Decreased cerebral blood flow of the right anterior cingulate cortex in long-term and short-term abstinent methamphetamine users.
BACKGROUND
The aim of the current study was to explore changes of relative regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in short-term and long-term abstinent methamphetamine (MA) users.


METHODS
Relative rCBF in 40 abstinent MA users and 23 healthy comparison subjects was compared by the technetium-99m-hexamethyl-propylene amine oxime ((99m)Tc-HMPAO) single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Relative rCBF in areas that were found to differ significantly was also compared in groups of MA users with short-term (<6 months) and long-term (>or=6 months) abstinence.


RESULTS
MA users showed decreased relative rCBF in the right anterior cingulate cortex (Brodmann area 32) relative to healthy comparison subjects. Long-term abstinent MA users had significantly greater rCBF than short-term abstinent MA users.


CONCLUSIONS
We report that abstinent MA users have decreased rCBF in the anterior cingulate cortex with smaller relative decreases in subjects with prolonged abstinence.
Hwang
Jaeuk
J
Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, 28 Yongon-dong, Chongno-gu, Seoul 110-744, South Korea.
Lyoo
In Kyoon
IK
Kim
Seog Ju
SJ
Sung
Young Hoon
YH
Bae
Soojeong
S
Cho
Sung-Nam
SN
Lee
Ho Young
HY
Lee
Dong Soo
DS
Renshaw
Perry F
PF
D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000503:physiopathology; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000098:blood supply*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008694:Methamphetamine; D012016:Reference Values; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
D008694:Methamphetamine