title: White matter deficits assessed by diffusion tensor imaging and cognitive dysfunction in psychostimulant users with comorbid human immunodeficiency virus infection.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Psychostimulant drug use is commonly associated with drug-related infection, including the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Both psychostimulant use and HIV infection are known to damage brain white matter and impair cognition. To date, no study has examined white matter integrity using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in chronic psychostimulant users with comorbid HIV infection, and determined the relationship of white matter integrity to cognitive function.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-one subjects (mean age 37.5 ± 9.0 years) with a history of heavy psychostimulant use and HIV infection (8.7 ± 4.3 years) and 22 matched controls were scanned on a 3T MRI. Fractional anisotropy (FA) values were calculated with DTI software. Four regions of interest were manually segmented, including the genu of the corpus callosum, left and right anterior limbs of the internal capsule, and the anterior commissure. Subjects also completed a neurocognitive battery and questionnaires about physical and mental health.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The psychostimulant using, HIV positive group displayed decreased white matter integrity, with significantly lower FA values for all white matter tracts (p < 0.05). This group also exhibited decreased cognitive performance on tasks that assessed cognitive set-shifting, fine motor speed and verbal memory. FA values for the white matter tracts correlated with cognitive performance on many of the neurocognitive tests.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  White matter integrity was thus impaired in subjects with psychostimulant use and comorbid HIV infection, which predicted worsened cognitive performance on a range of tests. Further study on this medical comorbidity is required.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, 2255 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, V6T2A1, Canada. victormtang@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Victor M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of British Columbia, 3350-950 W 10th Avenue, Vancouver, V5Z1M9, Canada. donna.lang@ubc.ca.|British Columbia Mental Health & Addictions Research Institute, 938 W 28th Avenue, Vancouver, V5Z4H4, Canada. donna.lang@ubc.ca.
authors.forename: Donna J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Lang
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, V5A1S6, Canada. cjgiesbr@sfu.ca.
authors.forename: Chantelle J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Giesbrecht
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, 2255 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, V6T2A1, Canada. wpanenka@mail.ubc.ca.|British Columbia Mental Health & Addictions Research Institute, 938 W 28th Avenue, Vancouver, V5Z4H4, Canada. wpanenka@mail.ubc.ca.
authors.forename: William J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Panenka
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, 2255 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, V6T2A1, Canada. taywilli12@gmail.com.|British Columbia Mental Health & Addictions Research Institute, 938 W 28th Avenue, Vancouver, V5Z4H4, Canada. taywilli12@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Taylor
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Willi
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, 2255 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, V6T2A1, Canada. RProcyshyn@bcmhs.bc.ca.|British Columbia Mental Health & Addictions Research Institute, 938 W 28th Avenue, Vancouver, V5Z4H4, Canada. RProcyshyn@bcmhs.bc.ca.
authors.forename: Ric M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Procyshyn
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, 2255 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, V6T2A1, Canada. fidel.vilarodriguez@ubc.ca.
authors.forename: Fidel
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vila-Rodriguez
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, 2255 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, V6T2A1, Canada. willoughjenkins@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Willough
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jenkins
authors.affiliation: Département de Psychologie, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada. tania.lecomte@umontreal.ca.
authors.forename: Tania
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lecomte
authors.affiliation: British Columbia Mental Health & Addictions Research Institute, 938 W 28th Avenue, Vancouver, V5Z4H4, Canada. hnboyda@gmail.com.|Department of Pharmacology, University of British Columbia, 2176 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T1Z3, Canada. hnboyda@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Heidi N
authors.initials: HN
authors.lastname: Boyda
authors.affiliation: British Columbia Mental Health & Addictions Research Institute, 938 W 28th Avenue, Vancouver, V5Z4H4, Canada. ana.aleksic.aa@gmail.com.|Department of Pharmacology, University of British Columbia, 2176 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T1Z3, Canada. ana.aleksic.aa@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aleksic
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, 2255 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, V6T2A1, Canada. Bill.MacEwan@fraserhealth.ca.
authors.forename: G William
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: MacEwan
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, 2255 Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, V6T2A1, Canada. bill.honer@ubc.ca.|British Columbia Mental Health & Addictions Research Institute, 938 W 28th Avenue, Vancouver, V5Z4H4, Canada. bill.honer@ubc.ca.
authors.forename: William G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Honer
authors.affiliation: British Columbia Mental Health & Addictions Research Institute, 938 W 28th Avenue, Vancouver, V5Z4H4, Canada. al.barr@ubc.ca.|Department of Pharmacology, University of British Columbia, 2176 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T1Z3, Canada. al.barr@ubc.ca.
authors.forename: Alasdair M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Barr
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000662:Amphetamines / Q000009:adverse effects; D016880:Anisotropy; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003042:Cocaine / Q000009:adverse effects; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003337:Corpus Callosum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D016578:Crack Cocaine / Q000009:adverse effects; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D020772:Internal Capsule / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012686:Septal Nuclei / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D066127:White Matter / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D000662:Amphetamines; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D016578:Crack Cocaine; D003042:Cocaine