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Published on: January 22, 2016
Effects of methamphetamine dependence and HIV infection on cerebral morphology
Terry L Jernigan1, Anthony C Gamst, Sarah L Archibald
1Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, CA 92093-9151B, USA. tjernigan@ucsd.edu
Objective:
The authors examined the separate and combined effects of methamphetamine dependence and HIV infection on brain morphology.
Method:
Morphometric measures obtained from magnetic resonance imaging of methamphetamine-dependent and/or HIV-positive participants and their appropriate age- and education-matched comparison groups were analyzed. Main effects of age, HIV infection, methamphetamine dependence, and the interactions of these factors were examined in analyses of cerebral gray matter structure volumes.
Results:
Independent of the effect of age, HIV infection was associated with reduced volumes of cortical, limbic, and striatal structures. There was also some evidence of an interaction between age and HIV infection such that older HIV-positive participants suffered disproportionate loss. Methamphetamine dependence was surprisingly associated with basal ganglia and parietal cortex volume increases, and in one of these structures-the nucleus accumbens-there appeared to be a larger effect in younger methamphetamine abusers. Neurocognitive impairment was associated with decreased cortical volumes in HIV-positive participants but with increased cortical volumes in methamphetamine-dependent participants.
Conclusions:
These results suggest significant brain structure alterations associated with both HIV infection and methamphetamine dependence. The regional patterns of the changes associated with these factors were distinct but overlapping, and the effects on brain volumes were opposing. Although the results of the present study provide little information about the specific mechanisms leading to the unexpected methamphetamine effects, they may be related to glial activation or neuritic growth, both of which have been associated with methamphetamine exposure in animal studies. These results have implications for the interpretation of brain morphological findings in methamphetamine-dependent, HIV-positive individuals, a group whose numbers are unfortunately increasing.
Insights
HIV infection shrinks brain structures, while methamphetamine dependence surprisingly increases some brain volumes. These distinct, opposing effects on brain morphology have implications for understanding neurobiology in co-occurring conditions.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Radiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection can impact brain structure.
- Methamphetamine dependence is a significant public health concern with potential neurological consequences.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the independent and combined effects of HIV infection and methamphetamine dependence on brain morphology.
- To analyze alterations in cerebral gray matter structure volumes.
Main Methods:
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to obtain morphometric measures.
- Analysis included participants with HIV and/or methamphetamine dependence, compared to control groups.
- Statistical models examined main effects of age, HIV, and methamphetamine dependence, including their interactions.
Main Results:
- HIV infection was linked to reduced volumes in cortical, limbic, and striatal structures, with age exacerbating this effect.
- Methamphetamine dependence was unexpectedly associated with increased volumes in basal ganglia and parietal cortex, particularly the nucleus accumbens in younger users.
- Neurocognitive impairment showed opposing associations with cortical volumes: decreased in HIV-positive individuals, increased in methamphetamine-dependent individuals.
Conclusions:
- Both HIV infection and methamphetamine dependence cause distinct, yet overlapping, brain structure alterations.
- The opposing effects on brain volumes highlight the complexity of these co-occurring conditions.
- Findings are crucial for interpreting brain morphology in HIV-positive, methamphetamine-dependent individuals, a growing population.
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