Sex differences in impulsivity and brain morphometry in methamphetamine users
详细信息 查看全文
- 作者：Shannon Kogachi ; Linda Chang ; Daniel Alicata…
- 关键词：Methamphetamine ; Impulsivity ; Brain morphometry ; Sex differences
- 刊名：Brain Structure and Function
- 出版年：2017
- 出版时间：January 2017
- 年：2017
- 卷：222
- 期：1
- 页码：215-227
- 全文大小：
- 刊物主题：Neurosciences; Cell Biology; Neurology;
- 出版者：Springer Berlin Heidelberg
- ISSN：1863-2661
- 卷排序：222
文摘
Methamphetamine (METH) is an addictive stimulant, and METH users have abnormal brain structures and function. The aims of this study were to investigate the relationships between impulsivity, brain structures, and possible sex-specific differences between METH users and non-drug using Controls. Structural MRI and the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS) questionnaire were completed in 124 subjects: 62 METH (ages 41.2 ± 1.4 years, 34 males) and 62 Controls (ages 43.3 ± 2.3 years, 36 males). Independent and interactive effects of METH use status and sex were evaluated. Relationships between METH usage characteristics, brain morphometry, and impulsivity scores were examined. METH users had higher impulsivity scores, on both the Cognitive and Behavioral Factors from the BIS (p < 0.0001–0.0001). Compared with same-sex Controls, male METH users had larger, while female METH users had smaller, right superior frontal cortex (interaction-p = 0.0005). The male METH users with larger frontal volumes and female METH users with smaller or thinner frontal cortices had greater Cognitive impulsivity (interaction-p ≤ 0.05). Only female METH users showed relatively larger nucleus accumbens (interaction-p = 0.03). Greater impulsivity and thinner frontal cortices in METH users are validated. Larger superior frontal cortex in male METH users with greater cognitive impulsivity suggest decreased dendritic pruning during adolescence might have contributed to their impulsive and drug use behaviors. In the female METH users, smaller frontal cortices and the associated greater impulsivity suggest greater neurotoxicity to these brain regions, while their relatively larger nucleus accumbens suggest an estrogen-mediated neuroprotective glial response. Men and women may be affected differently by METH use.