Altered spontaneous neurological activity in methamphetamine use disorders and its association with cognitive function

Abstract

Background: Methamphetamine (MA) is a widely used and detrimental drug, yet the precise mechanisms by which MA affects cognitive function remain unclear. This study aims to investigate the relationship between cognitive function and brain functional imaging in individuals with MA use disorder (MUD).

Methods: This study involved 45 patients diagnosed with MUD and 43 healthy controls (HC). Cognitive function assessment utilized the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery, and functional data were acquired using a 3.0 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging scanner.

Results: The MUD group exhibited lower regional homogeneity (ReHo) values in the bilateral postcentral, the left superior temporal, and the left lingual regions compared to the HC group. Additionally, the MUD group displayed higher amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) values in the bilateral fusiform and the left putamen compared to the HC group, along with lower ALFF values in the bilateral postcentral cortices and the left middle cingulate cortex compared to the HC group (all p < 0.05, with false discovery rate corrected). Linear regression analysis revealed a positive correlation between the ReHo value in the right postcentral cortex and the neuropsychology assessment battery-mazes test (p = 0.014). Furthermore, the ALFF value in the left putamen showed negative correlations with the scores of the digit-symbol coding test (p = 0.027), continuous performance test (p = 0.037), and battery-mazes test (p = 0.024).

Conclusion: Patients with MUD exhibit altered brain spontaneous neurological activities, and the intensity of spontaneous neurological activity in the left putamen is strongly associated with cognitive function.

Keywords: Amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations; Cognitive function; Functional magnetic resonance imaging; Methamphetamine; Regional homogeneity.