Association of dopamine transporter loss in the orbitofrontal and dorsolateral prefrontal cortices with methamphetamine-related psychiatric symptoms.
OBJECTIVE
The authors examined dopamine transporter density in the orbitofrontal cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and amygdala in methamphetamine users and assessed the relationship of these measures to the subjects' clinical characteristics.


METHODS
Positron emission tomography with [(11)C]WIN 35,428 was used to examine the regions of interest in 11 methamphetamine users and nine healthy comparison subjects. Psychiatric symptoms were evaluated with the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale.


RESULTS
Dopamine transporter density in the three regions studied was significantly lower in the methamphetamine users than in the comparison subjects. The lower dopamine transporter density in the orbitofrontal and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex was significantly correlated with the duration of methamphetamine use and the severity of psychiatric symptoms.


CONCLUSIONS
Chronic methamphetamine use may cause dopamine transporter reduction in the orbitofrontal cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and amygdala in the brain. Psychiatric symptoms in methamphetamine users may be attributable to the decrease in dopamine transporter density in the orbitofrontal cortex and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.
Sekine
Yoshimoto
Y
Department of Psychiatry and neurology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1-20-1 Handayama, Hamamatsu, 431-3192 Shizuoka, Japan. minabe@hama-med.ac.jp
Minabe
Yoshio
Y
Ouchi
Yasuomi
Y
Takei
Nori
N
Iyo
Masaomi
M
Nakamura
Kazuhiko
K
Suzuki
Katsuaki
K
Tsukada
Hideo
H
Okada
Hiroyuki
H
Yoshikawa
Etsuji
E
Futatsubashi
Masami
M
Mori
Norio
N
D000328:Adult; D019969:Amphetamine-Related Disorders / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism*; D000679:Amygdala / Q000737:chemistry; D003042:Cocaine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D050483:Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D018765:Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D008694:Methamphetamine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism*; D011605:Psychoses, Substance-Induced / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism*; D014055:Tomography, Emission-Computed
D050483:Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D018765:Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D008694:Methamphetamine; C021279:(1R-(exo,exo))-3-(4-fluorophenyl)-8-methyl-8- azabicyclo(3.2.1)octane-2-carboxylic acid, methyl ester; D003042:Cocaine