption or FR1 seeking as well as showing an impact of sucrose reinstatement. These data indicate that OFC plays a uniquely important role when reward seeking is driven by associations between external stimuli and internal representations of reward value, both for natural and drug rewards. They further implicate the OFC as a key structure driving relapse-associated seeking and potentially contributing to alcohol use disorder and other diseases of compulsive reward seeking.
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Affiliation(s)
- John S Hernandez
- From the, Neuroscience and Behavior Graduate Program (JSH, DEM), University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Annalise N Binette
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences (ANB, TR, JDT, DEM), University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Taryn Rahman
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences (ANB, TR, JDT, DEM), University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Jeffrey D Tarantino
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences (ANB, TR, JDT, DEM), University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
| | - David E Moorman
- From the, Neuroscience and Behavior Graduate Program (JSH, DEM), University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences (ANB, TR, JDT, DEM), University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
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8
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Arinze I, Moorman DE. Selective impact of lateral orbitofrontal cortex inactivation on reinstatement of alcohol seeking in male Long-Evans rats. Neuropharmacology 2020; 168:108007. [PMID: 32092436 PMCID: PMC10373069 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2020.108007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2018] [Revised: 02/05/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) plays a fundamental role in motivated behavior and decision-making. In humans, OFC structure and function is significantly disrupted in drug using and dependent individuals, including those exhibiting chronic alcohol use and alcoholism. In animal models, the OFC has been shown to significantly influence the seeking of non-alcohol drugs of abuse. However direct investigations of the OFC during alcohol seeking and use have been more limited. In the studies reported here, we inactivated lateral (lOFC) or medial OFC (mOFC) subregions in rats during multiple stages of alcohol seeking. After one month of intermittent access to homecage 20% ethanol (EtOH), rats were trained to self-administer EtOH under an FR3 schedule and implanted with cannulae directed to lOFC or mOFC. We inactivated OFC subregions with baclofen/muscimol during EtOH self-administration, extinction, cue-induced reinstatement, and progressive ratio testing to broadly characterize the influence of these subregions on alcohol seeking. There were no significant effects of mOFC or lOFC inactivation during FR3 self-administration, extinction, or progressive ratio self-administration. However, lOFC, and not mOFC, inactivation significantly decreased cue-induced reinstatement of EtOH seeking. These findings contribute new information to the specific impact of OFC manipulation on operant alcohol seeking, support previous studies investigating the role of OFC in seeking and consumption of alcohol and other drugs of abuse, and indicate a specific role for lOFC vs. mOFC in reinstatement.
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9
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Zhang R, Volkow ND. Brain default-mode network dysfunction in addiction. Neuroimage 2019; 200:313-331. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.06.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 131] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2019] [Revised: 06/14/2019] [Accepted: 06/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
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10
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Clergue-Duval V, Questel F, Azuar J, Paquet C, Cognat E, Amami J, Queneau M, Dereux A, Barré T, Bellivier F, Farid K, Vorspan F. Brain 18FDG-PET pattern in patients with alcohol-related cognitive impairment. Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging 2019; 47:281-291. [DOI: 10.1007/s00259-019-04487-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2019] [Accepted: 08/14/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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11
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Tomasi DG, Wiers CE, Shokri-Kojori E, Zehra A, Ramirez V, Freeman C, Burns J, Kure Liu C, Manza P, Kim SW, Wang GJ, Volkow ND. Association Between Reduced Brain Glucose Metabolism and Cortical Thickness in Alcoholics: Evidence of Neurotoxicity. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2019; 22:548-559. [PMID: 31369670 PMCID: PMC6754735 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyz036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2019] [Revised: 06/12/2019] [Accepted: 07/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Excessive alcohol consumption is associated with reduced cortical thickness (CT) and lower cerebral metabolic rate of glucose (CMRGlu), but the correlation between these 2 measures has not been investigated. METHODS We tested the association between CT and cerebral CMRGlu in 19 participants with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and 20 healthy controls. Participants underwent 2-Deoxy-2-[18F]fluoroglucose positron emission tomography to map CMRGlu and magnetic resonance imaging to assess CT. RESULTS Although performance accuracy on a broad range of cognitive domains did not differ significantly between AUD and HC, AUD had widespread decreases in CT and CMRGlu. CMRGlu, normalized to cerebellum (rCMRGlu), showed significant correlation with CT across participants. Although there were large group differences in CMRGlu (>17%) and CT (>6%) in medial orbitofrontal and BA 47, the superior parietal cortex showed large reductions in CMRGlu (~17%) and minimal CT differences (~2.2%). Though total lifetime alcohol (TLA) was associated with CT and rCMRGlu, the causal mediation analysis revealed significant direct effects of TLA on rCMRGlu but not on CT, and there were no significant mediation effects of TLA, CT, and rCMRGlu. CONCLUSIONS The significant correlation between decrements in CT and CMRGlu across AUD participants is suggestive of alcohol-induced neurotoxicity, whereas the findings that the most metabolically affected regions in AUD had minimal atrophy and vice versa indicates that changes in CT and CMRGlu reflect distinct responses to alcohol across brain regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dardo G Tomasi
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD,Correspondence: Dardo Tomasi, PhD, 10 Center Dr, Rm B2L124, Bethesda, MD 20892-1013 ()
| | - Corinde E Wiers
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD
| | | | - Amna Zehra
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD
| | - Veronica Ramirez
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD
| | - Clara Freeman
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD
| | - Jamie Burns
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD
| | | | - Peter Manza
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD
| | - Sung W Kim
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD
| | - Gene-Jack Wang
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD
| | - Nora D Volkow
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD,National Institute on Drug Abuse, Bethesda, MD
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12
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Tyler RE, Kim SW, Guo M, Jang YJ, Damadzic R, Stodden T, Vendruscolo LF, Koob GF, Wang GJ, Wiers CE, Volkow ND. Detecting neuroinflammation in the brain following chronic alcohol exposure in rats: A comparison between in vivo and in vitro TSPO radioligand binding. Eur J Neurosci 2019; 50:1831-1842. [PMID: 30803059 PMCID: PMC10714130 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2018] [Revised: 01/17/2019] [Accepted: 02/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Excessive alcohol consumption is associated with neuroinflammation, which likely contributes to alcohol-related pathology. However, positron emission tomography (PET) studies using radioligands for the 18-kDa translocator protein (TSPO), which is considered a biomarker of neuroinflammation, reported decreased binding in alcohol use disorder (AUD) participants compared to controls. In contrast, autoradiographic findings in alcohol exposed rats reported increases in TSPO radioligand binding. To assess if these discrepancies reflected differences between in vitro and in vivo methodologies, we compared in vitro autoradiography (using [3 H]PBR28 and [3 H]PK11195) with in vivo PET (using [11 C]PBR28) in male, Wistar rats exposed to chronic alcohol-vapor (dependent n = 10) and in rats exposed to air-vapor (nondependent n = 10). PET scans were obtained with [11 C]PBR28, after which rats were euthanized and the brains were harvested for autoradiography with [3 H]PBR28 and [3 H]PK11195 (n = 7 dependent and n = 7 nondependent), and binding quantified in hippocampus, thalamus, and parietal cortex. Autoradiography revealed significantly higher binding in alcohol-dependent rats for both radioligands in thalamus and hippocampus (trend level for [3 H]PBR28) compared to nondependent rats, and these group differences were stronger for [3 H]PK11195 than [3 H]PBR28. In contrast, PET measures obtained in the same rats showed no group difference in [11 C]PBR28 binding. Our in vitro data are consistent with neuroinflammation associated with chronic alcohol exposure. Failure to observe similar increases in [11 C]PBR28 binding in vivo suggests the possibility that a mechanism mediated by chronic alcohol exposure interferes with [11 C]PBR28 binding to TSPO in vivo. These data question the sensitivity of PBR28 PET as a methodology to assess neuroinflammation in AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan E. Tyler
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Sung Won Kim
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Min Guo
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Yeon Joo Jang
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Ruslan Damadzic
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Tyler Stodden
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Leandro F. Vendruscolo
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, NIH, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - George F. Koob
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, NIH, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Gene-Jack Wang
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Corinde E. Wiers
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Nora D. Volkow
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, NIH, Baltimore, Maryland
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Is Trazodone Contramid Useful in Inducing Patients to Refrain From Using Cocaine After Detoxification, so Avoiding Early Relapse? A Case Series. ADDICTIVE DISORDERS & THEIR TREATMENT 2019. [DOI: 10.1097/adt.0000000000000157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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14
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Cannella N, Ubaldi M, Masi A, Bramucci M, Roberto M, Bifone A, Ciccocioppo R. Building better strategies to develop new medications in Alcohol Use Disorder: Learning from past success and failure to shape a brighter future. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 103:384-398. [PMID: 31112713 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.05.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2019] [Revised: 05/10/2019] [Accepted: 05/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is a chronic disease that develops over the years. The complexity of the neurobiological processes contributing to the emergence of AUD and the neuroadaptive changes occurring during disease progression make it difficult to improve treatments. On the other hand, this complexity offers researchers the possibility to explore new targets. Over years of intense research several molecules were tested in AUD; in most cases, despite promising preclinical data, the clinical efficacy appeared insufficient to justify futher development. A prototypical example is that of corticotropin releasing factor type 1 receptor (CRF1R) antagonists that showed significant effectiveness in animal models of AUD but were largely ineffective in humans. The present article attempts to analyze the most recent venues in the development of new medications in AUD with a focus on the most promising drug targets under current exploration. Moreover, we delineate the importance of using a more integrated translational framework approach to correlate preclinical findings and early clinical data to enhance the probability to validate biological targets of interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nazzareno Cannella
- School of Pharmacy, Pharmacology Unit, University of Camerino, 62032 Camerino, Italy
| | - Massimo Ubaldi
- School of Pharmacy, Pharmacology Unit, University of Camerino, 62032 Camerino, Italy
| | - Alessio Masi
- School of Pharmacy, Pharmacology Unit, University of Camerino, 62032 Camerino, Italy
| | - Massimo Bramucci
- School of Pharmacy, Pharmacology Unit, University of Camerino, 62032 Camerino, Italy
| | - Marisa Roberto
- The Scripps Research Institute, Department of Neuroscience, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Angelo Bifone
- Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @UniTn, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Corso Bettini 31, 38068 Rovereto, Italy; Department of Molecular Biotechnology and Health Science, University of Torino, Italy
| | - Roberto Ciccocioppo
- School of Pharmacy, Pharmacology Unit, University of Camerino, 62032 Camerino, Italy.
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Moorman DE. The role of the orbitofrontal cortex in alcohol use, abuse, and dependence. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2018; 87:85-107. [PMID: 29355587 PMCID: PMC6072631 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2018.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2017] [Revised: 12/22/2017] [Accepted: 01/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
One of the major functions of the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) is to promote flexible motivated behavior. It is no surprise, therefore, that recent work has demonstrated a prominent impact of chronic drug use on the OFC and a potential role for OFC disruption in drug abuse and addiction. Among drugs of abuse, the use of alcohol is particularly salient with respect to OFC function. Although a number of studies in humans have implicated OFC dysregulation in alcohol use disorders, animal models investigating the association between OFC and alcohol use are only beginning to be developed, and there is still a great deal to be revealed. The goal of this review is to consider what is currently known regarding the role of the OFC in alcohol use and dependence. I will first provide a brief, general overview of current views of OFC function and its contributions to drug seeking and addiction. I will then discuss research to date related to the OFC and alcohol use, both in human clinical populations and in non-human models. Finally I will consider issues and strategies to guide future study that may identify this brain region as a key player in the transition from moderated to problematic alcohol use and dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- David E. Moorman
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Neuroscience and Behavior Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst MA 01003 USA
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16
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Barsuglia JP, Polanco M, Palmer R, Malcolm BJ, Kelmendi B, Calvey T. A case report SPECT study and theoretical rationale for the sequential administration of ibogaine and 5-MeO-DMT in the treatment of alcohol use disorder. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2018; 242:121-158. [PMID: 30471678 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2018.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Ibogaine is a plant-derived alkaloid and dissociative psychedelic that demonstrates anti-addictive properties with several substances of abuse, including alcohol. 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeO-DMT) is a naturally occurring psychedelic known to occasion potent mystical-type experiences and also demonstrates anti-addictive properties. The potential therapeutic effects of both compounds in treating alcohol use disorder require further investigation and there are no published human neuroimaging findings of either treatment to date. We present the case of a 31-year-old male military veteran with moderate alcohol use disorder who sought treatment at an inpatient clinic in Mexico that utilized a sequential protocol with ibogaine hydrochloride (1550mg, 17.9mg/kg) on day 1, followed by vaporized 5-MeO-DMT (bufotoxin source 50mg, estimated 5-MeO-DMT content, 5-7mg) on day 3. The patient received SPECT neuroimaging that included a resting-state protocol before, and 3 days after completion of the program. During the patient's ibogaine treatment, he experienced dream-like visions that included content pertaining to his alcohol use and resolution of past developmental traumas. He described his treatment with 5-MeO-DMT as a peak transformational and spiritual breakthrough. On post-treatment SPECT neuroimaging, increases in brain perfusion were noted in bilateral caudate nuclei, left putamen, right insula, as well as temporal, occipital, and cerebellar regions compared to the patient's baseline scan. The patient reported improvement in mood, cessation of alcohol use, and reduced cravings at 5 days post-treatment, effects which were sustained at 1 month, with a partial return to mild alcohol use at 2 months. In this case, serial administration of ibogaine and 5-MeO-DMT resulted in increased perfusion in multiple brain regions broadly associated with alcohol use disorders and known pharmacology of both compounds, which coincided with a short-term therapeutic outcome. We present theoretical considerations regarding the potential of both psychedelic medicines in treating alcohol use disorders in the context of these isolated findings, and areas for future investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph P Barsuglia
- Crossroads Treatment Center, Tijuana, Mexico; Mission Within, Oakland, CA, United States; New School Research, LLC, North Hollywood, CA, United States; Terra Incognita Project, NGO, Ben Lomond, CA, United States.
| | - Martin Polanco
- Crossroads Treatment Center, Tijuana, Mexico; Mission Within, Oakland, CA, United States
| | - Robert Palmer
- Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Benjamin J Malcolm
- College of Pharmacy, Western University of Health Sciences, Pomona, CA, United States
| | - Benjamin Kelmendi
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Tanya Calvey
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand Medical School, Johannesburg, South Africa
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17
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Volkow ND, Wiers CE, Shokri-Kojori E, Tomasi D, Wang GJ, Baler R. Neurochemical and metabolic effects of acute and chronic alcohol in the human brain: Studies with positron emission tomography. Neuropharmacology 2017; 122:175-188. [PMID: 28108358 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2017.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2016] [Revised: 12/20/2016] [Accepted: 01/14/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The use of Positron emission tomography (PET) to study the effects of acute and chronic alcohol on the human brain has enhanced our understanding of the mechanisms underlying alcohol's rewarding effects, the neuroadaptations from chronic exposure that contribute to tolerance and withdrawal, and the changes in fronto-striatal circuits that lead to loss of control and enhanced motivation to drink that characterize alcohol use disorders (AUD). These include studies showing that alcohol's reinforcing effects may result not only from its enhancement of dopaminergic, GABAergic and opioid signaling but also from its caloric properties. Studies in those suffering from an AUD have revealed significant alterations in dopamine (DA), GABA, cannabinoids, opioid and serotonin neurotransmission and in brain energy utilization (glucose and acetate metabolism) that are likely to contribute to compulsive alcohol taking, dysphoria/depression, and to alcohol-associated neurotoxicity. Studies have also evaluated the effects of abstinence on recovery of brain metabolism and neurotransmitter function and the potential value of some of these measures to predict clinical outcomes. Finally, PET studies have started to provide insights about the neuronal mechanisms by which certain genes contribute to the vulnerability to AUD. These findings have helped identify new strategies for prevention and treatment of AUD. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled "Alcoholism".
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Affiliation(s)
- Nora D Volkow
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, United States; National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Laboratory of Neuroimaging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, United States.
| | - Corinde E Wiers
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, United States
| | - Ehsan Shokri-Kojori
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, United States
| | - Dardo Tomasi
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, United States
| | - Gene-Jack Wang
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, United States
| | - Ruben Baler
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Laboratory of Neuroimaging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, United States
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18
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Temple JL. Behavioral sensitization of the reinforcing value of food: What food and drugs have in common. Prev Med 2016; 92:90-99. [PMID: 27346758 DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2016.06.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2015] [Revised: 06/14/2016] [Accepted: 06/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Sensitization is a basic property of the nervous system whereby repeated exposure to a stimulus results in an increase in responding to that stimulus. This increase in responding contributes to difficulty with treatment of drug abuse, as stimuli associated with substance use become signals or triggers for drug craving and relapse. Our work over the past decade has applied the theoretical framework of incentive sensitization to overeating. We have shown, in several studies, that lean adults do not commonly demonstrate behavioral sensitization after repeated exposure to snack food, but a subset of obese adults reliably does. This review will discuss this change in behavioral response to repeated consumption of snack food in obese individuals and apply the theoretical framework of incentive sensitization to drugs of abuse to high fat/high sugar snack foods. We will also show data that suggest that behavioral sensitization to repeated administration of snack food is predictive of weight gain, which may enhance its utility as a diagnostic tool for identifying at-risk individuals for obesity. Finally, we will discuss the future directions of this line of research, including studying the phenomenon in children and adolescents and determining if similar principles can be used to increase motivation to eat healthier food. A combination of reductions in unhealthy food intake and increases and healthy food intake is necessary to reduce obesity rates and improve health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L Temple
- Departments of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences and Community Health and Health Behavior, School of Public Health and Health Professions, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, United States.
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19
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Smith CT, Steel EA, Parrish MH, Kelm MK, Boettiger CA. Intertemporal Choice Behavior in Emerging Adults and Adults: Effects of Age Interact with Alcohol Use and Family History Status. Front Hum Neurosci 2015; 9:627. [PMID: 26635580 PMCID: PMC4655234 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2015.00627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2015] [Accepted: 11/02/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Adults with alcohol use disorders (AUDs) show marked immediate reward selection (or "Now") bias in intertemporal choice tasks. This Now bias persists long into abstinence, suggesting an irreversible consequence of chronic alcohol abuse or a pre-existing AUD intermediate phenotype. However, some data show substantial Now bias among emerging adults (18-25), regardless of drinking behavior, suggesting age-dependent effects on Now bias. The objectives of the present study were to determine (1) whether Now bias is greater among emerging adults relative to adults, (2) whether any such age effect on Now bias is diminished in sub-clinical heavy alcohol users, and (3) whether having a problem drinking first degree relative is independently associated with elevated Now bias. To achieve these objectives, we used an intertemporal choice task to quantify Now bias in n = 237 healthy participants (ages 18-40; 50% female), and a wide range of non-zero alcohol use, based on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). We found that among non-heavy drinkers, Now bias inversely correlated with age; this relationship was not present among heavy drinkers. We found no significant relationship between AUDIT score and Now bias among emerging adults, but AUDIT scores and Now bias were positively correlated among 26-40 year olds. Additionally, non-heavy drinking adults who reported a problem drinking first degree relative showed greater Now bias compared to those not reporting familial problem drinking. While not definitive, these findings lend support for elevated Now bias in adulthood as an intermediate phenotype for AUDs. Moreover, non-additive effects of age and heavy drinking on Now bias suggest perturbations in largely common neural circuits in both groups.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Eleanor A Steel
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill NC, USA
| | - Michael H Parrish
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill NC, USA
| | - Mary K Kelm
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill NC, USA ; Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill NC, USA
| | - Charlotte A Boettiger
- Neurobiology Curriculum, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill NC, USA ; Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill NC, USA ; Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill NC, USA ; Biomedical Research Imaging Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill NC, USA
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20
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Hillmer AT, Mason GF, Fucito LM, O'Malley SS, Cosgrove KP. How Imaging Glutamate, γ-Aminobutyric Acid, and Dopamine Can Inform the Clinical Treatment of Alcohol Dependence and Withdrawal. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2015; 39:2268-82. [PMID: 26510169 DOI: 10.1111/acer.12893] [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: 04/02/2015] [Accepted: 08/29/2015] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Neuroimaging studies have dramatically advanced our understanding of the neurochemical basis of alcohol dependence, a major public health issue. In this paper, we review the research generated from neurochemical specific imaging modalities including magnetic resonance spectroscopy, positron emission tomography, and single-photon emission computed tomography in studies of alcohol dependence and withdrawal. We focus on studies interrogating γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), glutamate, and dopamine, as these are prominent neurotransmitter systems implicated in alcohol dependence. Highlighted findings include diminished dopaminergic functioning and modulation of the GABA system by tobacco smoking during alcohol withdrawal. Then, we consider how these findings impact the clinical treatment of alcohol dependence and discuss directions for future experiments to address existing gaps in the literature, for example, sex differences and smoking comorbidity. These and other considerations provide opportunities to build upon the current neurochemistry imaging literature of alcohol dependence and withdrawal, which may usher in improved therapeutic and relapse prevention strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ansel T Hillmer
- Departments of Psychiatry and Diagnostic Radiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Graeme F Mason
- Departments of Psychiatry and Diagnostic Radiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Lisa M Fucito
- Departments of Psychiatry and Diagnostic Radiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Stephanie S O'Malley
- Departments of Psychiatry and Diagnostic Radiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Kelly P Cosgrove
- Departments of Psychiatry and Diagnostic Radiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
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21
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Abstract
Chronic use of alcohol results in progressive changes to brain and behavior that often lead to the development of alcohol dependence and alcoholism. Although the mechanisms underlying the development of alcoholism remain to be fully elucidated, diminished executive functioning due to hypoactive prefrontal cortex executive control and hyperactive limbic system anxiety and negative emotion might contribute mechanistically to the shift from experimental use to alcoholism and dependence. In the chapter that follows, behavioral deficits associated with cortical dysfunction and neurodegeneration will be related to the behavioral characteristics of alcoholism (e.g., diminished executive function, impulsivity, altered limbic modulation). We will provide evidence that alterations in cyclic AMP-responsive element binding protein (CREB: neurotrophic) and NF-κB (neuroimmune) signaling contribute to the development and persistence of alcoholism. In addition, genetic predispositions and an earlier age of drinking onset will be discussed as contributing factors to the development of alcohol dependence and alcoholism. Overall chronic ethanol-induced neuroimmune gene induction is proposed to alter limbic and frontal neuronal networks contributing to the development and persistence of alcoholism.
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Affiliation(s)
- R P Vetreno
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, Department of Pharmacology and Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
| | - F T Crews
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, Department of Pharmacology and Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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Gozzi A, Agosta F, Massi M, Ciccocioppo R, Bifone A. Reduced limbic metabolism and fronto-cortical volume in rats vulnerable to alcohol addiction. Neuroimage 2012; 69:112-9. [PMID: 23261637 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2012.12.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2012] [Revised: 12/07/2012] [Accepted: 12/10/2012] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Alcohol abuse is associated with long-term reductions in fronto-cortical volume and limbic metabolism. However, an unanswered question in alcohol research is whether these alterations are the sole consequence of chronic alcohol use, or contain heritable contributions reflecting biological propensity toward ethanol addiction. Animal models of genetic predisposition to alcohol dependence can be used to investigate the role of inborn brain abnormalities in the aetiology of alcoholism. Here we used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the Marchigian-Sardinian (msP) alcohol-preferring rats to assess the presence of inherited structural or functional brain alterations. Alcohol-naïve msP (N=22) and control rats (N=26) were subjected to basal cerebral blood volume (bCBV) mapping followed by voxel-based morphometry (VBM) of grey matter and tract-based spatial statistics mapping of white matter fractional anisotropy. msP rats exhibited significantly reduced bCBV, an established marker of resting brain function, in focal cortico-limbic and thalamic areas, together with reduced grey matter volume in the thalamus, ventral tegmental area, insular and cingulate cortex. No statistically significant differences in fractional anisotropy were observed between groups. These findings highlight the presence of inborn grey matter and metabolic abnormalities in alcohol-naïve msP rats, the localization and sign of which are remarkably similar to those mapped in abstinent alcoholics and subjects at high risk for alcohol dependence. Collectively, these results point for a significant role of heritable neurofunctional brain alterations in biological propensity toward ethanol addiction, and support the translational use of advanced imaging methods to describe the circuital determinants of vulnerability to drug addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Gozzi
- Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Center for Nanotechnology Innovation, Pisa, & Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems at UniTn, Rovereto, Italy.
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23
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Van der Stigchel S, Reichenbach RCL, Wester AJ, Nijboer TCW. Antisaccade performance in Korsakoff patients reveals deficits in oculomotor inhibition. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 2012; 34:876-86. [DOI: 10.1080/13803395.2012.692771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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24
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el-Guebaly N, Mudry T, Zohar J, Tavares H, Potenza MN. Compulsive features in behavioural addictions: the case of pathological gambling. Addiction 2012; 107:1726-34. [PMID: 21985690 PMCID: PMC3257403 DOI: 10.1111/j.1360-0443.2011.03546.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
AIMS To describe, in the context of DSM-V, how a focus on addiction and compulsion is emerging in the consideration of pathological gambling (PG). METHODS A systematic literature review of evidence for the proposed re-classification of PG as an addiction. RESULTS Findings include: (i) phenomenological models of addiction highlighting a motivational shift from impulsivity to compulsivity associated with a protracted withdrawal syndrome and blurring of the ego-syntonic/ego-dystonic dichotomy; (ii) common neurotransmitter (dopamine, serotonin) contributions to PG and substance use disorders (SUDs); (iii) neuroimaging support for shared neurocircuitries between 'behavioural' and substance addictions and differences between obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), impulse control disorders (ICDs) and SUDs; (iv) genetic findings more closely related to endophenotypic constructs such as compulsivity and impulsivity than to psychiatric disorders; (v) psychological measures such as harm avoidance identifying a closer association between SUDs and PG than with OCD; (vi) community and pharmacotherapeutic trials data supporting a closer association between SUDs and PG than with OCD. Adapted behavioural therapies, such as exposure therapy, appear applicable to OCD, PG or SUDs, suggesting some commonalities across disorders. CONCLUSIONS PG shares more similarities with SUDs than with OCD. Similar to the investigation of impulsivity, studies of compulsivity hold promising insights concerning the course, differential diagnosis and treatment of PG, SUDs, and OCD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nady el-Guebaly
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
| | - Tanya Mudry
- Division of Applied Psychology, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Joseph Zohar
- Department of Psychiatry, Chaim Sheba Medical Centre, Tel Hashomer, Israel
| | - Hermano Tavares
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Sao Paolo, Sao Paolo, Brazil
| | - Marc N. Potenza
- Departments of Psychiatry, Child Study & Neurobiology, Yale School of Medicine
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25
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Parvaz MA, Alia-Klein N, Woicik PA, Volkow ND, Goldstein RZ. Neuroimaging for drug addiction and related behaviors. Rev Neurosci 2011; 22:609-24. [PMID: 22117165 PMCID: PMC3462350 DOI: 10.1515/rns.2011.055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
In this review, we highlight the role of neuroimaging techniques in studying the emotional and cognitive-behavioral components of the addiction syndrome by focusing on the neural substrates subserving them. The phenomenology of drug addiction can be characterized by a recurrent pattern of subjective experiences that includes drug intoxication, craving, bingeing, and withdrawal with the cycle culminating in a persistent preoccupation with obtaining, consuming, and recovering from the drug. In the past two decades, imaging studies of drug addiction have demonstrated deficits in brain circuits related to reward and impulsivity. The current review focuses on studies employing positron emission tomography (PET), functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and electroencephalography (EEG) to investigate these behaviors in drug-addicted human populations. We begin with a brief account of drug addiction followed by a technical account of each of these imaging modalities. We then discuss how these techniques have uniquely contributed to a deeper understanding of addictive behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad A. Parvaz
- Medical Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, 30 Bell Ave., Bldg. 490, Upton, NY 11973-5000, USA
| | - Nelly Alia-Klein
- Medical Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, 30 Bell Ave., Bldg. 490, Upton, NY 11973-5000, USA
| | - Patricia A. Woicik
- Medical Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, 30 Bell Ave., Bldg. 490, Upton, NY 11973-5000, USA
| | - Nora D. Volkow
- National Institute of Drug Abuse, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Rita Z. Goldstein
- Medical Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, 30 Bell Ave., Bldg. 490, Upton, NY 11973-5000, USA
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26
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Bühler M, Mann K. Alcohol and the human brain: a systematic review of different neuroimaging methods. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2011; 35:1771-93. [PMID: 21777260 DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2011.01540.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 216] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Imaging techniques have been in widespread use in the scientific community for more than 3 decades. They facilitate noninvasive, in vivo studies of the human brain in both healthy and diseased persons. These brain-imaging techniques have contributed significantly to our understanding of the effects of alcohol abuse and dependence on structural and functional changes in the human brain. A systematic review summarizing these contributions has not previously been conducted, and this is the goal of the current paper. METHODS The databases PubMed, PsycINFO, and PSYNDEX were searched using central key words. Fulfilling the inclusion criteria were 140 functional and structural imaging studies, together comprising data from more than 7,000 patients and controls. The structural imaging techniques we considered were cranial computerized tomography and various magnetic resonance imaging-based techniques, including voxel-based morphometry, deformation-based morphometry, diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging, and diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging. The functional methods considered were magnetic resonance spectroscopy, positron emission tomography, single photon emission computed tomography, and functional magnetic resonance imaging. RESULTS Results from studies using structural imaging techniques have revealed that chronic alcohol use is accompanied by volume reductions of gray and white matter, as well as microstructural disruption of various white matter tracts. These changes are partially reversible following abstinence. Results from functional imaging methods have revealed metabolic changes in the brain, lower glucose metabolism, and disruptions of the balance of neurotransmitter systems. Additionally, functional imaging methods have revealed increased brain activity in the mesocorticolimbic system in response to alcohol-themed pictures relative to nondrug-associated stimuli, which might be of predictive value with regard to relapse. CONCLUSIONS There has been tremendous progress in the development of imaging technologies. Use of these technologies has clearly demonstrated the structural and functional brain abnormalities that can occur with chronic alcohol use. The study of the alcoholic brain provides an heuristic model which furthers our understanding of neurodegenerative changes in general, as well as their partial reversibility with sustained abstinence. Additionally, functional imaging is poised to become an important tool for generating predictions about individual brain functioning, which can then be used as a basis for personalized medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mira Bühler
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
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27
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Cosgrove KP, Esterlis I, Mason GF, Bois F, O'Malley SS, Krystal JH. Neuroimaging insights into the role of cortical GABA systems and the influence of nicotine on the recovery from alcohol dependence. Neuropharmacology 2011; 60:1318-25. [PMID: 21276806 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2011.01.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2010] [Revised: 01/10/2011] [Accepted: 01/11/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
This paper reviews evidence suggesting that nicotine and tobacco smoke profoundly modulate the effects of alcohol on γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) neuronal function, specifically at the GABA(A)-benzodiazepine receptor (GABA(A)-BZR). The focus of this paper is on recent neuroimaging evidence in preclinical models as well as clinical experiments. First, we review findings implicating the role of alcohol at the GABA(A)-BZR and discuss the changes in GABA(A)-BZR availability during acute and prolonged alcohol withdrawal. Second, we discuss preclinical evidence that suggests nicotine affects GABA neuronal function indirectly by a primary action at neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Third, we show how this evidence converges in studies that examine GABA levels and GABA(A)-BZRs in alcohol-dependent smokers and nonsmokers, suggesting that tobacco smoking attenuates the chemical changes that occur during alcohol withdrawal. Based on a comprehensive review of literature, we hypothesize that tobacco smoking minimizes the changes in GABA levels that typically occur during the acute cycles of drinking in alcohol-dependent individuals. Thus, during alcohol withdrawal, the continued tobacco smoking decreases the severity of the withdrawal-related changes in GABA chemistry. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled 'Trends in neuropharmacology: in memory of Erminio Costa'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly P Cosgrove
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine and the VACHS, West Haven, CT 06516, USA.
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28
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Delineating the psychic structure of substance abuse and addictions: should anxiety, mood and impulse-control dysregulation be included? J Affect Disord 2010; 122:185-97. [PMID: 19584019 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2009.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2009] [Revised: 06/11/2009] [Accepted: 06/11/2009] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Current "official" nosology (e.g. DSM IV) is largely limited to physical manifestations of addiction that can be objectively observed and are suited to the maintaining of an "atheoretical" perspective. However, addicted subjects display additional psychiatric symptoms that affect their well-being and social functioning and, in accordance with DSM IV, are typically relegated to the domain of psychiatric "comorbidity." We contend that the relationship of these psychiatric symptoms with addiction is very close, as demonstrated by the high frequency of association observed. We further assert that substance use may modify pre-existing psychic structures such as temperament and related subthreshold conditions and lead to addiction as a specific mental disorder, inclusive also of symptoms pertaining to mood/anxiety, or impulse-control dimensions. The present contribution addresses the weaknesses of the current DSM-based nosology of addiction-related mental comorbidity. We highlight the overlap of the biological substrates and the neurophysiology of addictive processes and psychiatric symptoms associated with addiction, and propose the inclusion of specific mood, anxiety, and impulse-control dimensions in the psychopathology of addictive processes. We postulate that addiction reaches beyond the mere result of drug-elicited effects on the brain and cannot be peremptorily equated only with the use of drugs despite the adverse consequences produced. We infer that mood, anxiety and impulse-control dysregulation is at the very core of both the origins and clinical manifestations of addiction and should be incorporated into the nosology of the same, emphasising how addiction is a relapsing chronic condition in which psychiatric manifestations play a crucial role. To conclude, addictionology cannot be severed from its psychopathological connotations, in view of the undeniable presence of symptoms, of their manifest contribution to the way addicted patients feel and behave, and to the role they play in maintaining the continued use of substances.
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29
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Abstract
Upon prolonged alcohol exposure, the behaviour of an individual can gradually switch from controlled to compulsive. Our review is focused on the neurobiological mechanisms that might underlie this transition as well as the factors that are influencing it. Animal studies suggest that temporally increased alcohol consumption during post-abstinence drinking is accompanied by a loss of flexibility of the behaviour and therefore, could serve as a model for compulsive alcohol drinking. However, studies using different alcohol-preferring rat lines in the post-abstinence drinking model suggest that high alcohol consumption does not necessarily lead to the development of compulsive drinking. This indicates the significance of genetic predisposition to compulsive behaviour. Neuroimaging data show that chronic alcohol consumption affects the activity of several brain regions such as the extrapyramidal motor system and several areas of the prefrontal cortex including the orbitofrontal and anterior cingulate cortex. Similar changes in brain activity is seen in patients suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder at baseline conditions and during provocation of obsessive thoughts and urge to perform compulsive-like rituals. This indicates that dysfunction of these regions may be responsible for the expression of compulsive components of alcohol drinking behaviour. Several brain neurotransmitter systems seem to be responsible for the switch from controlled to compulsive behaviour. In particular, hypofunctioning of monoaminergic systems and hyperfunctioning of glutamatergic systems may play a role in compulsive alcohol drinking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Vengeliene
- Department of Psychopharmacology, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany.
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Kumar S, Porcu P, Werner DF, Matthews DB, Diaz-Granados JL, Helfand RS, Morrow AL. The role of GABA(A) receptors in the acute and chronic effects of ethanol: a decade of progress. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2009; 205:529-64. [PMID: 19455309 PMCID: PMC2814770 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-009-1562-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 342] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2008] [Accepted: 04/30/2009] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The past decade has brought many advances in our understanding of GABA(A) receptor-mediated ethanol action in the central nervous system. We now know that specific GABA(A) receptor subtypes are sensitive to ethanol at doses attained during social drinking while other subtypes respond to ethanol at doses attained by severe intoxication. Furthermore, ethanol increases GABAergic neurotransmission through indirect effects, including the elevation of endogenous GABAergic neuroactive steroids, presynaptic release of GABA, and dephosphorylation of GABA(A) receptors promoting increases in GABA sensitivity. Ethanol's effects on intracellular signaling also influence GABAergic transmission in multiple ways that vary across brain regions and cell types. The effects of chronic ethanol administration are influenced by adaptations in GABA(A) receptor function, expression, trafficking, and subcellular localization that contribute to ethanol tolerance, dependence, and withdrawal hyperexcitability. Adolescents exhibit altered sensitivity to ethanol actions, the tendency for higher drinking and longer lasting GABAergic adaptations to chronic ethanol administration. The elucidation of the mechanisms that underlie adaptations to ethanol exposure are leading to a better understanding of the regulation of inhibitory transmission and new targets for therapies to support recovery from ethanol withdrawal and alcoholism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandeep Kumar
- Department of Psychiatry, Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, 3027 Thurston-Bowles Building, CB #7178, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7178, USA
| | - Patrizia Porcu
- Department of Psychiatry, Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, 3027 Thurston-Bowles Building, CB #7178, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7178, USA
| | - David F. Werner
- Department of Psychiatry, Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, 3027 Thurston-Bowles Building, CB #7178, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7178, USA
| | | | | | - Rebecca S. Helfand
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University, Waco, TX, USA
| | - A. Leslie Morrow
- Department of Psychiatry, Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, 3027 Thurston-Bowles Building, CB #7178, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7178, USA, Department of Pharmacology, Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, 3027 Thurston-Bowles Building, CB #7178, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7178, USA
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Miguel-Hidalgo J, Shoyama Y, Wanzo V. Infusion of gliotoxins or a gap junction blocker in the prelimbic cortex increases alcohol preference in Wistar rats. J Psychopharmacol 2009; 23:550-7. [PMID: 18562436 PMCID: PMC2697276 DOI: 10.1177/0269881108091074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Postmortem research has revealed that there is a lower density of glial cells in regions of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of uncomplicated alcoholics when compared with control subjects. Impairment of astrocyte function in the PFC may contribute to malfunction in circuits involved in emotion- and reward-related subcortical centers, heavily connected with the PFC and directly involved in the pathophysiology of addictive behaviours. The hypothesis was tested that infusion of gliotoxins known to injure astrocytes or of a gap junction blocker into the prelimbic area of the rat PFC results in increased preference for ethanol in rats exposed to free choice between water and 10% ethanol. Fluorocitric acid, L-alpha-aminoadipic acid (AAD) or the gap junction blocker 18-alpha-glycyrrhetinic acid (AGA) were bilaterally infused once into the rat prelimbic cortex and alcohol preference (ratio of 10% ethanol consumed to total liquid ingested) was measured before and after infusion. Infusion of AAD or AGA dissolved in their vehicles, but not of their vehicles alone, resulted in significant transient increase of preference for 10% ethanol. The present data suggest that impaired integrity of glial cells or the gap junctional communication between them in the rat PFC may contribute to changes in ethanol preference.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Miguel-Hidalgo
- Psychiatry and Human Behaviour, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA.
| | - Y Shoyama
- Department of Chemo-Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - V Wanzo
- Psychiatry and Human Behaviour, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi, USA
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Harris GJ, Jaffin SK, Hodge SM, Kennedy D, Caviness VS, Marinkovic K, Papadimitriou GM, Makris N, Oscar-Berman M. Frontal white matter and cingulum diffusion tensor imaging deficits in alcoholism. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2008; 32:1001-13. [PMID: 18422840 DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2008.00661.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 134] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alcoholism-related deficits in cognition and emotion point toward frontal and limbic dysfunction, particularly in the right hemisphere. Prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortices are involved in cognitive and emotional functions and play critical roles in the oversight of the limbic reward system. In the present study, we examined the integrity of white matter tracts that are critical to frontal and limbic connectivity. METHODS Diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (DT-MRI) was used to assess functional anisotropy (FA), a measure of white matter integrity, in 15 abstinent long-term chronic alcoholic and 15 demographically equivalent control men. Voxel-based and region-based analyses of group FA differences were applied to these scans. RESULTS Alcoholic subjects had diminished frontal lobe FA in the right superior longitudinal fascicles II and III, orbitofrontal cortex white matter, and cingulum bundle, but not in corresponding left hemisphere regions. These right frontal and cingulum white matter regional FA measures provided 97% correct group discrimination. Working Memory scores positively correlated with superior longitudinal fascicle III FA measures in control subjects only. CONCLUSIONS The findings demonstrate white matter microstructure deficits in abstinent alcoholic men in several right hemisphere tracts connecting prefrontal and limbic systems. These white matter deficits may contribute to underlying dysfunction in memory, emotion, and reward response in alcoholism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gordon J Harris
- Department of Neurology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center, Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA.
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Schlösser RGM, Gesierich T, Wagner G, Bolz M, Gründer G, Dielentheis TF, Scherb C, Stoeter P. Altered benzodiazepine receptor sensitivity in alcoholism: a study with fMRI and acute lorazepam challenge. Psychiatry Res 2007; 154:241-51. [PMID: 17337165 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2006.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2004] [Revised: 01/16/2006] [Accepted: 02/11/2006] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies suggested altered sensitivity of the GABA/benzodiazepine receptor system in alcoholic patients. Expanding on these findings, the present functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study aimed to assess whether a differential modulation of cognitive brain activation by an acute GABAergic drug challenge could be detected in patients with alcoholism. Eight detoxified male patients meeting DSM-IV criteria for alcohol dependence and nine healthy male control subjects were studied with fMRI while performing a 2-back working memory task. The fMRI scans were performed 1 h after intravenous administration of saline and again 1 h after 0.03 mg/kg lorazepam I.V. After saline, a task x group interaction effect with higher task activation in alcoholic patients in the left cerebellum and the right prefrontal cortex emerged. Additionally, a differential task x drug x group interaction was identified in the right cerebellum with more pronounced reduction in cognitive activation after lorazepam in the patient group. A significant correlation between lorazepam sensitivity and duration of alcohol dependence was detected. The present findings are in line with previous studies suggesting disrupted prefrontal-cerebellar activation with potential compensatory hyperactivation of the compromised brain networks in alcoholism. Moreover, the results suggest enhanced responsivity to an acute GABAergic challenge in the right cerebellum with disease-related disruption of cerebellar functional integrity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ralf G M Schlösser
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Jena, Philosophenweg 3, 07740 Jena, Germany.
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Guardia J, Trujols J, Burguete T, Luquero E, Cardús M. Impaired response inhibition scale for alcoholism (IRISA): development and psychometric properties of a new scale for abstinence-oriented treatment of alcoholism. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2007; 31:269-75. [PMID: 17250619 DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2006.00314.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Impaired inhibition of conditioned response plays a significant role in relapse in addictive behaviors. Although patients and their relatives frequently discuss this behavioral deficit when seeking treatment, no instrument is yet available to measure its severity. The aim of this study was to develop the Impaired Response Inhibition Scale for Alcoholism (IRISA) to assess this impairment in alcohol-dependent patients. METHODS A preliminary version of the IRISA was administered to a group of 151 patients under treatment at our center. Exploratory factor analysis was conducted using principal component analysis. The validity and reliability of the IRISA were examined. RESULTS Factor analysis and item refinement led to a definitive 16-item IRISA that accounted for 61.6% of the total variance and revealed Impaired Response Inhibition as a single factor. Psychometric properties of this version of the IRISA scale showed excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha: 0.96), good test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient: 0.81), and satisfactory convergent, discriminant, and predictive validity. The IRISA has a good correlation with alcohol craving, the severity of alcoholism, and alcohol consumption during the recovery process. CONCLUSIONS Our initial results with the IRISA suggest that it is a reliable and valid tool to measure impairment in response inhibition to drinking behavior. The IRISA assesses a potentially important aspect of treatment process and outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Guardia
- Addictive Behaviors Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain.
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Hildebrandt H, Brokate B, Hoffmann E, Kröger B, Eling P. Conditional Responding is Impaired in Chronic Alcoholics. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 2007; 28:631-45. [PMID: 16723313 DOI: 10.1080/13803390590949520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Bechara (2003) describes a model for disturbances in executive functions related to addiction. This model involves deficits in decision-making and in suppressing pre-potent representations or response patterns. We tested this model in 29 individuals with long-term heavy alcohol dependency and compared their performance with that of 20 control subjects. Only individuals without memory impairment, with normal intelligence and normal visual response times were included. We examined word fluency, object alternation, spatial stimulus-response incompatibility, extra-dimensional shift learning and decision-making using the Gambling task. We subtracted the performance in a control condition from that of the executive condition, in order to focus specifically on the executive component of each task. Only the object alternation and incompatibility tasks revealed significant differences between the group of alcoholics and the control group. Moreover, response times in the object alternation task correlated with duration of alcohol dependency. The results do not argue in favor of a specific deficit in decision-making or in shifting between relevant representations. We conclude that long-term alcohol abuse leads to an impairment in conditional responding, provided the response depends on former reactions or the inhibition of pre-potent response patterns.
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Abstract
The use of alcohol is widespread in the world, and although there are many regular users, some individuals drink excessively. Understanding the time course of the development and maintenance of alcohol dependence is important in assessing the potential risk/benefit of an intervention and in accurately treating the problem. Most, although not all, literature suggests that alcoholism is a chronic, relapsing disorder and that there is a general progression from less to more severe problems. Understanding the neurobiology that underlies alcohol dependence as it relates to different clinical stages may help in the development of effective targeted pharmacological treatments. Important clinical stages that may be amenable to pharmacological intervention include the transition from alcohol use to heavy drinking particularly in vulnerable individuals, the cessation of heavy drinking in individuals who want to quit, and the prevention of relapse in individuals who have initiated abstinence but may struggle with craving or the desire to resume alcohol use. Neurotransmitter systems implicated in these stages include glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid, opioid, and serotonin systems that may act directly or via the indirect modulation of dopamine function. The treatment implications will also be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ismene L Petrakis
- Department of Psychiatry and School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06510, USA.
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Hemby SE, O'connor JA, Acosta G, Floyd D, Anderson N, McCool BA, Friedman D, Grant KA. Ethanol-Induced Regulation of GABAA Subunit mRNAs in Prefrontal Fields of Cynomolgus Monkeys. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2006; 30:1978-85. [PMID: 17117962 DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2006.00254.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent evidence indicates that functional impairment of the orbital and medial fields of the prefrontal cortex may underlie the deficits in executive control of behavior that characterize addictive disorders, including alcohol addiction. Moreover, previous studies have indicated that alcohol alters GABA neurotransmission and one substrate of these effects may be through the reconfiguration of the subunits constituting the GABA(A) receptor complex. Given that GABAergic transmission has an integral role in cortical processing, influencing local and interregional communication, understanding alcohol-induced alterations in GABA(A) receptors in prefrontal fields of the primate brain may provide insight into the functional impairment of these brain regions in the alcohol-addicted state and extend our understanding of the molecular consequences of long-term use in these critical brain regions. METHODS AND RESULTS To address this problem, the effects of chronic ethanol self-administration in male cynomolgus monkeys on GABA(A) receptor subunit mRNA expression was studied in 3 frontal cortical fields: orbitofrontal cortex (OFC; area 13), anterior cingulate cortex (ACC; area 24), and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC; area 46). Quantitative polymerase chain reaction revealed significant alterations in GABA(A) subunit mRNA expression in the OFC and DLPFC but not in the ACC. Specifically, expression of the alpha2, alpha4, beta1, beta3, and gamma1 to gamma3 subunit mRNAs was significantly less in the OFC, whereas the expression of beta1, beta2, gamma1, and delta subunit mRNAs was less in the DLPFC of alcohol-treated monkeys. CONCLUSION These findings suggest that ethanol-induced alterations in GABA(A) function may be due to alterations in GABA(A) subunit mRNA levels and subunit-specific alterations are selective to particular cortical fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott E Hemby
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27157, USA.
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Dom G, Sabbe B, Hulstijn W, van den Brink W. Substance use disorders and the orbitofrontal cortex: systematic review of behavioural decision-making and neuroimaging studies. Br J Psychiatry 2005; 187:209-20. [PMID: 16135857 DOI: 10.1192/bjp.187.3.209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 153] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Orbitofrontal cortex dysfunctions have been frequently documented in people with substance use disorders. The exact role of this cortical region, however, remains unspecified. AIMS To assess the functionality of the orbitofrontal cortex in people with substance use disorders. METHOD Reports of studies using behavioural decision-making tasks and/or neuroimaging techniques to investigate orbitofrontal cortex functioning in cases of substance misuse were reviewed. Studies focusing exclusively on tobacco-smoking and gambling were excluded. RESULTS Fifty-two research articles were evaluated. Most studies showed significant deficits in decision-making in people with substance use disorders. A consistent finding in the neuroimaging studies was hypoactivity of the orbitofrontal cortex after detoxification. The association between hyperactivity of this region and craving or cue reactivity was not consistent across studies. CONCLUSIONS The orbitofrontal cortex has an important role in addictive behaviours. Further studies are needed to elucidate the underlying neuronal substrates of cue reactivity, craving and decision-making, and the implications for treatment and relapse prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Dom
- Psychiatric Centre Brothers Alexians, Boechout, Belgium.
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Lingford-Hughes AR, Wilson SJ, Cunningham VJ, Feeney A, Stevenson B, Brooks DJ, Nutt DJ. GABA-benzodiazepine receptor function in alcohol dependence: a combined 11C-flumazenil PET and pharmacodynamic study. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2005; 180:595-606. [PMID: 15864554 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-005-2271-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2004] [Accepted: 03/20/2005] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-benzodiazepine receptor function is hypothesised to be reduced in alcohol dependence. OBJECTIVES We used positron emission tomography (PET) with [11C]flumazenil, a non-selective tracer for brain GABA-benzodiazepine (GABA-BDZ) receptor binding, to determine in vivo the relationship between BDZ receptor occupancy by an agonist, midazolam, and its functional effects. METHODS Abstinent male alcohol dependent subjects underwent [11C]flumazenil PET to measure occupancy of BDZ receptors by midazolam whilst recording its pharmacodynamic effects on behavioural and physiological measures. Rate constants describing the exchange of [11C]flumazenil between the plasma and brain compartments were derived from time activity curves. RESULTS A 50% reduction in electroencephalography (EEG)-measured sleep time was seen in the alcohol dependent group despite the same degree of occupancy by midazolam as seen in the control group. The effects of midazolam on other measures of benzodiazepine receptor function, increasing EEG beta1 power and slowing of saccadic eye movements, were similar in the two groups. No differences in midazolam or flumazenil metabolism were found between the groups. CONCLUSIONS In summary, our study suggests that alcohol dependence in man is associated with a reduced EEG sleep response to the benzodiazepine agonist, midazolam, which is not explained by reduced BDZ receptor occupancy, and is consistent with reduced sensitivity in this measure of GABA-BDZ receptor function in alcohol dependence. The lack of change in other functional measures may reflect a differential involvement of particular subtypes of the GABA-BDZ receptor.
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Affiliation(s)
- A R Lingford-Hughes
- Psychopharmacology Unit, University of Bristol, Dorothy Hodgkin Building, Whitson Street, Bristol, BS1 3NY, UK.
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Goldstein RZ, Alia-Klein N, Leskovjan AC, Fowler JS, Wang GJ, Gur RC, Hitzemann R, Volkow ND. Anger and depression in cocaine addiction: association with the orbitofrontal cortex. Psychiatry Res 2005; 138:13-22. [PMID: 15708297 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2004.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2004] [Revised: 10/15/2004] [Accepted: 10/16/2004] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
The high prevalence of anger, impulsivity and violence in cocaine addiction implicates chronic cocaine use in the compromise of higher-order inhibitory control neurocognitive processes. We used the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) anger content scale as a personality measure of inhibitory control and examined its association with glucose metabolism in the lateral orbitofrontal gyrus (LOFG) at rest as measured by positron emission tomography with 2-deoxy-2[(18)F]fluoro-D-glucose (PET (18)FDG) in 17 recently abstinent cocaine-dependent subjects and 16 comparison subjects. Three additional variables--the MMPI-2 depression content scale, metabolism in the medial orbitofrontal gyrus (MOFG) and the anterior cingulate (AC) gyrus--were inspected. When level of education was statistically controlled for, the LOFG was significantly associated with anger within the cocaine group. No other region was associated with anger within the cocaine-dependent group, and the LOFG did not correlate with depression within any of the study groups. The present study confirms earlier reports in demonstrating a positive association between relative metabolism at rest in the LOFG and cognitive-behavioral and personality measures of inhibitory control in drug addiction: the higher the metabolism, the better the inhibitory control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita Z Goldstein
- Medical Research, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Bldg. 490, 30 Bell Ave, Upton, NY, 11973-5000, USA.
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Lubman DI, Yücel M, Pantelis C. Addiction, a condition of compulsive behaviour? Neuroimaging and neuropsychological evidence of inhibitory dysregulation. Addiction 2004; 99:1491-502. [PMID: 15585037 DOI: 10.1111/j.1360-0443.2004.00808.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 213] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
AIMS Addiction has been conceptualized as a shift from controlled experimentation to uncontrolled, compulsive patterns of use. Current neurobiological models of addiction emphasize changes within the brain's reward system, such that drugs of abuse 'hijack' this system and bias behaviour towards further drug use. While this model explains the involuntary nature of craving and the motivational drive to continue drug use, it does not explain fully why some addicted individuals are unable to control their drug use when faced with potentially disastrous consequences. In this review, we argue that such maladaptive and uncontrolled behaviour is underpinned by a failure of the brain's inhibitory control mechanisms. DESIGN Relevant neuroimaging, neuropsychological and clinical studies are reviewed, along with data from our own research. FINDINGS The current literature suggests that in addition to the brain's reward system, two frontal cortical regions (anterior cingulate and orbitofrontal cortices), critical in inhibitory control over reward-related behaviour, are dysfunctional in addicted individuals. These same regions have been implicated in other compulsive conditions characterized by deficits in inhibitory control over maladaptive behaviours, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder. CONCLUSIONS We propose that in chronically addicted individuals, maladaptive behaviours and high relapse rates may be better conceptualized as being 'compulsive' in nature as a result of dysfunction within inhibitory brain circuitry, particularly during symptomatic states. This model may help to explain why some addicts lose control over their drug use, and engage in repetitive self-destructive patterns of drug-seeking and drug-taking that takes place at the expense of other important activities. This model may also have clinical utility, as it allows for the adoption of treatments effective in other disorders of inhibitory dysregulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan I Lubman
- Substance Use Research and Recovery Focused (SURRF) Program, ORYGEN Research Centre, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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Hildebrandt H, Brokate B, Eling P, Lanz M. Response shifting and inhibition, but not working memory, are impaired after long-term heavy alcohol consumption. Neuropsychology 2004; 18:203-11. [PMID: 15099142 DOI: 10.1037/0894-4105.18.2.203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic alcohol abuse leads to cognitive deficits. The authors investigated whether a systematic increase of interference in a 2-back working memory paradigm would lead to cognitive deficits in alcoholic participants and compared their performance in such a task with that in an alternate-response task. Twenty-four nonamnesic and nondemented alcohol abuse (AA) patients and 12 patients with Korsakoff's syndrome (KS) were compared with a control group. AA patients were impaired in the alternate-response task but not in working memory interference resolution. KS patients performed worse than the AA patients and the controls in both tasks. The neurotoxic side effects of alcohol therefore lead to a specific deficit in alternating between response rules but not in working memory, independently of whether the working memory task involves interference resolution or not.
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Tupala E, Hall H, Halonen P, Tiihonen J. Cortical dopamine D2 receptors in type 1 and 2 alcoholics measured with human whole hemisphere autoradiography. Synapse 2004; 54:129-37. [PMID: 15452867 DOI: 10.1002/syn.20071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Alcoholism has been associated with lower density of striatal dopamine (DA) D(2) receptors, but there is much less data on cortical DA D(2) receptors. We evaluated the [(125)I]epidepride binding to DA D(2) receptors in Cloninger type 1 and 2 alcoholics and controls in frontal, temporal, and anterior cingulate cortices by using human postmortem whole hemispheric autoradiography, which provides high-resolution images corresponding to positron emission tomographic (PET) studies. Type 1 alcoholics had lower and type 2 alcoholics had higher DA D(2) receptor density in all cortical areas compared to controls. Although the results did not reach statistical significance, the effect sizes were high. The DA D(2) receptor density in type 2 alcoholics decreased statistically significantly with age, and after correcting for age the binding values also fell below the level of controls. A statistically non-significant tendency towards a decrease of cortical DA D(2) receptors was seen in controls, whereas in the type 1 alcoholic group no consistent correlation or even tendency towards increase with age was observed. Our results give preliminary evidence that DA D(2) receptors in cortical areas may be lower among both groups of alcoholics, but not necessarily of same magnitude as in subcortical structures. The rapid decline of cortical DA D(2) receptors among type 2 alcoholics may have some relevance to their antisociality, because this trait tends to diminish with age. The absence of correlation or even tendency towards increase of cortical DA D(2) receptors with age seen in type 1 alcoholics may give further evidence that they have a pre-existing dopaminergic deficit. However, these results especially regarding aging effect must be considered as preliminary due to the different age-range of type 2 alcoholics compared to two other groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erkki Tupala
- Department of Forensic Psychiatry, Niuvanniemi Hospital, University of Kuopio, FIN-70240 Kuopio, Finland.
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Abstract
Addiction provides fertile ground for the application of the tools of functional neuroimaging. They can be divided into studies of neural activity and neurotransmitter function. Using the former, both opiates and stimulants cause a global decrease in brain metabolism. Against this background, acute doses have still been shown to produce relative increases in brain activation in specific regions, e.g., anterior cingulate, thalamus, and amygdala. These are also regions frequently found with cue-exposure paradigms. Our own work on cue-exposure has shown that heroin-related stimuli provoke activation of the anterior cingulate and orbitofrontal regions. Brain metabolism has also been shown to increase in drug withdrawal from alcohol and cocaine. Neurotransmitter studies have shown that in alcohol dependence, GABA(A)-benzodiazepine (GABA-BDZ) receptors are reduced in a number of brain regions and suggest that there may be 'capacity within the system' in some benzodiazepine functions, but tolerance to others, e.g., time asleep. Finally, 11C-Ro15-4513 offers new opportunities for imaging the GABA-BDZ system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark R C Daglish
- Psychopharmacology Unit, School of Medical Sciences, University of Bristol, University Walk, Bristol, BS8 1TD, UK.
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Abstract
Neurotransmitter receptor systems have been the focus of intensive pharmacological research for more than 20 years for basic and applied scientific reasons, but only recently has there been a better understanding of their key features. One of these systems includes the type A receptor for the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which forms an integral anion channel from a pentameric subunit assembly and mediates most of the fast inhibitory neurotransmission in the adult vertebrate central nervous system. Up to now, depending on the definition, 16-19 mammalian subunits have been cloned and localized on different genes. Their assembly into proteins in a poorly defined stoichiometry forms the basis of functional and pharmacological GABA(A) receptor diversity, i.e. the receptor subtypes. The latter has been well documented in autoradiographic studies using ligands that label some of the receptors' various binding sites, corroborated by recombinant expression studies using the same tools. Significantly less heterogeneity has been found at the physiological level in native receptors, where the subunit combinations have been difficult to dissect. This review focuses on the characteristics, use and usefulness of various ligands and their binding sites to probe GABA(A) receptor properties and to gain insight into the biological function from fish to man and into evolutionary conserved GABA(A) receptor heterogeneity. We also summarize the properties of the novel mouse models created for the study of various brain functions and review the state-of-the-art imaging of brain GABA(A) receptors in various human neuropsychiatric conditions. The data indicate that the present ligands are only partly satisfactory tools and further ligands with subtype-selective properties are needed for imaging purposes and for confirming the behavioral and functional results of the studies presently carried out in gene-targeted mice with other species, including man.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esa R Korpi
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Turku, Itäinen Pitkäkatu 4B, Finland.
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Goldstein RZ, Volkow ND, Wang GJ, Fowler JS, Rajaram S. Addiction changes orbitofrontal gyrus function: involvement in response inhibition. Neuroreport 2001; 12:2595-9. [PMID: 11496155 PMCID: PMC1201131 DOI: 10.1097/00001756-200108080-00060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
We used the Stroop task as a measure of the ability to inhibit a prepotent response tendency and examined its association with relative glucose metabolism in selected prefrontal brain regions in cocaine addicts, alcoholics, and controls (17 per group). Results revealed that for the substance abusers, higher orbitofrontal gyrus (OFG) activation was associated with lower conflict (higher score; r = 0.32, p < 0.05). For the controls, higher OFG activation was associated with higher conflict (lower score; r = -0.42, p < 0.05). Thus, at baseline, increased relative activation of the OFG is associated with worse performance in controls and better performance in substance abusers on the Stroop task, suggesting reversal of the role of the OFG as a function of addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Z Goldstein
- Brookhaven National Laboratory, Medical Research, Bldg. 490, 30 Bell Ave, Upton, NY 11973, USA
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Schore AN. The effects of early relational trauma on right brain development, affect regulation, and infant mental health. Infant Ment Health J 2001. [DOI: 10.1002/1097-0355(200101/04)22:1%3c201::aid-imhj8%3e3.0.co;2-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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Schore AN. The effects of early relational trauma on right brain development, affect regulation, and infant mental health. Infant Ment Health J 2001. [DOI: 10.1002/1097-0355(200101/04)22:1<201::aid-imhj8>3.0.co;2-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 530] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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Affiliation(s)
- S J Gatley
- Medical Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973, USA.
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