Alexander D. Cohen1, Chunming Xie1, Wenjun Li1, Zheng Yang2, Lin Ma3, Shi Jiang Li1,4
1Biophysics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA; 2Cognitive Research Laboratory, Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, China; 3Radiology, PLA 301 Hospital, Beijing, China; 4Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin
This abstract compares resting state functional connectivity (FC) in heroin addicts to matched-control subjects using the ventral tegmental area (VTA) as a seed in an attempt to better understand the underlying processes of addiction. Correlation values were obtained on a voxelwise basis for each subject and compared via t-test between groups. A decrease in FC was found between the VTA and the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and cingulate gyrus (CG). An increase in FC was found between the VTA and postcentral gyrus. The results suggest a decrease in dopamine release in the VTA may be associated with decreased FC in the PFC and CG.
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