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Lower activation in the right frontoparietal network during a counting Stroop task in a cocaine-dependent group
Alfonso Barrós-Loscertales1, Juan-Carlos Bustamante, Noelia Ventura-Campos
1Dpto. Psicologia Basica, Universitat Jaume I, Castellon de la Plana, Spain. barros@psb.uji.es
Psychiatry Research
|October 1, 2011
Summary
Cocaine addiction is linked to reduced brain activation in frontoparietal networks during cognitive tasks. This study used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to show lower activation in cocaine-dependent men, even without behavioral differences.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Addiction Research
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- Cognitive control network dysregulation is implicated in drug addiction.
- Cocaine dependence is associated with reduced frontoparietal activation during decision-making and cognitive control tasks.
- Previous neuroimaging studies on cocaine addiction have yielded uncertain results.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate brain activation differences in cocaine-dependent men using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
- To examine inhibitory control using the "Counting" Stroop task, addressing limitations of prior positron emission tomography studies.
Main Methods:
- Employed a 1.5T Siemens Avanto for functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
- Recruited 16 cocaine-dependent men and 16 matched control participants.
- Administered a cognitive "Counting" Stroop task to assess inhibitory control and brain activation.
Main Results:
- Cocaine-dependent men exhibited lower activation in the right inferior frontal gyrus, right inferior parietal gyrus, and right superior temporal gyrus compared to controls.
- No significant differences in behavioral interference measures were observed between groups.
- The cocaine-dependent group showed no brain areas with increased activation relative to the control group.
Conclusions:
- Stroop-interference correlated with reduced right frontoparietal network activation in cocaine-dependent individuals, independent of behavioral performance.
- This study, the first to use fMRI with a counting Stroop task for cocaine dependence, supports the role of the frontoparietal network in attentional interference deficits.
