Activation of memory circuits during cue-elicited cocaine craving.
Evidence accumulated over more than 45 years has indicated that environmental stimuli can induce craving for drugs of abuse in individuals who have addictive disorders. However, the brain mechanisms that subserve such craving have not been elucidated. Here a positron emission tomographic study shows increased glucose metabolism in cortical and limbic regions implicated in several forms of memory when human volunteers who abuse cocaine are exposed to drug-related stimuli. Correlations of metabolic increases in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, medial temporal lobe (amygdala), and cerebellum with self-reports of craving suggest that a distributed neural network, which integrates emotional and cognitive aspects of memory, links environmental cues with cocaine craving.
Grant
S
S
Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.
London
E D
ED
Newlin
D B
DB
Villemagne
V L
VL
Liu
X
X
Contoreggi
C
C
Phillips
R L
RL
Kimes
A S
AS
Margolin
A
A
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003042:Cocaine; D003847:Deoxyglucose / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D005260:Female; D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D007839:Functional Laterality; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed
D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D003847:Deoxyglucose; D003042:Cocaine; D005947:Glucose