Self-regulation of the dopaminergic reward circuit in cocaine users with mental imagery and neurofeedback.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Enhanced drug-related reward sensitivity accompanied by impaired sensitivity to non-drug related rewards in the mesolimbic dopamine system are thought to underlie the broad motivational deficits and dysfunctional decision-making frequently observed in cocaine use disorder (CUD). Effective approaches to modify this imbalance and reinstate non-drug reward responsiveness are urgently needed. Here, we examined whether cocaine users (CU) can use mental imagery of non-drug rewards to self-regulate the ventral tegmental area and substantia nigra (VTA/SN). We expected that obsessive and compulsive thoughts about cocaine consumption would hamper the ability to self-regulate the VTA/SN activity and tested if real-time fMRI (rtfMRI) neurofeedback (NFB) can improve self-regulation o

SUBMITTER: Kirschner M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6286189 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature