Patterns of brain activation during craving in heroin dependents successfully treated by methadone maintenance and abstinence-based treatments

Hossein Tabatabaei-Jafari, Institute Studies, Institute Studies, Institute Studies, Institute Studies, Institute Studies, Institute Studies, Institute Studies

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

32 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Objective: Abstinence-based therapy (ABT) and methadone maintenance therapy (MMT) are common methods of treatment in heroin dependence as both suppress subjective feeling of drug craving. However, it is not clear whether the neural basis of craving suppression is similar in both types of treatments. In this study, we compared brain activation during pictorial presentation of heroin-related cues in ABT and MMT groups to understand the neural basis of drug craving in these groups., Methods: Three groups of subjects (successful ABT and MMT clients and healthy control) underwent functionalmagnetic resonance imaging, while heroin-related cues and neutral cues were presented to them. In addition, subjective cue-elicited craving has been measured using drug drive questionnaire before and after imaging., Result: Self-report of craving was not different between ABT and MMT groups before and after scanning. Anterior cingulate cortex and inferior frontal gyrus showed higher activations in ABT than in healthy control. Inferior frontal gyrus and superior temporal gyrus showed higher activity in ABT than in MMT. Lingual gyrus and cerebellum showed higher activity in MMT than in healthy control. Conclusions: Heroin avoidance may be achieved by MMT or ABT; however, the neuralmechanism underlying these therapeutic methods differs.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)123-129
Number of pages7
JournalJournal of Addiction Medicine
Volume8
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2014
Externally publishedYes

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