Abstract
Cocaine abuse is associated with neuroinflammation. Cocaine also has powerful vasoactive effects. Both cause loss of neurons and changes in cerebral gray matter volume (GMV) and deficits in cognitive and affective functions. Magnetic resonance imaging has provided a wealth of information on altered brain activation and structures in individuals addicted to cocaine. In this chapter, studies of cerebral morphometry are reviewed, highlighting a study of voxel-based morphometry of cocaine-dependent (CD) individuals. Overall, compared with healthy controls (HCs), CD individuals showed decreased GMV in multiple brain regions, including the frontal and temporal cortices, middle/posterior cingulate cortex, and the cerebellum. The GMV of the bilateral superior frontal gyrus (SFG) and cingulate cortices were negatively correlated with years of cocaine use, with women showing a steeper loss in the right SFG in association with duration of use. In contrast, the right ventral putamen showed increased GMV in CD individuals compared with HCs. The findings and potential implications of GMV loss for cognitive and affective functions in cocaine addicts are also discussed.
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