Updated Perspectives on the Neurobiology of Substance Use Disorders Using Neuroimaging

Abstract

Substance use problems impair social functioning, academic achievement, and employability. Psychological, biological, social, and environmental factors can contribute to substance use disorders. In recent years, neuroimaging breakthroughs have helped elucidate the mechanisms of substance misuse and its effects on the brain. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET), single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) are all examples. Neuroimaging studies suggest substance misuse affects executive function, reward, memory, and stress systems. Recent neuroimaging research attempts have provided clinicians with improved tools to diagnose patients who misuse substances, comprehend the complicated neuroanatomy and neurobiology involved, and devise individually tailored and monitorable treatment regimens for individuals with substance use disorders. This review describes the most recent developments in drug misuse neuroimaging, including the neurobiology of substance use disorders, neuroimaging, and substance use disorders, established neuroimaging techniques, recent developments with established neuroimaging techniques and substance use disorders, and emerging clinical neuroimaging technology.

3-Methoxy-Phencyclidine Induced Psychotic Disorder: A Literature Review and an 18F-FDG PET/CT Case Report

“…According to the disease model of addiction, SUD relies on the interplay of biological, psychological, and social factors, which can lead to long-lasting neuroadaptations in brain structure and functioning (e.g., in neurotransmission and blood flow) [ 70 ]. The application of neuroimaging techniques to the field has contributed to a better understanding of the impact of psychotropic substances both at the anatomical and physiological levels, highlighting the involvement of several regions and networks that are in charge of executive function, memory, reward, and stress response [ 71 ].…”

“…The effects of 3-MeO-PCP could be explained within previous evidence reporting the role of glutamatergic dysfunctions in corticostriatal networks in the development of addiction [ 72 ], as well as the relationship between drug-induced psychotic symptoms and alterations in multiple brain regions following the acute administration of NMDA receptor antagonists [ 73 ]. As for the deficits in specific brain areas identified at the brain scan, it should be noted that chronic use of PCP-like compounds is associated with a reduced gray matter volume in the bilateral frontal cortex [ 53 ] and, more recently, the involvement of additional brain regions, including the inferior temporal cortex, has been recognized as a distinct feature of subjects with SUD [ 71 ]. Regarding behavioral abnormalities, recent studies highlighted a long-lasting activation of the medial prefrontal cortex only after a systemic administration of PCP, suggesting that the induced locomotor activity and behavioral stereotypes might be mediated by inputs from regions outside the prefrontal cortex [ 74 ].…”

“…Multidomain functional neuroimaging has been shown to be predictive of illness progression and outcomes in both neurological and psychiatric diseases [ 90 , 91 ], including SUD [ 92 ]. In this light, a multidisciplinary assessment (including more informative techniques like PET/CT scans) could provide clinicians with more accurate diagnostic tools and help develop more personalized prevention strategies and treatments based on a better understanding of neuroanatomy and neurobiology implied in substance use [ 71 ].…”

The Interplay of Sports and Nutrition in Neurological Health and Recovery

“…Neuroimaging studies present a non-invasive technology and are essential in the understanding of certain pathologies, as well as their progress. It is a technology that stimulates and identifies changes in the direction of the proton rotation axis that appear in the water that makes up the tissues of the organism [62,63]. Briefly, MRI uses magnets with a large magnetic field that drives the protons in the body to align with the field produced [64].…”

Synaptic Mechanisms of Ethanol Tolerance and Neuroplasticity: Insights from Invertebrate Models

“…Addictive behaviors, including the measurement of tolerance in invertebrate models, are performed via changes in locomotor activity on exposure. The behavioral repertoire in mammalian models is more complex, along with motor incoordination in response to intoxication, and various neurophysiological and imaging techniques have been employed to understand addiction [67,68]. However, the limitations shown by invertebrate models are balanced by the economy of scale and time since we can test many genes and their impact in a time span that would not be feasible in vertebrate systems.…”