Association of Neuromelanin-Sensitive MRI Signal With Lifetime Substance Use in Young Women.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Midbrain dopamine function plays a key role in translational models of substance use disorders. Whether midbrain dopamine function is associated with substance use frequency and severity or reward function in 20-24 year-olds remains a critical gap in knowledge. The authors collected neuromelanin-sensitive magnetic resonance imaging (NM-MRI), a validated index of lifetime dopamine function in the substantia nigra/ventral tegmentum area (SN-VTA) complex, to characterize altered dopamine function.

Method

Midbrain NM-MRI contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) was acquired in 135 20-24 year-olds (105 women and 30 men). A composite measure of cumulative substance use was derived from factor analysis of lifetime alcohol intoxications, lifetime cannabis use, use of nicotine in heav

SUBMITTER: Perlman G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11637462 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature