title: Nature of functional links in valuation networks differentiates impulsive behaviors between abstinent heroin-dependent subjects and nondrug-using subjects.
abstract: Advanced neuroimaging studies have identified brain correlates of pathological impulsivity in a variety of neuropsychiatric disorders. However, whether and how these spatially separate and functionally integrated neural correlates collectively contribute to aberrant impulsive behaviors remains unclear. Building on recent progress in neuroeconomics toward determining a biological account of human behaviors, we employed resting-state functional MRI to characterize the nature of the links between these neural correlates and to investigate their impact on impulsivity. We demonstrated that through functional connectivity with the ventral medial prefrontal cortex, the δ-network (regions of the executive control system, such as the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex) and the β-network (regions of the reward system involved in the mesocorticolimbic pathway), jointly influence impulsivity measured by the Barratt impulsiveness scale scores. In control nondrug-using subjects, the functional link between the β- and δ-networks is balanced, and the δ-network competitively controls impulsivity. However, in abstinent heroin-dependent subjects, the link is imbalanced, with stronger β-network connectivity and weaker δ-network connectivity. The imbalanced link is associated with impulsivity, indicating that the β- and δ-networks may mutually reinforce each other in abstinent heroin-dependent subjects. These findings of an aberrant link between the β- and δ-networks in abstinent heroin-dependent subjects may shed light on the mechanism of aberrant behaviors of drug addiction and may serve as an endophenotype to mark individual subjects' self-control capacity.
authors.affiliation: Cognitive and Mental Health Research Center, Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Science, Beijing, PR China; Department of Biophysics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA; Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Basic Medicine, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, PR China.
authors.forename: Tianye
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhai
authors.affiliation: Cognitive and Mental Health Research Center, Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Science, Beijing, PR China.
authors.forename: Yongcong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.affiliation: Department of Biophysics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Cognitive and Mental Health Research Center, Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Science, Beijing, PR China.
authors.forename: Enmao
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, The General Hospital of the People's Liberation Army, Beijing, PR China.
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Cognitive and Mental Health Research Center, Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Science, Beijing, PR China.
authors.forename: Lubin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Cognitive and Mental Health Research Center, Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Science, Beijing, PR China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lei
authors.affiliation: Department of Biophysics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
authors.forename: Guangyu
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Biophysics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
authors.forename: Wenjun
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Cognitive and Mental Health Research Center, Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Science, Beijing, PR China.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.affiliation: Cognitive and Mental Health Research Center, Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Science, Beijing, PR China.
authors.forename: Xiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.affiliation: Department of Biophysics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA. Electronic address: sjli@mcw.edu.
authors.forename: Shi-Jiang
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Cognitive and Mental Health Research Center, Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Science, Beijing, PR China. Electronic address: Yangzhengchina@aliyun.com.
authors.forename: Zheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D056344:Executive Function; D005260:Female; D006556:Heroin Dependence / Q000473:pathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007175:Impulsive Behavior; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000473:pathology*; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000473:pathology*; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000473:pathology
keywords: Heroin addiction; Neuroeconomics; Resting-state functional connectivity MRI; Self-control; Valuation networks