Prefrontal and temporal gray matter density decreases in opiate dependence

• Published in: Psychopharmacologia Vol. 184; no. 2; pp. 139 - 144
• Main Authors: IN KYOON LYOO, POLLACK, Mark H, SILVERI, Marisa M, KYUNG HEUP AHN, DIAZ, Claudia I, HWANG, Jaeuk, SEOG JU KIM, YURGELUN-TODD, Deborah A, KAUFMAN, Marc J, RENSHAW, Perry F
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin Springer 01.02.2006; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adult; Alcohol; Axons - physiology; Biological and medical sciences; Drug abuse; Female; Humans; Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Medical imaging; Medical sciences; Mental disorders; Methadone; Narcotics; Neuroimaging; Neuropsychology; Opioid-Related Disorders - cerebrospinal fluid; Opioid-Related Disorders - pathology; Prefrontal Cortex - pathology; Pregnancy; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Psychiatry; Temporal Lobe - pathology; United States > US; Opiate; Brain imaging; Abuse; Grey matter; Central nervous system; Voxel-based morphometry; Opiates; Prefrontal cortex; Density; Encephalon; Decrease; Imaging; Dependence; Medical imagery; Morphometry
• ISSN: 0033-3158; 1432-2072
• DOI: 10.1007/s00213-005-0198-x

There have been only a few structural brain-imaging studies, with varied findings, of opiate-dependent subjects. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) is suitable for studying whole brain-wise structural brain changes in opiate-dependent subjects. The objective of the current study is to explore gray matter density in opiate-dependent subjects. Gray matter density in 63 opiate-dependent subjects and 46 age- and sex-matched healthy comparison subjects was compared using VBM. Relative to healthy comparison subjects, opiate-dependent subjects exhibited decreased gray matter density in bilateral prefrontal cortex [Brodmann areas (BA) 8, 9, 10, 11, and 47], bilateral insula (BA 13), bilateral superior temporal cortex (BA 21 and 38), left fusiform cortex (BA 37), and right uncus (BA 28). This study reports that opiate-dependent subjects have gray matter density decreases in prefrontal and temporal cortex, which may be associated with behavioral and neuropsychological dysfunction in opiate-dependent subjects.