Evaluation of structural connectivity changes in betel-quid chewers using generalized q-sampling MRI.
BACKGROUND
Betel quid (BQ) is a common addictive substance in many Asian countries. However, few studies have focused on the influences of BQ on the brain. It remains unclear how BQ can affect structural brain abnormalities in BQ chewers.


OBJECTIVE
We aimed to use generalized q-sampling imaging (GQI) to evaluate the impact of the neurological structure of white matter caused by BQ.


METHODS
The study population comprised 16 BQ chewers, 15 tobacco and alcohol controls, and 17 healthy controls. We used GQI with voxel-based statistical analysis (VBA) to evaluate structural brain and connectivity abnormalities in the BQ chewers compared to the tobacco and alcohol controls and the healthy controls. Graph theoretical analysis (GTA) and network-based statistical (NBS) analysis were also performed to identify the structural network differences among the three groups.


RESULTS
Using GQI, we found increases in diffusion anisotropy in the right anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), the midbrain, the bilateral angular gyrus, the right superior temporal gyrus (rSTG), the bilateral superior occipital gyrus, the left middle occipital gyrus, the bilateral superior and inferior parietal lobule, and the bilateral postcentral and precentral gyrus in the BQ chewers when compared to the tobacco and alcohol controls and the healthy controls. In GTA and NBS analyses, we found more connections in connectivity among the BQ chewers, particularly in the bilateral anterior cingulum.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results provided further evidence indicating that BQ chewing may lead to brain structure and connectivity changes in BQ chewers.
Department of Medical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.|Department of Medical Imaging, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
Jun-Cheng
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7616-6216
JC
Weng
Department of Medical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
Te-Wei
TW
Kao
Department of Psychology, Chung Shan Medical University, No.110, Sec. 1, Chien-Kuo N. Road, Taichung, 402, Taiwan.
Guo-Joe
GJ
Huang
Department of Medical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, Chung Shan Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.|Department of Medical Imaging, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
Yeu-Sheng
YS
Tyan
Department of Radiation Oncology, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
Hsien-Chun
HC
Tseng
Department of Psychology, Chung Shan Medical University, No.110, Sec. 1, Chien-Kuo N. Road, Taichung, 402, Taiwan. mingchou@csmu.edu.tw.|Clinical Psychological Room, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan. mingchou@csmu.edu.tw.
Ming-Chou
MC
Ho
D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D004361:Drug Tolerance; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000737:chemistry*; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000502:physiology*; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000737:chemistry*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000378:metabolism*; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000378:metabolism*; D066127:White Matter / Q000503:physiopathology*
Betel quid; Generalized q-sampling imaging (GQI); Graph theoretical analysis (GTA); Network-based statistical analysis (NBS)