Common neural patterns of substance use disorder: a seed-based resting-state functional connectivity meta-analysis

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Neuroimaging

Background:

• Substance use disorder (SUD) involves impulsive and compulsive behaviors linked to reward circuit dysfunction.
• Previous resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) studies show inconsistent results in SUD.
• Identifying common neurobiological patterns in SUD is crucial for understanding and treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a meta-analysis of rs-fMRI studies to identify common neurobiological patterns in SUD.
• To investigate connectivity alterations in key reward circuit regions in SUD patients.
• To explore the relationship between resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) and impulsivity in SUD.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive meta-analysis of 53 whole-brain rs-fMRI studies involving SUD patients and healthy controls.
• Utilized the Seed-based d Mapping toolkit to analyze connectivity in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), prefrontal cortex (PFC), striatum, thalamus, and amygdala.
• Examined correlations between rsFC patterns and impulsivity scores (e.g., BIS-11).

Main Results:

• SUD patients (N=1700) showed significant disruptions in the cortical-striatal-thalamic-cortical circuit compared to healthy controls (N=1792).
• Specific alterations included altered ACC, PFC, striatal, thalamic, and amygdala connectivity with regions like the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and superior frontal gyrus (SFG).
• Reduced rsFC between the striatum and median cingulate gyrus (MCG) correlated negatively with impulsivity scores.

Conclusions:

• SUD is characterized by specific network abnormalities and disrupted connectivity within the brain's reward circuit.
• These connectivity alterations are associated with impulsivity in SUD.
• Findings provide a theoretical foundation for interventions aimed at restoring normal brain connectivity patterns in SUD.