Aberrant default-mode functional and structural connectivity in heroin-dependent individuals

Xiaofen Ma; Yingwei Qiu; Junzhang Tian; Jinhui Wang; Shumei Li; Wenfeng Zhan; Tianyue Wang; Shaoqing Zeng; Guihua Jiang; Yikai Xu

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0120861

Aberrant default-mode functional and structural connectivity in heroin-dependent individuals

PLoS One. 2015 Apr 10;10(4):e0120861. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0120861. eCollection 2015.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Medical Imaging Center, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medial University, Guangzhou, PR China.
² Department of Medical Imaging, Guangdong No. 2 Provincial People's Hospital, Guangzhou, PR China.
³ Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, PR China; Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment of Cognitive Impairments, Hangzhou, PR China.
⁴ Department of Medical Imaging Center, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medial University, Guangzhou, PR China; Department of Medical Imaging, Guangdong No. 2 Provincial People's Hospital, Guangzhou, PR China.

Abstract

Background: Little is known about connectivity within the default mode network (DMN) in heroin-dependent individuals (HDIs). In the current study, diffusion-tensor imaging (DTI) and resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) were combined to investigate both structural and functional connectivity within the DMN in HDIs.

Methods: Fourteen HDIs and 14 controls participated in the study. Structural (path length, tracts count, (fractional anisotropy) FA and (mean diffusivity) MD derived from DTI tractography)and functional (temporal correlation coefficient derived from rs-fMRI) DMN connectivity changes were examined in HDIs. Pearson correlation analysis was performed to compare the structural/functional indices and duration of heroin use/Iowa gambling task(IGT) performance in HDIs.

Results: HDIs had lower FA and higher MD in the tract connecting the posterior cingulate cortex/precuneus (PCC/PCUN) to right parahippocampal gyrus (PHG), compared to the controls. HDIs also had decreased FA and track count in the tract connecting the PCC/PCUN and medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC), as well as decreased functional connectivity between the PCC/PCUN and bilateral PHG and MPFC, compared to controls. FA values for the tract connecting PCC/PCUN to the right PHG and connecting PCC/PCUN to the MPFC were negatively correlated to the duration of heroin use. The temporal correlation coefficients between the PCC/PCUN and the MPFC, and the FA values for the tract connecting the PCC/PCUN to the MPFC were positively correlated to IGT performance in HDIs.

Conclusions: Structural and functional connectivity within the DMN are both disturbed in HDIs. This disturbance progresses as duration of heroin use increases and is related to deficits in decision making in HDIs.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Brain / diagnostic imaging
Brain / pathology
Brain / physiology
Brain Mapping
Case-Control Studies
Diffusion Tensor Imaging
Gyrus Cinguli / diagnostic imaging
Gyrus Cinguli / pathology
Gyrus Cinguli / physiology
Heroin / adverse effects*
Heroin / urine
Heroin Dependence / diagnostic imaging
Heroin Dependence / pathology*
Humans
Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Male
Middle Aged
Parahippocampal Gyrus / diagnostic imaging
Parahippocampal Gyrus / pathology
Parahippocampal Gyrus / physiology
Radiography

Substances

Heroin

Grants and funding

This research was supported by grants from National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81471639); The Science and Technology Planning Project of Guangdong Province, China (No. 2011B031800044, 2012B031800170, 2012A030400019). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.