Multiple dimensions approach in polysubstance use: An ESEM analysis based on the RDoC framework

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Neuroimaging

Background:

• Substance use disorders (SUD) are linked to cognitive and emotional impairments.
• Genetic, neurodevelopmental, and environmental factors influence SUD.
• Co-occurrence of SUD with emotional disorders complicates treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• Investigate relationships between drug abuse, neurocognition, emotional indicators, and brain structure in SUD patients.
• Utilize the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) framework and Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling (ESEM).
• Compare SUD patients with healthy controls using neuroimaging and behavioral assessments.

Main Methods:

• Acquired high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans from 50 SUD patients and 50 healthy controls.
• Assessed group differences using voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and regions of interest (ROIs).
• Evaluated substance use (ASSIST), cognitive performance, and emotional states.

Main Results:

• SUD group showed higher depression, anxiety, and cognitive deficits compared to controls.
• SUD group exhibited significantly lower gray matter volume (GMV) in cortical and limbic areas.
• ESEM revealed limbic areas indirectly and negatively impacted substance use scores (ASSIST).

Conclusions:

• Structural impairments in limbic areas strongly influence substance use patterns in SUD.
• Limbic structural integrity plays a crucial role in addiction, independent of cortical volume and cognitive function.
• Findings underscore the importance of targeting limbic regions in SUD treatment strategies.