1
|
Yuan F, Yu J, Liao G, Li J, Long T, Li Y, Chen D, Dai Q, Zhu X, Hu S, Qian Z. 18 F-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose-positron emission tomography metabolic pattern assessment in the brain of betel quid dependent individuals. Addict Biol 2021; 26:e13043. [PMID: 33908137 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2020] [Revised: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The primary objective of this study was to identify the metabolic pattern in the brains of betel quid dependent (BQD) individuals using 18 F-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose-positron emission tomography (18 F-FDG-PET). A total of 42 individuals (16 BQD individuals and 26 healthy controls, HCs) enrolled at the Department of Nuclear Medicine of Xiangya Hospital underwent brain 18 F-FDG-PET. Group comparisons using statistical parametric mapping (SPM) were performed to identify the 18 F-FDG-PET patterns. Standardized uptake value ratios of anterior cingulate, frontal, thalamus, parietal, occipital, temporal and cerebellum were calculated by SPM. The characteristics of abnormal metabolism in brain regions were quantified using the xjView toolbox, and a 3-D brain map was drawn using BrainNet Viewer. We found significant metabolic reduction in the bilateral middle prefrontal cortex (PFC) and the left orbital frontal gyrus (OFC). In contrast, hypermetabolism was observed in the inferior cerebellum, fusiform, superior cerebellum, parahippocampal, vermis, lingual and thalamus. However, we found no significant difference between the BQD and HC group in the anterior cingulate, thalamus, cerebellum and frontal, temporal, parietal and occipital lobes. In summary, we found abnormal 18 F-FDG-PET metabolic pattern in BQD individuals, and this pattern may help the treatment of BQD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fulai Yuan
- Health Management Center, Xiangya Hospital Central South University Changsha China
| | - Jie Yu
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, XiangYa Hospital Central South University Changsha China
| | - Guang Liao
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, XiangYa Hospital Central South University Changsha China
| | - Jian Li
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, XiangYa Hospital Central South University Changsha China
| | - Tingting Long
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, XiangYa Hospital Central South University Changsha China
| | - Yulai Li
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, XiangYa Hospital Central South University Changsha China
| | - Dengming Chen
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, XiangYa Hospital Central South University Changsha China
| | - Qionghai Dai
- Department of Automation, Tsinghua National Laboratory for Information Science and Technology Tsinghua University Beijing China
| | - Xueling Zhu
- Department of Radiology, Xiangya Hospital Central South University Changsha China
| | - Shuo Hu
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, XiangYa Hospital Central South University Changsha China
- Key Laboratory of Biological Nanotechnology of National Health Commission Changsha China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases (XIANGYA) Changsha China
| | - Zhaoxin Qian
- Department of Emergency, XiangYa Hospital Central South University Changsha China
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Jedema HP, Song X, Aizenstein HJ, Bonner AR, Stein EA, Yang Y, Bradberry CW. Long-Term Cocaine Self-administration Produces Structural Brain Changes That Correlate With Altered Cognition. Biol Psychiatry 2021; 89:376-385. [PMID: 33012519 PMCID: PMC7855373 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2020.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Revised: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND An enduring question from cross-sectional clinical studies is whether the structural and functional differences often observed between cocaine users and healthy control subjects result from a history of drug use or instead reflect preexisting differences. To assess causality from drug exposure, true predrug baseline imaging and neurocognitive assessments are needed. METHODS We addressed this fundamental question of causality using longitudinal anatomical magnetic resonance imaging and neurocognitive assessments in rhesus macaques. Cognitive tasks employed were stimulus reversal learning as a measure of cognitive flexibility/inhibitory control and delayed match to sample as a measure of visual working memory. Time points examined were before and following 12 months of chronic cocaine (n = 8) or water (n = 6) self-administration. A magnetic resonance imaging-only time point was also obtained following 2 years of forced abstinence. RESULTS We identified localized patterns of gray matter density (GMD) changes that were largely concordant with cross-sectional clinical studies. These included decreases in orbitofrontal cortex, insula, amygdala, and temporal cortex. There was also a prominent increase in GMD in the caudate putamen. GMD decreases were significantly correlated with cognitive impairments across individuals only in select cortical regions. Following abstinence, changes in GMD in some regions, including the orbitofrontal cortex, insula, and amygdala, were persistent and thus may play an important role in risk of relapse following extended abstinence. CONCLUSIONS Cocaine use is causal in producing regional changes in GMD, and those changes appear to drive cognitive impairments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hank P. Jedema
- Dept of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh PA, USA,Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore MD, USA
| | - Xiaowei Song
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore MD, USA
| | | | - Alexandra R. Bonner
- Dept of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh PA, USA,Current address, Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital
| | - Elliot A. Stein
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore MD, USA
| | - Yihong Yang
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore MD, USA
| | - Charles W. Bradberry
- Dept of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh PA, USA,Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore MD, USA,VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Pittsburgh PA, USA,corresponding author: 251 Bayview Blvd, Suite 200, Baltimore, MD 21224; ; ph: 443-740-2519
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Miquel M, Nicola SM, Gil-Miravet I, Guarque-Chabrera J, Sanchez-Hernandez A. A Working Hypothesis for the Role of the Cerebellum in Impulsivity and Compulsivity. Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:99. [PMID: 31133834 PMCID: PMC6513968 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2019] [Accepted: 04/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Growing evidence associates cerebellar abnormalities with several neuropsychiatric disorders in which compulsive symptomatology and impulsivity are part of the disease pattern. Symptomatology of autism, addiction, obsessive-compulsive (OCD), and attention deficit/hyperactivity (ADHD) disorders transcends the sphere of motor dysfunction and essentially entails integrative processes under control of prefrontal-thalamic-cerebellar loops. Patients with brain lesions affecting the cortico-striatum thalamic circuitry and the cerebellum indeed exhibit compulsive symptoms. Specifically, lesions of the posterior cerebellar vermis cause affective dysregulation and deficits in executive function. These deficits may be due to impairment of one of the main functions of the cerebellum, implementation of forward internal models of the environment. Actions that are independent of internal models may not be guided by predictive relationships or a mental representation of the goal. In this review article, we explain how this deficit might affect executive functions. Additionally, regionalized cerebellar lesions have been demonstrated to impair other brain functions such as the emergence of habits and behavioral inhibition, which are also altered in compulsive disorders. Similar to the infralimbic cortex, clinical studies and research in animal models suggest that the cerebellum is not required for learning goal-directed behaviors, but it is critical for habit formation. Despite this accumulating data, the role of the cerebellum in compulsive symptomatology and impulsivity is still a matter of discussion. Overall, findings point to a modulatory function of the cerebellum in terminating or initiating actions through regulation of the prefrontal cortices. Specifically, the cerebellum may be crucial for restraining ongoing actions when environmental conditions change by adjusting prefrontal activity in response to the new external and internal stimuli, thereby promoting flexible behavioral control. We elaborate on this explanatory framework and propose a working hypothesis for the involvement of the cerebellum in compulsive and impulsive endophenotypes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marta Miquel
- Área de Psicobiología, School of Health Science, Universitat Jaume I, Castellón de la Plana, Spain
| | - Saleem M Nicola
- Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States
| | - Isis Gil-Miravet
- Área de Psicobiología, School of Health Science, Universitat Jaume I, Castellón de la Plana, Spain
| | - Julian Guarque-Chabrera
- Área de Psicobiología, School of Health Science, Universitat Jaume I, Castellón de la Plana, Spain
| | - Aitor Sanchez-Hernandez
- Área de Psicobiología, School of Health Science, Universitat Jaume I, Castellón de la Plana, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Frazer KM, Richards Q, Keith DR. The long-term effects of cocaine use on cognitive functioning: A systematic critical review. Behav Brain Res 2018; 348:241-262. [PMID: 29673580 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2018.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2017] [Revised: 04/03/2018] [Accepted: 04/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The predominant view of chronic cocaine use maintains that it causes a broad range of cognitive deficits. However, concerns about the possibly deleterious impact of cocaine on cognitive functioning have yet to be thoroughly vetted. This review addresses the impact of cocaine use on such cognitive domains as executive function, memory, language, and psychomotor speed. Additionally, relevant neuroimaging data is considered to understand the neural basis underlying cocaine-related effects on cognitive functioning. METHODS We searched PubMed, Google Scholar, and Embase using the search terms "cocaine and cognition," "cocaine and cognitive functioning," and "cocaine and cognitive deficits or impairment." To meet inclusion criteria we evaluated only cognitive and neuroimaging studies describing the long-term effects of cocaine on cognitive functioning published from 1999 to 2016. RESULTS The majority of studies reported statistically significant differences between cocaine users and non-drug-using controls in brain structures, blood-oxygen-level dependent signals, and brain metabolism. However, differences in cognitive performance were observed on a minority of measures. Additionally, the majority of studies were not compared against normative data. CONCLUSIONS The current evidence does not support the view that chronic cocaine use is associated with broad cognitive deficits. The view that cocaine users have broad cognitive deficits is inaccurate based upon current evidence, and the perpetuation of this view may have negative implications for treatment programs and development of public policies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kirsten M Frazer
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, 1190 Amsterdam Ave., New York, NY 10027, USA.
| | - Qwynten Richards
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, 1190 Amsterdam Ave., New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Diana R Keith
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont Medical Center, 1 South Prospect Street, Burlington, VT 05401, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Banks ML, Czoty PW, Negus SS. Utility of Nonhuman Primates in Substance Use Disorders Research. ILAR J 2017; 58:202-215. [PMID: 28531265 PMCID: PMC5886327 DOI: 10.1093/ilar/ilx014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2016] [Revised: 03/28/2017] [Accepted: 04/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Substance use disorders (i.e., drug addiction) constitute a global and insidious public health issue. Preclinical biomedical research has been invaluable in elucidating the environmental, biological, and pharmacological determinants of drug abuse and in the process of developing innovative pharmacological and behavioral treatment strategies. For more than 70 years, nonhuman primates have been utilized as research subjects in biomedical research related to drug addiction. There are already several excellent published reviews highlighting species differences in both pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics between rodents and nonhuman primates in preclinical substance abuse research. Therefore, the aim of this review is to highlight three advantages of nonhuman primates as preclinical substance abuse research subjects. First, nonhuman primates offer technical advantages in experimental design compared to other laboratory animals that afford unique opportunities to promote preclinical-to-clinical translational research. Second, these technical advantages, coupled with the relatively long lifespan of nonhuman primates, allows for pairing longitudinal drug self-administration studies and noninvasive imaging technologies to elucidate the biological consequences of chronic drug exposure. Lastly, nonhuman primates offer advantages in the patterns of intravenous drug self-administration that have potential theoretical implications for both the neurobiological mechanisms of substance use disorder etiology and in the drug development process of pharmacotherapies for substance use disorders. We conclude with potential future research directions in which nonhuman primates would provide unique and valuable insights into the abuse of and addiction to novel psychoactive substances.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew L Banks
- Matthew L. Banks, PharmD, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology in the School of Medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia and currently serves as a scientific member of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. Paul W. Czoty, PhD, is an associate professor in the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology in the Wake Forest School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and currently serves as Vice-Chair of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. Sidney S. Negus, PhD, is a professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology in the School of Medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia and has served as both a scientific member and chair of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee
| | - Paul W Czoty
- Matthew L. Banks, PharmD, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology in the School of Medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia and currently serves as a scientific member of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. Paul W. Czoty, PhD, is an associate professor in the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology in the Wake Forest School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and currently serves as Vice-Chair of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. Sidney S. Negus, PhD, is a professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology in the School of Medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia and has served as both a scientific member and chair of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee
| | - Sidney S Negus
- Matthew L. Banks, PharmD, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology in the School of Medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia and currently serves as a scientific member of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. Paul W. Czoty, PhD, is an associate professor in the Department of Physiology and Pharmacology in the Wake Forest School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and currently serves as Vice-Chair of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. Sidney S. Negus, PhD, is a professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology in the School of Medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia and has served as both a scientific member and chair of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Ribeiro EA, Scarpa JR, Garamszegi SP, Kasarskis A, Mash DC, Nestler EJ. Gene Network Dysregulation in Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex Neurons of Humans with Cocaine Use Disorder. Sci Rep 2017; 7:5412. [PMID: 28710498 PMCID: PMC5511210 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-05720-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2017] [Accepted: 06/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Metabolic and functional alterations of neurons in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) are thought to contribute to impulsivity, which is a hallmark of addictive behaviors that underlie compulsive drug seeking and taking in humans. To determine if there is a transcriptional signature in dlPFC neurons of humans with cocaine use disorder, we performed total RNA-sequencing on neuronal nuclei isolated from post-mortem dlPFC of cocaine addicts and healthy controls. Our results point toward a transcriptional mechanism whereby cocaine alters specific gene networks in dlPFC neurons. In particular, we identified an AP-1 regulated transcriptional network in dlPFC neurons associated with cocaine use disorder that contains several differentially expressed hub genes. Several of these hub genes are GWAS hits for traits that might involve dysfunction of brain reward circuitry (Body-Mass Index, Obesity) or dlPFC (Bipolar disorder, Schizophrenia). Further study is warranted to determine their potential pathophysiological role in cocaine addiction.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Efrain A Ribeiro
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Joseph R Scarpa
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Susanna P Garamszegi
- Department of Neurology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Andrew Kasarskis
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn Institute for Genomics and Multiscale Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Deborah C Mash
- Department of Neurology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida, USA
| | - Eric J Nestler
- Fishberg Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Cortes JA, Gomez G, Ehnerd C, Gurnsey K, Nicolazzo J, Bradberry CW, Jedema HP. Altered activity-based sleep measures in rhesus monkeys following cocaine self-administration and abstinence. Drug Alcohol Depend 2016; 163:202-8. [PMID: 27114202 PMCID: PMC4891812 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2016.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2015] [Revised: 04/13/2016] [Accepted: 04/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Impairments in sleep and cognitive function have been observed in patients with substance abuse disorders and may be potential factors contributing to drug relapse. In addition, sleep disruption may itself contribute to cognitive deficits. In the present study we examined the impact of prolonged cocaine self-administration and abstinence on actigraphy-based measures of night-time activity in rhesus macaques as an inferential measure of sleep, and determined whether sleep-efficiency correlated with cognitive impairments in the same subjects on drug free days. METHODS Actigraphy data was obtained from a group of rhesus macaques intravenously self-administering cocaine (n=6) and a control group (n=5). Periods were evaluated during which the mean cumulative doses of cocaine were 3.0+0.0 and 4.5+0.2mg/kg/day for 4days (Tuesday-Thursday) each week. RESULTS Actigraphy-based sleep efficiency decreased during days of cocaine self-administration in a dose-dependent manner. Consistent with this observation, sleep became more fragmented. Activity-based sleep efficiency normalized during the weekend without cocaine prior to cognitive assessment on Monday. The magnitude of activity-based sleep disruption during self-administration did not correlate with the level of cognitive impairment on drug free days. With continued self-administration, the impact of cocaine on activity-based sleep efficiency declined indicating the development of tolerance. CONCLUSIONS Cocaine self-administration disrupted sleep efficiency in rhesus macaques as measured by actigraphy, but normalized quickly in the absence of cocaine. The cognitive impairment observed on drug free days was unlikely to be related to disruption of the nightly activity patterns on days of cocaine self-administration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer A Cortes
- Departments of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, 3501 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Gustavo Gomez
- Departments of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, 3501 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Carol Ehnerd
- Departments of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, 3501 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Kate Gurnsey
- Departments of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, 3501 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Jessica Nicolazzo
- Departments of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, 3501 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA
| | - Charles W Bradberry
- Departments of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, 3501 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA; Departments of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, 3501 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA; VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, University Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15240, USA
| | - Hank P Jedema
- Departments of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, 3501 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Have we been ignoring the elephant in the room? Seven arguments for considering the cerebellum as part of addiction circuitry. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2015; 60:1-11. [PMID: 26602022 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2015.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2015] [Revised: 11/09/2015] [Accepted: 11/16/2015] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Addiction involves alterations in multiple brain regions that are associated with functions such as memory, motivation and executive control. Indeed, it is now well accepted that addictive drugs produce long-lasting molecular and structural plasticity changes in corticostriatal-limbic loops. However, there are brain regions that might be relevant to addiction other than the prefrontal cortex, amygdala, hippocampus and basal ganglia. In addition to these circuits, a growing amount of data suggests the involvement of the cerebellum in many of the brain functions affected in addicts, though this region has been overlooked, traditionally, in the addiction field. Therefore, in the present review we provide seven arguments as to why we should consider the cerebellum in drug addiction. We present and discuss compelling evidence about the effects of drugs of abuse on cerebellar plasticity, the involvement of the cerebellum in drug-induced cue-related memories, and several findings showing that the instrumental memory and executive functions also recruit the cerebellar circuitry. In addition, a hypothetical model of the cerebellum's role relative to other areas within corticostriatal-limbic networks is also provided. Our goal is not to review animal and human studies exhaustively but to support the inclusion of cerebellar alterations as a part of the physiopathology of addiction disorder.
Collapse
|
9
|
Kromrey SA, Gould RW, Nader MA, Czoty PW. Effects of prior cocaine self-administration on cognitive performance in female cynomolgus monkeys. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2015; 232:2007-16. [PMID: 25633093 PMCID: PMC4426227 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-015-3865-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2014] [Accepted: 11/25/2014] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Cocaine use has been associated with cognitive impairments that may contribute to poor treatment outcomes. However, the degree to which these deficits extend into periods of abstinence has not been completely elucidated. This study tested whether prior experience self-administering cocaine affected acquisition of two cognitive tasks in 16 adult female cynomolgus monkeys. Seven monkeys had previously self-administered cocaine but had not had access to cocaine for 2 months at the start of this study. After monkeys were trained to respond on a touchscreen, associative learning and behavioral flexibility were assessed using a stimulus discrimination (SD) and reversal (SDR) task from the CANTAB battery. Performance on this task was monitored over the subsequent 3 months. Additionally, working memory was assessed with a delayed match-to-sample (DMS) task. Cocaine-naïve monkeys required fewer total trials and made fewer errors and omissions before acquiring the SD and SDR tasks compared with monkeys who had previously self-administered cocaine; two monkeys in the latter group did not acquire the task. However, this cognitive impairment dissipated over several months of exposure to the task. The number of sessions for touch training and delays required to establish a performance-based curve on the DMS task did not differ between groups. Results suggest that cocaine exposure can impair the ability to learn a novel task requiring behavioral inhibition and flexibility, even after an extended period of abstinence. However, this deficit did not extend to maintenance of the task or to acquisition of a working memory task.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah A Kromrey
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC, 27157-1083, USA
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|