Abstract
BackgroundThe formation of compulsive pattern of drug use is related to abnormal regional neural activity and functional reorganization in the heroin addicts’ brain, but the relationship between heroin-use-induced disrupted local neural activity and its functional organization pattern in resting-state is unknown.Methodology/Principal FindingsWith fMRI data acquired during resting state from 17 male heroin dependent individuals (HD) and 15 matched normal controls (NC), we analyzed the changes of amplitude of low frequency fluctuation (ALFF) in brain areas, and its relationship with history of heroin use. Then we investigated the addiction related alteration in functional connectivity of the brain regions with changed ALFF using seed-based correlation analysis. Compared with NC, the ALFF of HD was obviously decreased in the right caudate, right dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC), right superior medial frontal cortex and increased in the bilateral cerebellum, left superior temporal gyrus and left superior occipital gyrus. Of the six regions, only the ALFF value of right caudate had a negative correlation with heroin use. Setting the six regions as “seeds”, we found the functional connectivity between the right caudate and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) was reduced but that between the right caudate and cerebellum was enhanced. Besides, an abnormal lateral PFC-dACC connection was also observed in HD.ConclusionsThe observations of dysfunction of fronto-striatal and fronto-cerebellar circuit in HD implicate an altered balance between local neuronal assemblies activity and their integrated network organization pattern which may be involved in the process from voluntary to habitual and compulsive drug use.
Highlights
Drug addiction is viewed as the transitions from a pattern of voluntary drug use to dysfunctional stimulus-response habit or even to compulsive behavioral phenotype [1]
The amplitude of low frequency fluctuation (ALFF) value in the right caudate in heroin dependent individuals (HD) individuals was negatively correlated with the duration of heroin use (r = 20.642, p = 0.010) and with the heroin daily dosage (r = 20.817, p = 0.000) (Fig. 2)
An enhanced functional connectivity was found between the right caudate and the right cerebellum
Summary
Drug addiction is viewed as the transitions from a pattern of voluntary drug use to dysfunctional stimulus-response habit or even to compulsive behavioral phenotype [1]. Considerable evidence attributes the transitions to drug-induced adaptive changes in the brain structure and function. These changes may lead to reorganization of brain microzones and functional networks, presenting with brain structural disturbance, extensive brain functional abnormalities and disrupted networks [2,3]. Taskrelated fMRI reveals heroin-use-induced abnormal brain responses to external stimuli, including inhibitory control, decision making and stress regulation cognitive functions [10,11,12,13], and involving in reward, cognitive control, motivation and/or drive and salience evaluation, learning and memory circuitry [14]. The formation of compulsive pattern of drug use is related to abnormal regional neural activity and functional reorganization in the heroin addicts’ brain, but the relationship between heroin-use-induced disrupted local neural activity and its functional organization pattern in resting-state is unknown
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