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Published on: January 22, 2016
Abnormal DLPFC activation in severe methamphetamine use disorder during abstinence: fNIRS evidence from Stroop task
Huiting Luo1, Dan Luo1, Qiao Tang1
1Mental Health Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
Introduction:
Methamphetamine use disorder (MUD) is a chronic relapsing disorder characterized by impaired inhibitory control, particularly in severe cases. However, the neural mechanisms underlying cognitive control during abstinence remain unclear.
Methods:
This study employed functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and the Stroop task to examine brain activation and behavior in 73 abstinent individuals with severe MUD (SMUDs) and 51 matched healthy controls (HCs). Independent-samples t-tests assessed group differences, with false discovery rate correction across fNIRS channels. Covariate-adjusted sensitivity analyses controlled for education and Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test scores. Moderation analysis examined whether abstinence duration modified activation-behavior associations. Pearson correlations and Fisher's r-to-z tests examined direct and subgroup associations.
Results:
SMUDs showed reduced activation in channels 32 and 43 (CH32 and CH43) within the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) compared with HCs, despite no significant group differences in conventional Stroop behavioral indices. These activation differences remained significant after covariate adjustment. Abstinence duration significantly moderated the association between CH43 activation and the reaction-time difference score (DRT; incongruent RT minus congruent RT), whereas abstinence duration was not directly correlated with CH43 activation. The positive association between CH43 activation and DRT was significant at shorter abstinence durations but not at longer abstinence durations.
Discussion:
These findings reveal left DLPFC hypoactivation and altered neural-behavioral coupling in SMUDs. The observed DLPFC hypoactivation remained robust after adjustment for education and AUDIT scores, consistent with persistent SMUD-related prefrontal dysfunction. Moreover, early abstinence may be characterized by altered or less efficient activation-behavior coupling, highlighting this stage as a potential window for targeted neuromodulatory interventions aimed at supporting cognitive recovery.
Insights
Individuals with severe methamphetamine use disorder (MUD) show reduced left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) activation during abstinence. Early abstinence is linked to altered neural-behavioral coupling, suggesting a critical period for interventions.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Methamphetamine use disorder (MUD) is a chronic relapsing condition associated with impaired inhibitory control.
- Neural mechanisms of cognitive control during abstinence from MUD are not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate brain activation and behavior during cognitive control in individuals with severe MUD (SMUDs) during abstinence.
- To examine the role of abstinence duration in neural-behavioral associations.
Main Methods:
- Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and the Stroop task were used in 73 SMUDs and 51 healthy controls (HCs).
- Independent-samples t-tests and covariate-adjusted sensitivity analyses assessed group differences.
- Moderation analysis explored the influence of abstinence duration on activation-behavior relationships.
Main Results:
- SMUDs exhibited reduced left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) activation (channels 32 and 43) compared to HCs.
- No significant group differences in behavioral Stroop task performance were observed.
- Abstinence duration moderated the association between left DLPFC activation and reaction time differences, with altered coupling in early abstinence.
Conclusions:
- Persistent prefrontal dysfunction, indicated by DLPFC hypoactivation, is evident in SMUDs even after covariate adjustment.
- Early abstinence is characterized by altered neural-behavioral coupling, suggesting a critical window for interventions.
- Findings highlight the potential for neuromodulatory interventions to support cognitive recovery in early abstinence from MUD.
