title: Disrupted integrity of white matter in heroin-addicted subjects at different abstinent time.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate and compare the integrity of white matter in heroin-addicted and healthy control subjects at different abstinent time using diffusion tensor imaging.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed voxelwise analysis of fractional anisotropy (FA) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) in 35 currently abstinent heroin abusers who were divided into long-term group (n = 17) and short-term group (n = 18) and 17 healthy volunteers. Measurements of FA and ADC of the identified regions (genu and splenium of corpus callosum, bilateral frontal lobe) were obtained from all subjects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The FA at callosal splenium was higher in the long-term group than in the short-term group (P < 0.05). The FA at left prefrontal cortex was higher in the short-term group than in the long-term group (P < 0.05). No significant difference in ADC was found among the 3 groups. The education history had a positive correlation with the FA value on the gena of corpus callosum (r = 0.402, P = 0.017). Months of abstinence had a negative correlation with left frontal FA (r = -0.366, P = 0.03) and a positive correlation with splenium FA (r = 0.348, P = 0.04).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Heroin abuse seems to alter white matter microstructure differentially in long-term and short-term heroin addicts. This study will contribute to the current literature by examining the quality of white matter fiber structure in heroin abstinence.
authors.affiliation: Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Yunxia
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Erlei
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Xiurong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Mingwu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lou
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology*; D003337:Corpus Callosum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D003932:Heroin / Q000633:toxicity*; D006556:Heroin Dependence / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D056784:Leukoencephalopathies / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000473:pathology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D003932:Heroin