Opioid addiction changes cerebral blood flow symmetry.
Changes in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) due to long-term abuse of opioids such as heroin or morphine are not yet fully understood in humans. The goal of the present study was to investigate rCBF alterations in a large sample of long-term opioid addicts in comparison to healthy controls. We investigated 21 opioid-dependent subjects, who were currently abusing heroin or were enrolled in a methadone or morphine maintenance program, and 36 healthy controls with (99m)Tc-HMPAO single photon emission computed tomography. We found a decrease in rCBF in most regions of interest in patients in comparison to controls. Long-term opioid dependence seems to decrease prefrontal CBF in particular. A right-greater-than-left CBF asymmetry in healthy subjects was reversed in patients. This change in CBF symmetry could reflect the different emotional status of opioid-dependent patients. Our findings are in line with neuropsychological investigations indicating a correlation of mood states with lateralization of hemispheric activation patterns.
Pezawas
Lukas
L
Department of General Psychiatry, University of Vienna, Austria. Lukas.Pezawas@akh-wein.ac.at
Fischer
Gabriele
G
Podreka
Ivo
I
Schindler
Shird
S
Brücke
Thomas
T
Jagsch
Reinhold
R
Thurnher
Maida
M
Kasper
Siegfried
S
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006556:Heroin Dependence / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008691:Methadone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D009021:Morphine Dependence / Q000503:physiopathology; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000098:blood supply; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
D008691:Methadone