Neural Correlates of the Severity of Cocaine, Heroin, Alcohol, MDMA and Cannabis Use in Polysubstance Abusers: A Resting-PET Brain Metabolism Study
PLoS ONE June 29, 2012 Laura Moreno-López, Emmanuel A. Stamatakis, María José Fernández-serrano et al. 73 citations
In a sample of 49 polysubstance users in residential treatment who had been abstinent for a prolonged period, the severity of use of heroin, alcohol, MDMA, and cannabis each showed negative correlations with brain metabolism in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and temporal cortex. Alcohol use was additionally linked to lower metabolism in the frontal premotor cortex and putamen, while stimulant use was associated with lower metabolism in the parietal cortex. These findings suggest that different drugs of abuse may produce overlapping and distinct patterns of brain dysfunction even after extended abstinence, which could inform targeted rehabilitation strategies.