[Impulsive decision-making behaviors in heroin addicts: a study of functional magnetic resonance imaging].
OBJECTIVE
To explore the brain regions associated with impulsive decision-making behaviors and interpret the nervous mechanism for addiction and relapse in heroin abusers.


METHODS
Using the paradigms of psychological experiment, the subjects in both heroin addiction group (HA group) and normal control group (HC group) performed Iowa gambling task (IGT) and simultaneously underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scan. All the above data were gathered and then analyzed by SPM5 software to explore both the brain regions and their functional changes correlated with impulsive decision-making.


RESULTS
Evidence by IGT behavioral consequences demonstrated that the net scores in HC group increased with numbers of decision-making whereas no increment (fluctuating between-1 and 0) was observed in HA group. Based on the results of fMRI analysis, right orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), left ventromedial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) were activated in both groups. But the right OFC was more active while the right DLPFC and left MPFC were weaker in HA group versus the HC group. Meanwhile, activation of right lenticular nucleus, right thalamus, right insula, hippocampus and left caudate nucleus were observed in HA group.


CONCLUSIONS
Heroin abusers are incapable of impulsive decision-making in behavioral studies. Such a brain region as prefrontal cortex participates in the decision-making performance and control of impulsiveness. Functionally abnormal brain regions correlated with impulsive decision-making may be one cause of genesis, maintenance and relapse of heroin addiction.
Department of Neurosurgery, Affiliated Anhui Provincial Hospital, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230001, China.
Bin
B
LIN
Ruo-bing
RB
QIAN
Xian-ming
XM
FU
Xue-bing
XB
JI
Xiang-pin
XP
WEI
Chao-shi
CS
NIU
Ye-han
YH
WANG
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003657:Decision Making / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D006556:Heroin Dependence / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology; D055815:Young Adult