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Prefrontal and temporal gray matter density decreases in opiate dependence

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Abstract

Rationale

There have been only a few structural brain-imaging studies, with varied findings, of opiate-dependent subjects. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) is suitable for studying whole brain-wise structural brain changes in opiate-dependent subjects.

Objectives

The objective of the current study is to explore gray matter density in opiate-dependent subjects.

Methods

Gray matter density in 63 opiate-dependent subjects and 46 age- and sex-matched healthy comparison subjects was compared using VBM.

Results

Relative to healthy comparison subjects, opiate-dependent subjects exhibited decreased gray matter density in bilateral prefrontal cortex [Brodmann areas (BA) 8, 9, 10, 11, and 47], bilateral insula (BA 13), bilateral superior temporal cortex (BA 21 and 38), left fusiform cortex (BA 37), and right uncus (BA 28).

Conclusions

This study reports that opiate-dependent subjects have gray matter density decreases in prefrontal and temporal cortex, which may be associated with behavioral and neuropsychological dysfunction in opiate-dependent subjects.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by grants NIDA DA11231 (M.P.H.), DA017324 (M.J.K.), DA09448, DA15116 (P.F.R.), and NARSAD Young Investigator and the Harvard-MIT Clinical Investigator Training Program (I.K.L.).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. McLean Hospital Brain Imaging Center and Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA, USA

    In Kyoon Lyoo, Marisa M. Silveri, Kyung Heup Ahn, Claudia I. Diaz, Deborah A. Yurgelun-Todd, Marc J. Kaufman & Perry F. Renshaw

  2. Department of Psychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital College of Medicine, 28 Yongon-dong, Chongno-gu, Seoul, 110-744, South Korea

    In Kyoon Lyoo & Jaeuk Hwang

  3. Massachusetts General Hospital and Habit Management Institute Inc., Boston, MA, USA

    Mark H. Pollack

  4. Department of Psychiatry, Gil Medical Center, Gachon Medical School, Incheon, South Korea

    Seog Ju Kim

Authors
  1. In Kyoon Lyoo
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  2. Mark H. Pollack
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  3. Marisa M. Silveri
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  4. Kyung Heup Ahn
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  5. Claudia I. Diaz
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  6. Jaeuk Hwang
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  7. Seog Ju Kim
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  8. Deborah A. Yurgelun-Todd
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  9. Marc J. Kaufman
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  10. Perry F. Renshaw
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to In Kyoon Lyoo.

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Lyoo, I.K., Pollack, M.H., Silveri, M.M. et al. Prefrontal and temporal gray matter density decreases in opiate dependence. Psychopharmacology 184, 139–144 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-005-0198-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-005-0198-x

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