Meta-Analysis of Structural and Functional Brain Abnormalities in Cocaine Addiction

Abstract

BackgroundPrevious voxel-based morphometric (VBM) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies have shown changes in brain structure and function in cocaine addiction (CD) patients compared to healthy controls (HC). However, the results of these studies are poorly reproducible, and it is unclear whether there are common and specific neuroimaging changes. This meta-analysis study aimed to identify structural, functional, and multimodal abnormalities in CD patients.MethodsThe PubMed database was searched for VBM and task-state fMRI studies performed in CD patients between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2021, using the SEED-BASE d MAP software package to perform two independent meta-groups of functional neural activation and gray matter volume, respectively. Analysis, followed by multimodal analysis to uncover structural, functional, and multimodal abnormalities between CD and HC.ResultsThe meta-analysis included 14 CD fMRI studies (400 CD patients and 387 HCs) and 11 CD VBM studies (368 CD patients and 387 controls). Structurally, VBM analysis revealed significantly lower gray matter volumes in the right superior temporal gyrus, right insula, and right retrocentral gyrus than in the HC. On the other hand, the right inferior parietal gyrus increased in gray matter (GM) volume in CD patients. Functionally, fMRI analysis revealed activation in the right temporal pole, right insula, and right parahippocampal gyrus. In the right inferior parietal gyrus, the left inferior parietal gyrus, the left middle occipital gyrus, and the right middle frontal gyrus, the degree of activation was lower.ConclusionThis meta-analysis showed that CD patients had significant brain GM and neural changes compared with normal controls. Furthermore, multi-domain assessments capture different aspects of neuronal alterations in CD, which may help develop effective interventions for specific functions.

The complexity of cortical folding is reduced in chronic cocaine users

“…Recent meta‐analytic evidence has shown that patients with cocaine addiction (CA) present changes in brain structure with significantly lower grey matter (GM) volume in the right superior temporal gyrus, right insula and right postcentral gyrus compared with healthy controls (HCs), as well as increased GM volume in the right inferior parietal gyrus. 4 In cocaine users, lower GM volume has been reported in the prefrontal and temporal cortex, the insula, the striatum and the thalamus. 5 Interestingly, GM alterations show a relationship with the characteristics of substance use.…”

“…parietal gyrus. 4 In cocaine users, lower GM volume has been reported in the prefrontal and temporal cortex, the insula, the striatum and the thalamus. 5 Interestingly, GM alterations show a relationship with the characteristics of substance use.…”

Common and Distinct Drug Cue Reactivity Patterns Associated with Cocaine and Heroin: An fMRI Meta-Analysis

“…For example, evidence suggests that cocaine use appears to recruit more tightly constrained circuits including canonical reward circuitry and the default mode network (Goldstein et al, 2009; Elton et al, 2015; Kaag et al, 2018) whereas activation associated with heroin use appears to be more widespread and more likely to include regions supporting motor function (Hassani-Abharian et al, 2015; Li et al, 2012; Li et al, 2013). Further, prior meta-analyses studying users of these substances have largely utilized broad inclusion criteria, examined users of a single drug (rather than a direct comparison across substances) or examined outcomes other than functional activation (e.g., gray matter, structural differences); these differences in methodology impact the ability to isolate activation patterns solely in response to reactivity to drug cues to neutral cues between users of these difference substances (Hall et al, 2015, Wollman et al, 2015; Wollman et al, 2017; Devoto et al, 2020; Suchting et al, 2020; Dang et al, 2022; Pollard et al, 2023). Thus, in order to completely understand differential activation patterns across these two substance s a more stringent synthesis regarding the neural circuits implicated in cocaine and heroin usage is needed.…”

Abnormal neuroanatomical patterns as potential diagnostic biomarkers for cocaine use disorder

“…Similarly, another region‐of‐interest study examined the relationship between CT changes in frontal regions and cocaine use, and found that greater degrees of CT changes in frontal regions were associated with heavier cocaine use 29 . In addition to parts of the frontal lobe, previous studies have found that cocaine use is strongly associated with grey matter structures in several brain regions, including the insula, lingual gyrus, occipital lobe, hippocampus, striatum and thalamus 30–33 . It is clear that there is a need to further investigate the association between grey matter structures and CUD status using neuroimaging tools in order to provide effective biomarkers for intervention and identification of high‐risk populations.…”

“…29 In addition to parts of the frontal lobe, previous studies have found that cocaine use is strongly associated with grey matter structures in several brain regions, including the insula, lingual gyrus, occipital lobe, hippocampus, striatum and thalamus. [30][31][32][33] It is clear that there is a need to further investigate the association between grey matter structures and CUD status using neuroimaging tools in order to provide effective biomarkers for intervention and identification of high-risk populations.…”