Cerebral metabolism in opiate-dependent subjects: effects of methadone maintenance.
BACKGROUND
The long-term effects of opiate use on human brain are not known. The goal of this preliminary study was to determine whether human subjects with histories of opiate dependence have persistent differences in brain function as compared with individuals without substance use disorders, and whether methadone maintenance reverses or ameliorates the potential abnormality.


METHODS
Positron emission tomographic (PET) [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) method was used to compare the regional cerebral metabolic rate for glucose(rCMRglc) in three groups: four opiate-dependent subjects currently receiving methadone maintenance therapy (MM), four opiate-dependent subjects not receiving methadone maintenance therapy (MW), and a comparison group of five subjects without substance use disorders.


RESULTS
A significant difference in rCMRglc in the anterior cingulate gyrus was found between the MW and Control groups (Mann-Whitney U=2.0, p=0.05). Generally speaking, rCMRglc's in MM subjects were intermediate between those of MW and Control groups, although the difference did not reach statistical significance.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study suggest that neurobiological abnormalities can persist in the brain of a chronic opiate user several years after detoxification from methadone. Future research is needed to replicate these results and to determine whether the observed rCMRglc differences are related to opiate use or to neurochemical abnormalities that play a role in developing addictive behavior.
Galynker
I I
II
Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Medical Center, First Avenue at 16th Street, New York, NY 10003, USA.
Watras-Ganz
S
S
Miner
C
C
Rosenthal
R N
RN
Des Jarlais
D C
DC
Richman
B L
BL
London
E
E
D000328:Adult; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008691:Methadone / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed
D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D008691:Methadone