Abstinence to chronic methamphetamine switches connectivity between striatal, hippocampal and sensorimotor regions and increases cerebral blood volume response.

ABSTRACT: Methamphetamine (meth), and other psychostimulants such as cocaine, present a persistent problem for society with chronic users being highly prone to relapse. We show, in a chronic methamphetamine administration model, that discontinuation of drug for more than a week produces much larger changes in overall meth-induced brain connectivity and cerebral blood volume (CBV) response than changes that occur immediately following meth administration. Areas showing the largest changes were hippocampal, limbic striatum and sensorimotor cortical regions as well as brain stem areas including the pedunculopontine tegmentum (PPTg) and pontine nuclei - regions known to be important in mediating reinstatement of drug-taking after abstinence. These changes occur concomitantly with behavioral sensitizatio

SUBMITTER: Choi JK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5949272 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature