Abnormal resting-state functional connectivity in the orbitofrontal cortex of heroin users and its relationship with anxiety: a pilot fNIRS study

Abstract

Drug addiction is widely linked to the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), which is essential for regulating reward-related behaviors, emotional responses, and anxiety. Over the past two decades, neuroimaging has provided significant contributions revealing functional and structural alternations in the brains of drug addicts. However, the underlying neural mechanism in the OFC and its correlates with drug addiction and anxiety still require further elucidation. We first presented a pilot investigation to examine local networks in OFC regions through resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) from eight abstinent addicts in a heroin-dependent group (HD) and seven subjects in a control group (CG). We discovered that the HDs manifested enhanced interhemispheric correlation and rsFC. Moreover, small-worldness was explored in the brain networks. In addition to the altered rsFC in the OFC networks, our examinations demonstrated associations in the functional connectivity between the left inferior frontal gyrus and other OFC regions related to anxiety in the HDs. The study provides important preliminary evidence of the complex OFC networks in heroin addiction and suggests neural correlates of anxiety. It opens a window in application of fNIRS to predict psychiatric trajectories and may create new insights into neural adaptations resulting from chronic opiate intake.

Emotion recognition and its relation to prefrontal function and network in heroin plus nicotine dependence: a pilot study

“…The resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) map for HND showed consistent results from prior studies. 37,40,41 Consistent with our a priori hypothesis of a positive relationship between clinical stressors and OFC during resting state, 37 we discovered enhanced rsFC connectivity strength in the OFC and mPFC but decreased in dlPFC. The HbO-based nodal degree strength of each ROI from resting-state and ToM-task Table 4 Group differences in degree strength in the change of HbO concentration (ROI analysis) during RME task.…”

“…At rest, the protracted withdrawal and craving of heroin in HND may reinforce two pathways: (1) between the PFC, particularly OFC, and AMY, 37,40,44 including the basolateral AMY, 45 which regulates emotion, memory, and sensory and (2) between the OFC and hippocampus, which mediates memory. 18 Because these regions had direct projections to the PFC and OFC through acetylcholine and monoamine transmissions, vice versa through the glutamine, fNIRS was able to detect the cortical oxygenation signals, that is, the enhanced HbO-based rsFC manifested in the PFC of HND.…”

“…48,49 Prior studies have displayed inconsistent findings as a review 50 highlighted, and thus, their examinations, including this one, have been exploratory in nature. Both reduced 51,52 and enhanced 37,41,53 FC were reported in the PFC of opioid addicts. There have been only a few OUD studies in social cognition.…”

“…The fNIRS-based image preprocessing for the FC generation was previously discussed in our work. 37 The HbO data were analyzed in the study due to its high sensitivity. For the task data, the time course during Fig.…”

Application of functional near-infrared spectroscopy in the healthcare industry: A review

“…Strong RSFC and interhemispheric correlation were observed in the orbitofrontal cortex of heroin users relative to healthy persons. 166 Small-world network properties, which correlate with the predictors of the risk of developing psychopathology in young children, were also calculated in this study. 167…”