Cerebral metabolism and mood in remitted opiate dependence

Igor I. Galynker, Daniel Eisenberg, John A. Matochik, Enid Gertmenian-King, Lisa Cohen, Alane S. Kimes, Carlo Contoreggi, Varughese Kurian, Monique Ernst, Richard N. Rosenthal, James Prosser, Edythe D. London

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

25 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background: Opiate-dependent individuals are prone to dysphoria that may contribute to treatment failure. Methadone-maintenance therapy (MMT) may mitigate this vulnerability, but controversy surrounds its long-term use. Little is known about the neurobiology of mood dysregulation in individuals receiving or removed from MMT. Methods: Fifteen opiate-abstinent and 12 methadone-maintained, opiate-dependent subjects, who lacked other Axis I pathology, and 13 control subjects were compared on the Cornell Dysthymia Rating Scale (CDRS) and regional cerebral glucose metabolism (rCMRglc) using [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography. Results: CDRS scores showed no group differences. Opiate-abstinent subjects had lower rCMRglc than control subjects in the bilateral perigenual anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), left mid-cingulate cortex, left insula and right superior frontal cortex. Methadone-maintained subjects exhibited lower rCMRglc than control subjects in the left insula and thalamus. In opiate-abstinent subjects, rCMRglc in the left perigenual ACC and mid-cingulate cortex correlated positively with CDRS scores. Conclusions: In remitted heroin dependence, opiate-abstinence is associated with more widespread patterns of abnormal cortical activity than MMT. Aberrant mood processing in the left perigenual ACC and mid-cingulate cortex, seen in opiate-abstinent individuals, is absent in those receiving MMT, suggesting that methadone may improve mood regulation in this population.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)166-174
Number of pages9
JournalDrug and Alcohol Dependence
Volume90
Issue number2-3
DOIs
StatePublished - 8 Oct 2007
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Abstinence
  • Depression
  • Heroin
  • Methadone
  • Mood
  • Positron emission tomography

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