White matter abnormalities in long-term heroin users: a preliminary neuroimaging meta-analysis

Wollman, Scott C; Alhassoon, Omar M.; Stern, Mark J.; Hall, Matthew; Rompogren, Joscelyn; Kimmel, Christine L; Perez-Figueroa, Adlyn M.

doi:10.3109/00952990.2014.985829

Cited by 40 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…In addition to increased BBB permeability, experimental studies have found that even a single acute exposure to methamphetamine causes profound CBF reductions [175]. Also, recent preliminary studies have found that heroin use leads to microvascular damage and microcirculation dysfunction, collapse and fracture of the myelin sheath and vacuole formation in white matter regions around microvessels, as identified in post-mortem human brain tissue [176,177]. …”

Section: Vascular Risk Factors Lifestyle and Environmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neurovascular dysfunction and neurodegeneration in dementia and Alzheimer's disease

Nelson

Sweeney

Sagare

et al. 2016

Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Molecular Basis of Diseas

437

423

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Vascular insults can initiate a cascade of molecular events leading to neurodegeneration, cognitive impairment and dementia. Here, we review the cellular and molecular mechanisms in cerebral blood vessels and the pathophysiological events leading to cerebral blood flow dysregulation and disruption of the neurovascular unit and the blood-brain barrier, which all may contribute to the onset and progression of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Particularly, we examine the link between neurovascular dysfunction and neurodegeneration including the effects of AD genetic risk factors on cerebrovascular functions and clearance of Alzheimer’s amyloid-β peptide toxin, and the impact of vascular risk factors, environment and lifestyle on cerebral blood vessels, which in turn may affect synaptic, neuronal and cognitive functions. Finally, we examine potential experimental treatments for dementia and AD based on the neurovascular model, and discuss some critical questions to be addressed by future studies.

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Section: Vascular Risk Factors Lifestyle and Environmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neurovascular dysfunction and neurodegeneration in dementia and Alzheimer's disease

Nelson

Sweeney

Sagare

et al. 2016

Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Molecular Basis of Diseas

437

423

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Specifically, dysfunction of the fronto-subcortical circuitry, namely connectivity of prefrontal cortex and ventral striatum, has been consistently linked with the development and maintenance of addiction (Everitt & Robbins, 2013;Koob & Volkow, 2010). Indeed, significant reductions in white matter integrity of major frontal and interhemispheric tracts are reliably observed in stimulant users (London, Kohno, Morales, & Ballard, 2015;Romero, Asensio, Palau, Sanchez, & Romero, 2010), opioid users (Wollman et al, 2015), alcohol users (Fortier et al, 2014), and polysubstance users (Unterrainer et al, 2015) compared to healthy controls. Moreover, longer duration of substance use is correlated with poorer white matter integrity (Ersche et al, 2012;Fortier et al, 2014;Wollman et al, 2015).…”

Section: Secondary Analysesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Indeed, significant reductions in white matter integrity of major frontal and interhemispheric tracts are reliably observed in stimulant users (London, Kohno, Morales, & Ballard, 2015;Romero, Asensio, Palau, Sanchez, & Romero, 2010), opioid users (Wollman et al, 2015), alcohol users (Fortier et al, 2014), and polysubstance users (Unterrainer et al, 2015) compared to healthy controls. Moreover, longer duration of substance use is correlated with poorer white matter integrity (Ersche et al, 2012;Fortier et al, 2014;Wollman et al, 2015). Fronto-subcortical circuitry has also been implicated in a range of major psychiatric conditions such as schizophrenia and depression (Pujara & Koenigs, 2014), and white matter deficits are found to correlate with illness severity (Lagopoulos et al, 2013).…”

Section: Secondary Analysesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is possible that this could, in part, account for our left hemisphere findings given that Cluster 3 was previously associated with significantly more severe negative symptoms than Cluster 1 (Gicas et al, 2014) and a greater proportion of persons with a schizophrenia diagnosis (see Study 1). There is also some evidence of a predominant left hemisphere effect in heroin users (Wollman et al, 2015) and in persons with cocaine-induced psychosis (Willi et al, 2016), though these findings still exist within the context of global differences.…”

Section: Tract-based Spatial Statistics -Whole Brain Approachmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Structural brain markers are differentially associated with neurocognitive profiles in socially marginalized people with multimorbid illness.

et al. 2017

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Homeless and marginally housed individuals constitute a socially impoverished population characterized by high rates of multimorbid illness that includes polysubstance use, viral infection, and psychiatric illness. Their extensive exposure to risk factors is associated with numerous poor outcomes, yet little is known about structural brain integrity and its association with neurocognition in this population. In Study 1, we conducted a cluster analysis to re-construct three previously derived subgroups with distinct neurocognitive profiles in a large sample of socially marginalized persons (N = 299). Cluster 1 (n = 87) was characterized as highest functioning overall, whereas Cluster 3 (n = 103) was the lowest functioning neurocognitively, with a relative strength in decision-making. Cluster 2 (n = 109) fell intermediate to the other subgroups, with a relative weakness in decision-making. Next, we examined the association between complementary fronto-temporal cortical brain measures (gyrification, cortical thickness) and neurocognitive profiles using multinomial logistic regression. Chi-square tests and ANOVAs differentiated subgroups on proxy measures of neurodevelopment and acquired brain insult/risk exposure. We found that greater frontal and temporal gyrification and more proxies of aberrant neurodevelopment were associated with Cluster 3 (lowest functioning subgroup). Further, age moderated the association between orbitofrontal cortical thickness and neurocognition, with positive associations in older adults, and negative associations in younger adults. Finally, greater acquired brain insult/risk exposure was associated with the cluster characterized by selective decisionmaking impairment (Cluster 2), and the higher functioning cluster (Cluster 1). In Study 2, we examined the association between white matter integrity and neurocognitive profiles using multinomial logistic regression and Tract-based Spatial Statistics. We found significantly lower fractional anisotropy (FA), with corresponding increased axial and radial diffusivity (AD, RD) in widespread and bilateral brain regions of Cluster 3.Differences in RD were more prominent compared to AD. Altogether, our findings highlight the unique pathways to neurocognitive impairment in a heterogeneous population and help to clarify the vulnerabilities confronted by different subgroups.

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“…Compared to healthy controls, significant white matter alterations in major frontal and interhemispheric tracts are reliably observed in users of stimulants (London, Kohno, Morales, & Ballad, ; Romero, Asensio, Palau, Sanchez, & Romero, ), opioids (Wollman et al, ), alcohol (Fortier et al, ), and polysubstances (Unterrainer et al, ), with longer durations of substance use correlated with greater white matter deficits (Ersche et al, ; Fortier et al, ; Wollman et al, ). Extensive white matter abnormalities have also been reported in schizophrenia (Ellison‐Wright & Bullmore, ; Samartzis, Dima, Fusar‐Poli, & Kyriakopoulos, ) and HIV infection (Holt, Kraft‐Terry, & Chang, ; Leite et al, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Diffusion tensor imaging of neurocognitive profiles in a community cohort living in marginal housing

et al. 2019

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Objective We investigated white matter differences associated with distinct neurocognitive profiles derived from a large cohort of marginally housed persons with comorbid physical and mental illnesses. Our prior work identified three profile cluster groups: a high functioning group (Cluster 1), a low functioning group with relative strength in decision‐making (Cluster 3), and an intermediary group with a relative decision‐making weakness (Cluster 2). This study extends previous findings of cortical gray matter differences between these groups with evidence for putative neurodevelopmental abnormalities in the low cognitive functioning group (i.e., Cluster 3). We hypothesized that altered white matter diffusion would be associated with the lowest functioning neurocognitive profile and would be associated with previously observed gray matter differences. Method Participants from a socially impoverished neighborhood in Vancouver, Canada underwent neurocognitive evaluation and neuroimaging. We performed Tract‐Based Spatial Statistics using diffusion tensor imaging data from 184 participants to examine whole‐brain differences in white matter microstructure between cluster analytically derived neurocognitive profiles, as well as unitary neurocognitive measures. Correlations between frontal gray and white matter were also examined. Results Cluster 3 showed increased diffusion in predominately bilateral frontal and interhemisphere tracts (vs. Clusters 1 and 2), with relatively greater diffusion in the left hemisphere (vs. Cluster 1). Differences in radial diffusivity were more prominent compared with axial diffusivity. A weak association between regional frontal fractional anisotropy and previously defined abnormalities in gyrification was observed. Conclusions In a socially marginalized sample, we established several patterns in the covariation of white matter diffusion and neurocognitive functioning. These patterns elucidate the neurobiological substrates and vulnerabilities that are apt to underlie functional impairments inherent to this complex and heterogeneous population.

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White matter abnormalities in long-term heroin users: a preliminary neuroimaging meta-analysis

Abstract: These preliminary findings suggest that heroin abuse is significantly associated with damage to white matter integrity. These results are considered preliminary and analyses should be revisited with more primary studies focusing on either long- or short-term abuse as well as abstinence.

Cited by 40 publications

References 39 publications

Neurovascular dysfunction and neurodegeneration in dementia and Alzheimer's disease

Neurovascular dysfunction and neurodegeneration in dementia and Alzheimer's disease

Structural brain markers are differentially associated with neurocognitive profiles in socially marginalized people with multimorbid illness.

Diffusion tensor imaging of neurocognitive profiles in a community cohort living in marginal housing

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