Chronic Cocaine Use and White Matter Coherence: A Diffusion Tensor Imaging Study

• Published in: Journal of studies on alcohol and drugs Vol. 84; no. 4; pp. 585 - 597
• Main Authors: Hodges, Cooper B, Steinberg, Joel L, Zuniga, Edward A, Ma, Liangsuo, Bjork, James M, Moeller, Gerard F
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Alcohol Research Documentation, Inc 01-07-2023; Rutgers University
• Subjects: Adult; Alcohol; Alcohol Drinking - epidemiology; Alcohol Drinking - pathology; Alcohol use; Alcoholic Beverages - analysis; Anisotropy; Case-Control Studies; Chronic and Acute Effects of Substance Use; Chronic Disease - epidemiology; Cocaine; Cocaine-Related Disorders - diagnostic imaging; Cocaine-Related Disorders - epidemiology; Cocaine-Related Disorders - pathology; Coherence; Comorbidity; Corpus Callosum - diagnostic imaging; Corpus Callosum - pathology; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual; Diffusion Tensor Imaging; Drug use; Female; Humans; Male; Medical imaging; Mental disorders; Middle Aged; Pyramidal Tracts - diagnostic imaging; Pyramidal Tracts - pathology; Regression Analysis; Substance abuse; Virginia - epidemiology; White Matter - diagnostic imaging; White Matter - pathology; Virginia
• ISSN: 1937-1888; 1938-4114; 1938-4114
• DOI: 10.15288/jsad.21-00410

Chronic substance use and its effects on brain function and structure has long been of interest to clinicians and researchers. Prior cross-sectional comparisons of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) metrics have suggested deleterious effects of chronic substance use (i.e., cocaine use) on white matter coherence. However, it is unclear how these effects may replicate across geographic regions when examined with similar technologies. In this study, we sought to conduct a replication of previous work in this area and determine whether there are any patterns of persistent differences in white matter microstructure between individuals with a history of cocaine use disorder (CocUD, according to the
) and healthy controls.
A total of 46 participants (21 healthy controls, 25 chronic cocaine users) were recruited from the Richmond, Virginia metropolitan area. Information regarding past and current substance use was collected from all participants. Participants also completed structural and DTI scans.
Consistent with previous DTI studies, significant differences were found between fractional anisotropy (FA) and axial diffusivity (AD) CocUD and controls, with CocUD showing lower FA and AD in the right inferior and superior longitudinal fasciculus, the genu, body, and splenium of the corpus callosum, and the anterior, posterior, and superior corona radiata, among several other regions. These differences were not significant for other diffusivity metrics. Lifetime alcohol consumption was greater in the CocUD group, but lifetime alcohol consumption did not show a significant linear relationship with any of the DTI metrics in within-group regression analyses.
These data align with previously reported declines in white matter coherence in chronic cocaine users. However, it is less clear whether comorbid alcohol consumption results in an additive deleterious effect on white matter microstructure.