Dynamics of intrinsic whole-brain functional connectivity in abstinent males with methamphetamine use disorder

The global prevalence of methamphetamine use disorder (MUD) and the associated economic burden are increasing, but effective pharmacological treatment is lacking. Therefore, understanding the neurological mechanisms underlying MUD is essential to develop clinical strategies and improve patient care. Individuals with MUD can show static brain network abnormalities during the resting state, but their alterations in dynamic functional network connectivity (dFNC) are unclear.

In this study, we obtained resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging from 42 males with MUD and 41 healthy controls. Sliding-window and spatial independent component analyses with a k-means clustering algorithm were used to assess the recurring functional connectivity states. The temporal properties of the dFNC, including fraction and dwelling time of each state and the number of transitions between different states, were compared between the two groups. In addition, the relationships between the temporal properties of the dFNC and clinical characteristics of the MUDs, including their anxiety and depressive symptoms, were further explored.

While the two groups shared many similarities in their dFNC, the occurrence of a highly integrated functional network state and a state featuring balanced integration and segregation in the MUDs significantly correlated with the total drug usage (Spearman's rho = 0.47, P = 0.002) and duration of abstinence (Spearman's rho = 0.38, P = 0.013), respectively.

The observed results in our study demonstrate that methamphetamines can affect dFNC, which may reflect the drug's influence on cognitive abilities. Our study justifies further studies into the effects of MUD on dynamic neural mechanisms.