Metabolic alterations in the anterior cingulate cortex and related cognitive deficits in late adolescent methamphetamine users.
The adolescent brain, with ongoing prefrontal maturation, may be more vulnerable to drug use-related neurotoxic changes as compared to the adult brain. We investigated whether the use of methamphetamine (MA), a highly addictive psychostimulant, during adolescence affect metabolic and cognitive functions of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). In adolescent MA users (n = 44) and healthy adolescents (n = 53), the levels of N-acetyl aspartate (NAA), a neuronal marker, were examined in the ACC using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The Stroop color-word task was used to assess Stroop interference, which may reflect cognitive functions of behavior monitoring and response selection that are mediated by the ACC. Adolescent MA users had lower NAA levels in the ACC (t = -2.88, P = 0.005) and relatively higher interference scores (t = 2.03, P = 0.045) than healthy adolescents. Moreover, there were significant relationships between lower NAA levels in the ACC and worse interference scores in adolescent MA users (r = -0.61, P < 0.001). Interestingly, early onset of MA use, as compared to late onset, was related to both lower NAA levels in the ACC (t = -2.24, P = 0.03) as well as lower performance on interference measure of the Stroop color-word task (t = 2.25, P = 0.03). The current findings suggest that metabolic dysfunction in the ACC and its related cognitive impairment may play an important role in adolescent-onset addiction, particularly during early adolescence.
Ewha Brain Institute, Ewha Womans University, Korea.|Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Ewha Womans University, Korea.
Jieun E
JE
Kim
Ewha Brain Institute, Ewha Womans University, Korea.
Geon Ha
GH
Kim
Department of Psychiatry, Soonchunhyang University College of Medicine, Korea.
Jaeuk
J
Hwang
Ewha Brain Institute, Ewha Womans University, Korea.|Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Ewha Womans University, Korea.
Jung Yoon
JY
Kim
The Brain Institute and Department of Psychiatry, The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
Perry F
PF
Renshaw
The Brain Institute and Department of Psychiatry, The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
Deborah A
DA
Yurgelun-Todd
Ewha Brain Institute, Ewha Womans University, Korea.|Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Korea.
Binna
B
Kim
Ewha Brain Institute, Ewha Womans University, Korea.|Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Ewha Womans University, Korea.
Ilhyang
I
Kang
Ewha Brain Institute, Ewha Womans University, Korea.|Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Ewha Womans University, Korea.
Saerom
S
Jeon
Ewha Brain Institute, Ewha Womans University, Korea.|Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, Korea.
Jiyoung
J
Ma
Ewha Brain Institute, Ewha Womans University, Korea.|Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Ewha Womans University, Korea.|College of Pharmacy, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ewha Womans University, Korea.
In Kyoon
IK
Lyoo
Ewha Brain Institute, Ewha Womans University, Korea.|Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Ewha Womans University, Korea.
Sujung
S
Yoon
D000293:Adolescent; D019969:Amphetamine-Related Disorders / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000523:psychology; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008694:Methamphetamine; D066244:Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D057190:Stroop Test; D055815:Young Adult
D001224:Aspartic Acid; D008694:Methamphetamine; C000179:N-acetylaspartate
Adolescents; N-acetyl aspartate; Stroop interference; anterior cingulate cortex; magnetic resonance spectroscopy; methamphetamine