title: Reversible brain white matter microstructure changes in heroin addicts: a longitudinal study.
abstract: Previous neuroimaging studies have documented the structural damage in heroin addicts. However, little research has detailed the white matter microstructural changes in the human brain as a result of chronic heroin use and importantly, whether such changes can be recovered after short-term abstinence. Decreased fractional anisotropy values in frontal cortex were found in heroin users after 3 days of abstinence in comparison with controls. However, no significant difference was found between these heroin addicts and controls after 1-month abstinence. These results might better our understanding of the biological basis of drug addiction and provide insight into addiction treatment.
authors.affiliation: Mental Health Institute, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Cental South University, China.
authors.forename: Xuyi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Rongjun
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Xuhui
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Yanhui
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: Jinsong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Tieqiao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Baoci
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Shan
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hao
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016880:Anisotropy; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000473:pathology*; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000473:pathology*; D006556:Heroin Dependence / Q000473:pathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D013997:Time Factors