title: Right parietal hypoactivation in a cocaine-dependent group during a verbal working memory task.
abstract: It has been suggested that cocaine addiction affects the engagement of the frontoparietal networks in executive functions, such as attention and working memory. Thus, our objective was to investigate brain differences between cocaine-dependent subjects and healthy controls during the performance of a verbal working memory task. Nineteen comparison men and nineteen cocaine-dependent men performed a 2-back task. Data were acquired on a 1.5-T Siemens Avanto. Image processing and statistical analyses were carried out using SPM5; Biological Parametric Mapping (BPM) was used for further morphometric and correlation analyses. No performance differences were found between groups. However, the dorsal part of the right inferior parietal cortex (BA 40) was less activated in the cocaine-dependent group. Cocaine patients did not overactive any brain area when compared with controls. Our results show reduced activation in the brain areas related to the attention system in cocaine-dependent men while performing a verbal working memory task. Chronic cocaine use may affect the attentional system in the right parietal lobe, making patients more prone to attentional deficits.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Psicología Básica, Clínica y Psicobiología, Universitat Jaume I, Av. de Vicent Sos Baynat, s/n, Room: HC2242DL, 12071, Castellón de la Plana, Spain. jbustama@psb.uji.es
authors.forename: Juan-Carlos
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Bustamante
authors.forename: Alfonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Barrós-Loscertales
authors.forename: Noelia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ventura-Campos
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sanjuán
authors.forename: Juan-José
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Llopis
authors.forename: María-Antonia
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Parcet
authors.forename: César
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Avila
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D001931:Brain Mapping; D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D004522:Educational Status; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007206:Individuality; D007360:Intelligence; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000187:drug effects*; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000187:drug effects*; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D014888:Wechsler Scales