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Nestor LJ, Luijten M, Ziauddeen H, Regenthal R, Sahakian BJ, Robbins TW, Ersche KD. The Modulatory Effects of Atomoxetine on Aberrant Connectivity During Attentional Processing in Cocaine Use Disorder. Biol Psychiatry Cogn Neurosci Neuroimaging 2024; 9:314-325. [PMID: 37619670 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2023.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2023] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cocaine use disorder is associated with cognitive deficits that reflect dysfunctional processing across neural systems. Because there are currently no approved medications, treatment centers provide behavioral interventions that have only short-term efficacy. This suggests that behavioral interventions are not sufficient by themselves to lead to the maintenance of abstinence in patients with cocaine use disorder. Self-control, which includes the regulation of attention, is critical for dealing with many daily challenges that would benefit from medication interventions that can ameliorate cognitive neural disturbances. METHODS To address this important clinical gap, we conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover design study in patients with cocaine use disorder (n = 23) and healthy control participants (n = 28). We assessed the modulatory effects of acute atomoxetine (40 mg) on attention and conflict monitoring and their associated neural activation and connectivity correlates during performance on the Eriksen flanker task. The Eriksen flanker task examines basic attentional processing using congruent stimuli and the effects of conflict monitoring and response inhibition using incongruent stimuli, the latter of which necessitates the executive control of attention. RESULTS We found that atomoxetine improved task accuracy only in the cocaine group but modulated connectivity within distinct brain networks in both groups during congruent trials. During incongruent trials, the cocaine group showed increased task-related activation in the right inferior frontal and anterior cingulate gyri, as well as greater network connectivity than the control group across treatments. CONCLUSIONS The findings of the current study support a modulatory effect of acute atomoxetine on attention and associated connectivity in cocaine use disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liam J Nestor
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
| | - Maartje Luijten
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Hisham Ziauddeen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Fiona Stanley and Fremantle Hospital Group, Perth, Australia
| | - Ralf Regenthal
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Rudolf-Boehm-Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Barbara J Sahakian
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Trevor W Robbins
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Karen D Ersche
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany; Department of Addictive Behaviour and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany.
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Ersche KD, Stochl J, Brühl AB, Gurnell M. Evidence of Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal and -Gonadal Dysfunction in Cocaine-Addicted Men. Eur Addict Res 2024; 30:114-120. [PMID: 38219711 DOI: 10.1159/000535584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Regular cocaine use has been associated with hormonal dysfunction including hypogonadism, which can lead to fatigue, reduced stamina, sexual dysfunction, and impaired quality of life. However, cocaine's endocrine effects are largely under-reported in the scientific addiction literature and, in many cases, are not addressed within treatment services. The low profile of these adverse effects might be attributable to a lack of awareness and linkage with cocaine use, such that they are recognized only when an acute/emergency problem arises. METHODS We assessed endocrine diurnal function (adrenocorticotrophic hormone [ACTH], cortisol, and testosterone) in 26 healthy and 27 cocaine-dependent men and examined changes in hormone levels in response to a single 40 mg dose of the noradrenaline re-uptake inhibitor atomoxetine in a double-blind, placebo-controlled experimental medicine study. RESULTS When compared with healthy controls, diurnal and atomoxetine-induced changes in ACTH and cortisol showed greater variability in cocaine-dependent men. Interestingly, despite an exaggerated rise in ACTH following atomoxetine, an attenuated cortisol response was observed, and one-third of cocaine-dependent men had subnormal testosterone levels. CONCLUSION Our findings point to a potential disconnection between the pituitary and adrenal responses in cocaine-dependent men, a higher rate of hypogonadism, and a pressing need for more research into the endocrine effects of cocaine and their clinical implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen D Ersche
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Addictive Behaviour and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Jan Stochl
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Kinanthropology, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Annette B Brühl
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital of Psychiatry, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Mark Gurnell
- Metabolic Research Laboratories, Wellcome-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Cambridge University Hospitals, Cambridge, UK
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Fernando J, Ersche KD. Mismatch of Biological and Social Time in Cocaine-Addicted Men. Eur Addict Res 2023; 30:23-31. [PMID: 38081146 DOI: 10.1159/000535219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/06/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Chronotype describes a person's preferential activity pattern during a 24-hour period, which may not be in line with their social lifestyle. A mismatch between biological and social time is known as "social jetlag," which has negative effects on wellbeing. Cocaine influences a person's activity levels, but very little is known about possible changes in chronotype of patients with cocaine use disorder (CUD). Here, we aimed to shed light on self-reported changes in chronotype in patients with CUD and the clinical implications. METHODS A total of 90 men from the local community were recruited; about half of the sample met the criteria for CUD, while the other half were healthy without a personal history of substance use disorder. Participants completed the Munich Chronotype Questionnaire along with questionnaires about mental health, daily fatigue, and drug/alcohol use. RESULTS Half of the CUD patients fell into the category of late chronotype - a significantly larger proportion than their healthy peers. Late "night owls" tended to have started using cocaine at an earlier age than other chronotypes; a finding that was not observed with tobacco, cannabis, or alcohol. Drug use severity in CUD patients did not differ across chronotypes. CUD patients (52%) did not have a preferred time of day to use cocaine. The mismatch between social and biological time was significantly greater in CUD patients and unrelated to drug use or mental health status. CONCLUSION CUD appears to be associated with disruptions in chronotype which are, contrary to a widely held view, not reflected by using patterns or addiction severity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeevan Fernando
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Karen D Ersche
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Addictive Behaviour and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
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Biria M, Banca P, Healy MP, Keser E, Sawiak SJ, Rodgers CT, Rua C, de Souza AMFLP, Marzuki AA, Sule A, Ersche KD, Robbins TW. Cortical glutamate and GABA are related to compulsive behaviour in individuals with obsessive compulsive disorder and healthy controls. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3324. [PMID: 37369695 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38695-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
There has been little analysis of neurochemical correlates of compulsive behaviour to illuminate its underlying neural mechanisms. We use 7-Tesla proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) to assess the balance of excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission by measuring glutamate and GABA levels in anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and supplementary motor area (SMA) of healthy volunteers and participants with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Within the SMA, trait and clinical measures of compulsive behaviour are related to glutamate levels, whereas a behavioural index of habitual control correlates with the glutamate:GABA ratio. Participants with OCD also show the latter relationship in the ACC while exhibiting elevated glutamate and lower GABA levels in that region. This study highlights SMA mechanisms of habitual control relevant to compulsive behaviour, common to the healthy sub-clinical and OCD populations. The results also demonstrate additional involvement of anterior cingulate in the balance between goal-directed and habitual responding in OCD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marjan Biria
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK.
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK.
| | - Paula Banca
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
| | - Máiréad P Healy
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
| | - Engin Keser
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
| | - Stephen J Sawiak
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
- Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EL, UK
| | - Christopher T Rodgers
- Wolfson Brain Imaging Centre, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, UK
| | - Catarina Rua
- Wolfson Brain Imaging Centre, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, UK
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences and Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Ana Maria Frota Lisbôa Pereira de Souza
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
| | - Aleya A Marzuki
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
- Department of Psychology, School of Medical and Life Sciences, Sunway University, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia
| | - Akeem Sule
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Karen D Ersche
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- Department of Addictive Behaviour and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Trevor W Robbins
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK.
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK.
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Verdejo-Garcia A, Rezapour T, Giddens E, Khojasteh Zonoozi A, Rafei P, Berry J, Caracuel A, Copersino ML, Field M, Garland EL, Lorenzetti V, Malloy-Diniz L, Manning V, Marceau EM, Pennington DL, Strickland JC, Wiers R, Fairhead R, Anderson A, Bell M, Boendermaker WJ, Brooks S, Bruno R, Campanella S, Cousijn J, Cox WM, Dean AC, Ersche KD, Franken I, Froeliger B, Gamito P, Gladwin TE, Goncalves PD, Houben K, Jacobus J, Jones A, Kaag AM, Lindenmeyer J, McGrath E, Nardo T, Oliveira J, Pennington CR, Perrykkad K, Piercy H, Rupp CI, Schulte MHJ, Squeglia LM, Staiger P, Stein DJ, Stein J, Stein M, Stoops WW, Sweeney M, Witkiewitz K, Woods SP, Yi R, Zhao M, Ekhtiari H. Cognitive training and remediation interventions for substance use disorders: a Delphi consensus study. Addiction 2023; 118:935-951. [PMID: 36508168 PMCID: PMC10073279 DOI: 10.1111/add.16109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
AIMS Substance use disorders (SUD) are associated with cognitive deficits that are not always addressed in current treatments, and this hampers recovery. Cognitive training and remediation interventions are well suited to fill the gap for managing cognitive deficits in SUD. We aimed to reach consensus on recommendations for developing and applying these interventions. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS We used a Delphi approach with two sequential phases: survey development and iterative surveying of experts. This was an on-line study. During survey development, we engaged a group of 15 experts from a working group of the International Society of Addiction Medicine (Steering Committee). During the surveying process, we engaged a larger pool of experts (n = 54) identified via recommendations from the Steering Committee and a systematic review. MEASUREMENTS Survey with 67 items covering four key areas of intervention development: targets, intervention approaches, active ingredients and modes of delivery. FINDINGS Across two iterative rounds (98% retention rate), the experts reached a consensus on 50 items including: (i) implicit biases, positive affect, arousal, executive functions and social processing as key targets of interventions; (ii) cognitive bias modification, contingency management, emotion regulation training and cognitive remediation as preferred approaches; (iii) practice, feedback, difficulty-titration, bias modification, goal-setting, strategy learning and meta-awareness as active ingredients; and (iv) both addiction treatment work-force and specialized neuropsychologists facilitating delivery, together with novel digital-based delivery modalities. CONCLUSIONS Expert recommendations on cognitive training and remediation for substance use disorders highlight the relevance of targeting implicit biases, reward, emotion regulation and higher-order cognitive skills via well-validated intervention approaches qualified with mechanistic techniques and flexible delivery options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Verdejo-Garcia
- School of Psychological Sciences and Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Tara Rezapour
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute for Cognitive Science Studies, Tehran, Iran
| | - Emily Giddens
- School of Psychological Sciences and Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Arash Khojasteh Zonoozi
- Iranian National Center for Addiction Studies, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Parnian Rafei
- Iranian National Center for Addiction Studies, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Jamie Berry
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Macquarie University, Macquarie Park, NSW, Australia
| | - Alfonso Caracuel
- Mind, Brain and Behavior Research Center, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain
| | | | - Matt Field
- Department of Psychology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Eric L Garland
- Center on Mindfulness and Integrative Health Intervention Development, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Valentina Lorenzetti
- Neuroscience of Addiction and Mental Health Program, Healthy Brain and Mind Research Centre, School of Behavioral Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Leandro Malloy-Diniz
- Mental Health Department, Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Victoria Manning
- Turning Point Drug and Alcohol Centre and Monash Addiction Research Centre (MARC), Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Ely M Marceau
- School of Psychology and Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - David L Pennington
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Justin C Strickland
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Reinout Wiers
- Addiction Development and Psychopathology (ADAPT) Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Centre for Urban Mental Health, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Rahia Fairhead
- School of Psychological Sciences and Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Alexandra Anderson
- School of Psychological Sciences and Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Morris Bell
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Wouter J Boendermaker
- Addiction, Development, and Psychopathology (ADAPT) Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Samantha Brooks
- Research Centre for Brain and Behaviour, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Liverpool John Moores University, UK
| | - Raimondo Bruno
- School of Psychology, University of Tasmania, TAS, Hobart, Australia
| | - Salvatore Campanella
- Laboratoire de Psychologie Médicale et d'Addictologie, ULB Neuroscience Institute (UNI), CHU Brugmann-Université Libre de Bruxelles, Bruxelles, Belgium
| | - Janna Cousijn
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - W Miles Cox
- School of Human and Behavioural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, UK
| | - Andrew C Dean
- Department of Psychiatry and Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Karen D Ersche
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Ingmar Franken
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Brett Froeliger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
| | | | | | - Priscila D Goncalves
- Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, USA
| | - Katrijn Houben
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Joanna Jacobus
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Andrew Jones
- Department of Psychology, University of Liverpool, UK
| | - Anne M Kaag
- Department of Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | | | - Elly McGrath
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Talia Nardo
- School of Psychological Sciences, Macquarie University, NSW, Australia
| | | | | | - Kelsey Perrykkad
- Cognition and Philosophy Laboratory, Monash Centre for Consciousness and Contemplative Studies, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Hugh Piercy
- Monash Addiction Research Centre, Eastern Health Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Claudia I Rupp
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, Psychosomatics and Medical Psychology, University Clinics of Psychiatry I, Medical University Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Mieke H J Schulte
- Department of Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Lindsay M Squeglia
- Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Petra Staiger
- School of Psychology, Deakin University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Dan J Stein
- SAMRC Unit on Risk and Resilience in Mental Disorders, Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Jeff Stein
- Center for Health Behaviors Research, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginial Tech, VA, USA
| | - Maria Stein
- Department for Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - William W Stoops
- Department of Behavioral Science, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Mary Sweeney
- Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Katie Witkiewitz
- Department of Psychology and Center on Alcohol, Substance Use and Addictions, University of New Mexico, NM, USA
| | - Steven P Woods
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Richard Yi
- Department of Psychology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Min Zhao
- Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Hamed Ekhtiari
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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Graczyk MM, Sahakian BJ, Robbins TW, Ersche KD. Genotype-by-diagnosis interaction influences self-control in human cocaine addiction. Transl Psychiatry 2023; 13:51. [PMID: 36774338 PMCID: PMC9922269 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02347-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Revised: 01/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Not everyone who uses drugs loses control over their intake, which is a hallmark of addiction. Although familial risk studies suggest significant addiction heritability, the genetic basis of vulnerability to drug addiction remains largely unknown. In the present study, we investigate the relationship between self-control, cocaine use, and the rs36024 single nucleotide polymorphism of the noradrenaline transporter gene (SLC6A2). We hypothesize that C-allele-carrying adults show impaired self-control, as measured by the stop-signal task and demonstrated previously in adolescents, and further exacerbated by chronic cocaine use. Patients with cocaine use disorder (CUD, n = 79) and healthy unrelated participants with no history of drug abuse (n = 54) completed the stop-signal task. All participants were genotyped for rs36024 allelic variants (CC/TT homozygotes, CT heterozygotes). We measured mean stop-signal reaction time, reflecting the ability to inhibit ongoing motor responses, reaction times to go stimuli, and the proportion of successful stops. CUD patients showed prolonged stop-signal reaction time, however, there was no main effect of rs36024 genotype. Importantly, there was a significant genotype-by-diagnosis interaction such that CUD patients with CC genotype had longer stop-signal reaction time and fewer successful stops compared with CC healthy controls and TT CUD patients. CT CUD patients showed an intermediate performance. Self-control deficits were associated with cocaine use disorder diagnosis, which interacts with the noradrenaline transporter rs36024 polymorphism. Our findings suggest that rs36024 may represent a potential genetic vulnerability marker, which facilitates the transition from first cocaine use to addiction by weakening the inhibitory control over behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michal M Graczyk
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Trevor W Robbins
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Karen D Ersche
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
- Department of Addictive Behaviour and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany.
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Savulich G, Ferry-Bolder E, Lim TV, Mak E, Ersche KD. The 'Resilient Brain': challenging key characteristics associated with the concept of resilience. Psychol Med 2023; 53:1-4. [PMID: 36695015 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291722003907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- George Savulich
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Eve Ferry-Bolder
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Tsen Vei Lim
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Elijah Mak
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Karen D Ersche
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- Department of Addictive Behaviour and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
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Zhukovsky P, Morein-Zamir S, Ziauddeen H, Fernandez-Egea E, Meng C, Regenthal R, Sahakian BJ, Bullmore ET, Robbins TW, Dalley JW, Ersche KD. Prefrontal Cortex Activation and Stopping Performance Underlie the Beneficial Effects of Atomoxetine on Response Inhibition in Healthy Volunteers and Those With Cocaine Use Disorder. Biol Psychiatry Cogn Neurosci Neuroimaging 2022; 7:1116-1126. [PMID: 34508901 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2021.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Revised: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Impaired response inhibition in individuals with cocaine use disorder (CUD) is hypothesized to depend on deficient noradrenergic signaling in corticostriatal networks. Remediation of noradrenergic neurotransmission with selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors such as atomoxetine may therefore have clinical utility to improve response inhibitory control in CUD. METHODS We carried out a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study with 26 participants with CUD and 28 control volunteers investigating the neural substrates of stop-signal inhibitory control. The effects of a single dose of atomoxetine (40 mg) were compared with placebo on stop-signal reaction time performance and functional network connectivity using dynamic causal modeling. RESULTS We found that atomoxetine speeded Go response times in both control participants and those with CUD. Improvements in stopping efficiency on atomoxetine were conditional on baseline (placebo) stopping performance and were directly associated with increased inferior frontal gyrus activation. Further, stopping performance, task-based brain activation, and effective connectivity were similar in the 2 groups. Dynamic causal modeling of effective connectivity of multiple prefrontal and basal ganglia regions replicated and extended previous models of network function underlying inhibitory control to CUD and control volunteers and showed subtle effects of atomoxetine on prefrontal-basal ganglia interactions. CONCLUSIONS These findings demonstrate that atomoxetine improves response inhibition in a baseline-dependent manner in control participants and in those with CUD. Our results emphasize inferior frontal cortex function as a future treatment target owing to its key role in improving response inhibition in CUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Zhukovsky
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Sharon Morein-Zamir
- School of Psychology and Sports Science, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Hisham Ziauddeen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Foundation Trust, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Emilio Fernandez-Egea
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Foundation Trust, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Chun Meng
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Ralf Regenthal
- Clinical Pharmacology Department, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany; Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Rudolf-Boehm-Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Barbara J Sahakian
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Edward T Bullmore
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Foundation Trust, Cambridge, United Kingdom; GlaxoSmithKline, Immuno-Inflammation Therapeutic Area Unit, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom
| | - Trevor W Robbins
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Jeffrey W Dalley
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Karen D Ersche
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Institut of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
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Vamvakopoulou IA, Fonville L, Hayes A, McGonigle J, Elliott R, Ersche KD, Flechais R, Orban C, Murphy A, Smith DG, Suckling J, Taylor EM, Deakin B, Robbins TW, Nutt DJ, Lingford-Hughes AR, Paterson LM. Selective D3 receptor antagonism modulates neural response during negative emotional processing in substance dependence. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:998844. [PMID: 36339857 PMCID: PMC9627287 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.998844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Negative affective states contribute to the chronic-relapsing nature of addiction. Mesolimbic dopamine D3 receptors are well placed to modulate emotion and are dysregulated in substance dependence. Selective antagonists might restore dopaminergic hypofunction, thus representing a potential treatment target. We investigated the effects of selective D3 antagonist, GSK598809, on the neural response to negative emotional processing in substance dependent individuals and healthy controls. Methodology Functional MRI BOLD response was assessed during an evocative image task, 2 h following acute administration of GSK598809 (60 mg) or placebo in a multi-site, double-blind, pseudo-randomised, cross-over design. Abstinent drug dependent individuals (DD, n = 36) comprising alcohol-only (AO, n = 19) and cocaine-alcohol polydrug (PD, n = 17) groups, and matched controls (n = 32) were presented with aversive and neutral images in a block design (contrast of interest: aversive > neutral). Whole-brain mixed-effects and a priori ROI analyses tested for group and drug effects, with identical models exploring subgroup effects. Results No group differences in task-related BOLD signal were identified between DD and controls. However, subgroup analysis revealed greater amygdala/insular BOLD signal in PD compared with AO groups. Following drug administration, GSK598809 increased BOLD response across HC and DD groups in thalamus, caudate, putamen, and pallidum, and reduced BOLD response in insular and opercular cortices relative to placebo. Multivariate analyses in a priori ROIs revealed differential effects of D3 antagonism according to subgroup in substantia nigra; GSK598809 increased BOLD response in AO and decreased response in PD groups. Conclusion Acute GSK598809 modulates the BOLD response to aversive image processing, providing evidence that D3 antagonism may impact emotional regulation. Enhanced BOLD response within D3-rich mesolimbic regions is consistent with its pharmacology and with attenuation of substance-related hypodopaminergic function. However, the lack of group differences in task-related BOLD response and the non-specific effect of GSK598809 between groups makes it difficult to ascertain whether D3 antagonism is likely to be normalising or restorative in our abstinent populations. The suggestion of differential D3 modulation between AO and PD subgroups is intriguing, raising the possibility of divergent treatment responses. Further study is needed to determine whether D3 antagonism should be recommended as a treatment target in substance dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioanna A. Vamvakopoulou
- Division of Psychiatry, Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Leon Fonville
- Division of Psychiatry, Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Alexandra Hayes
- Division of Psychiatry, Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - John McGonigle
- Division of Psychiatry, Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rebecca Elliott
- Neuroscience and Psychiatry Unit, Institute of Brain, Behaviour and Mental Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Karen D. Ersche
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Remy Flechais
- Division of Psychiatry, Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Csaba Orban
- Division of Psychiatry, Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Anna Murphy
- Neuroscience and Psychiatry Unit, Institute of Brain, Behaviour and Mental Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Dana G. Smith
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - John Suckling
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Eleanor M. Taylor
- Neuroscience and Psychiatry Unit, Institute of Brain, Behaviour and Mental Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Bill Deakin
- Neuroscience and Psychiatry Unit, Institute of Brain, Behaviour and Mental Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Trevor W. Robbins
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - David J. Nutt
- Division of Psychiatry, Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Anne R. Lingford-Hughes
- Division of Psychiatry, Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Louise M. Paterson
- Division of Psychiatry, Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
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10
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Agunbiade K, Fonville L, McGonigle J, Elliott R, Ersche KD, Flechais R, Orban C, Murphy A, Smith DG, Suckling J, Taylor EM, Deakin B, Robbins TW, Nutt DJ, Lingford‐Hughes AR, Paterson LM, Nutt D, Lingford‐Hughes A, Paterson L, McGonigle J, Flechais R, Orban C, Deakin B, Elliott R, Murphy A, Taylor E, Robbins T, Ersche K, Suckling J, Smith D, Reed L, Passetti F, Faravelli L, Erritzoe D, Mick I, Kalk N, Waldman A, Nestor L, Kuchibatla S, Boyapati V, Metastasio A, Faluyi Y, Fernandez‐Egea E, Abbott S, Sahakian B, Voon V, Rabiner I. Alterations in white matter microstructure in alcohol and alcohol‐polydrug dependence: Associations with lifetime alcohol and nicotine exposure. Addict Biol 2022. [PMCID: PMC9540248 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Evidence suggests that alcohol dependence (AD) is associated with microstructural deficits in white matter, but the relationship with lifetime alcohol exposure and the impact of polydrug dependence is not well understood. Using diffusion tensor magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, we examined white matter microstructure in relation to alcohol and polydrug dependence using data from the Imperial College Cambridge Manchester (ICCAM) platform study. Tract‐based spatial statistics were used to examine fractional anisotropy (FA) in a cohort of abstinent AD participants, most of whom had a lifetime history of dependence to nicotine. A further subgroup also had a lifetime history of dependence to cocaine and/or opiates. Individuals with AD had lower FA throughout the corpus callosum, and negative associations with alcohol and nicotine exposure were found. A group‐by‐age interaction effect was found showing greater reductions with age in the alcohol‐dependent group within corpus callosum, overlapping with the group difference. We found no evidence of recovery with abstinence. A comparison of alcohol‐only‐ and alcohol‐polydrug‐dependent groups found no differences in FA. Overall, our findings show that AD is associated with lower FA and suggest that these alterations are primarily driven by lifetime alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking, showing no relationship with exposure to other substances such as cocaine, opiates or cannabis. Reductions in FA across the adult lifespan are more pronounced in AD and offer further support for the notion of accelerated ageing in relation to alcohol dependence. These findings highlight there may be lasting structural differences in white matter in alcohol dependence, despite continued abstinence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kofoworola Agunbiade
- Division of Psychiatry, Department of Brain Sciences Imperial College London London UK
| | - Leon Fonville
- Division of Psychiatry, Department of Brain Sciences Imperial College London London UK
| | - John McGonigle
- Division of Psychiatry, Department of Brain Sciences Imperial College London London UK
| | - Rebecca Elliott
- Neuroscience and Psychiatry Unit, Institute of Brain, Behaviour and Mental Health University of Manchester Manchester UK
| | - Karen D. Ersche
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
- Department of Psychiatry University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
- Department of Systems Neuroscience University Medical Centre Hamburg‐Eppendorf Hamburg Germany
| | - Remy Flechais
- Division of Psychiatry, Department of Brain Sciences Imperial College London London UK
| | - Csaba Orban
- Division of Psychiatry, Department of Brain Sciences Imperial College London London UK
| | - Anna Murphy
- Neuroscience and Psychiatry Unit, Institute of Brain, Behaviour and Mental Health University of Manchester Manchester UK
| | - Dana G. Smith
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
- Department of Psychology University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
| | - John Suckling
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
- Department of Psychiatry University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
| | - Eleanor M. Taylor
- Neuroscience and Psychiatry Unit, Institute of Brain, Behaviour and Mental Health University of Manchester Manchester UK
| | - Bill Deakin
- Neuroscience and Psychiatry Unit, Institute of Brain, Behaviour and Mental Health University of Manchester Manchester UK
| | - Trevor W. Robbins
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
- Department of Psychology University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
| | - David J. Nutt
- Division of Psychiatry, Department of Brain Sciences Imperial College London London UK
| | | | - Louise M. Paterson
- Division of Psychiatry, Department of Brain Sciences Imperial College London London UK
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11
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Zhukovsky P, Savulich G, Morgan S, Dalley JW, Williams GB, Ersche KD. Morphometric similarity deviations in stimulant use disorder point towards abnormal brain ageing. Brain Commun 2022; 4:fcac079. [PMID: 35694145 PMCID: PMC9178962 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcac079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Revised: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Chronic drug use negatively impacts ageing, resulting in diminished health and quality of life. However, little is known about biomarkers of abnormal ageing in stimulant drug users. Using morphometric similarity network mapping, a novel approach to structural connectomics, we first mapped cross-sectional morphometric similarity trajectories of ageing in the publicly available Rockland Sample (20-80 years of age, n = 665). We then compared morphometric similarity and neuropsychological function between non-treatment-seeking, actively using patients with stimulant use disorder (n = 183, mean age 35.6 years) and healthy control participants (n = 148, mean age 36.0 years). Significantly altered mean regional morphometric similarity was found in 43 cortical regions including the inferior and orbital frontal gyri, pre/postcentral gyri and anterior temporal, superior parietal and occipital areas. Deviations from normative morphometric similarity trajectories in patients with stimulant use disorder suggested abnormal brain ageing. Furthermore, deficits in paired associates learning were consistent with neuropathology associated with both ageing and stimulant use disorder. Morphometric similarity mapping provides a promising biomarker for ageing in health and disease and may complement existing neuropsychological markers of age-related cognitive decline. Neuropathological ageing mechanisms in stimulant use disorder warrant further investigation to develop more age-appropriate treatments for older people addicted to stimulant drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Zhukovsky
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, UK
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, School of Clinical Medicine, UK
| | - George Savulich
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, School of Clinical Medicine, UK
| | - Sarah Morgan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, School of Clinical Medicine, UK
- Department of Computer Science and Technology, University of Cambridge, UK
- The Alan Turing Institute, London, UK
| | | | - Guy B. Williams
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, UK
- Wolfson Brain Imaging Centre, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge UK
| | - Karen D. Ersche
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, School of Clinical Medicine, UK
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
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12
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Öchsner M, Mak E, Ersche KD. Detecting Small Vessel Pathology in Cocaine Use Disorder. Front Neurosci 2022; 15:827329. [PMID: 35221893 PMCID: PMC8867820 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.827329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BackgroundCocaine use is associated with an increased risk of cerebrovascular accidents. Small vessel pathology has been linked to the risk of stroke in cocaine users, but can be challenging to detect on conventional magnetic resonance (MR) scans. Fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) scans permit better resolution of small vessel lesions.ObjectivesFLAIR scans are currently only acquired based on the subjective judgement of abnormalities on MR scans at face value. We sought to evaluate this practice and the added value of FLAIR scans for patients with cocaine use disorder (CUD), by comparing microbleeds detected by MR and FLAIR scans. We hypothesised that microbleeds are more pronounced in CUD patients, particularly so in participants who had been selected for a FLAIR scan by radiographers.MethodsSixty-four patients with CUD and 60 control participants underwent a brain scan. The MR of 20 CUD patients and 16 control participants showed indicators of cerebral infarction at face value and were followed up by a FLAIR scan. We determined the volume of microbleeds in both MR and FLAIR scans and examined associations with various risk factors.ResultsWhile MR lesion volumes were significantly increased in CUD patients, no significant differences in lesion volume were found in the subgroup of individuals who received a FLAIR.ConclusionThe current practice of subjectively evaluating MR scans as a basis for the follow-up FLAIR scans to detect vascular pathology may miss vulnerable individuals. Hence, FLAIR scans should be included as a routine part of research studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Öchsner
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Elijah Mak
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Karen D. Ersche
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- *Correspondence: Karen D. Ersche,
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13
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Fernando J, Stochl J, Ersche KD. Drug Use in Night Owls May Increase the Risk for Mental Health Problems. Front Neurosci 2022; 15:819566. [PMID: 35087376 PMCID: PMC8787192 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.819566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Drugs of abuse are widely known to worsen mental health problems, but this relationship may not be a simple causational one. Whether or not a person is susceptible to the negative effects of drugs of abuse may not only be determined by their addictive properties, but also the users’ chronotype, which determines their daily activity patterns. The present study investigates the relationship between chronotype, drug use and mental health problems in a cross-sectional community sample. Participants (n = 209) completed a selection of questionnaires online, including the Munich Chronotype Questionnaire, the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale, the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test, the Cannabis Use Disorder Identification Test and the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence. We conducted multiple regression models to determine relationships between participants’ chronotype and their reported mental health symptoms and then estimated mediation models to investigate the extent to which their drug consumption accounted for the identified associations. Chronotype was significantly associated with participants’ overall mental health (β = 0.16, p = 0.022) and their anxiety levels (β = 0.18, p = 0.009) but not with levels of depression or stress. However, both relationships were fully mediated by participants’ overall drug consumption. Thus, late chronotypes, so-called “night owls”, not only use more drugs but consequently have an increased risk for developing anxiety and deteriorating mental health status. This group may be particularly vulnerable to the negative psychological effects of drugs. Our results point toward the importance of considering chronotype in designing preventative and therapeutic innovations, specifically for anxiety, which at present has been largely neglected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeevan Fernando
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Jan Stochl
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Department of Kinanthropology and Humanities, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Karen D. Ersche
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- *Correspondence: Karen D. Ersche,
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14
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Lim TV, Cardinal RN, Bullmore ET, Robbins TW, Ersche KD. Impaired Learning From Negative Feedback in Stimulant Use Disorder: Dopaminergic Modulation. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2021; 24:867-878. [PMID: 34197589 PMCID: PMC8598302 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyab041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Revised: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Drug-induced alterations to the dopamine system in stimulant use disorder (SUD) are hypothesized to impair reinforcement learning (RL). Computational modeling enables the investigation of the latent processes of RL in SUD patients, which could elucidate the nature of their impairments. METHODS We investigated RL in 44 SUD patients and 41 healthy control participants using a probabilistic RL task that assesses learning from reward and punishment separately. In an independent sample, we determined the modulatory role of dopamine in RL following a single dose of the dopamine D2/3 receptor antagonist amisulpride (400 mg) and the agonist pramipexole (0.5 mg) in a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover design. We analyzed task performance using computational modelling and hypothesized that RL impairments in SUD patients would be differentially modulated by a dopamine D2/3 receptor antagonist and agonist. RESULTS Computational analyses in both samples revealed significantly reduced learning rates from punishment in SUD patients compared with healthy controls, whilst their reward learning rates were not measurably impaired. In addition, the dopaminergic receptor agents modulated RL parameters differentially in both groups. Both amisulpride and pramipexole impaired RL parameters in healthy participants, but ameliorated learning from punishment in SUD patients. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that RL impairments seen in SUD patients are associated with altered dopamine function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsen Vei Lim
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Rudolf N Cardinal
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK
| | - Edward T Bullmore
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK
| | - Trevor W Robbins
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Karen D Ersche
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
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15
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Ersche KD, Lim TV, Murley AG, Rua C, Vaghi MM, White TL, Williams GB, Robbins TW. Reduced Glutamate Turnover in the Putamen Is Linked With Automatic Habits in Human Cocaine Addiction. Biol Psychiatry 2021; 89:970-979. [PMID: 33581835 PMCID: PMC8083107 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2020.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Revised: 12/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The balance between goal-directed behavior and habits has been hypothesized to be biased toward the latter in individuals with cocaine use disorder (CUD), suggesting possible neurochemical changes in the putamen, which may contribute to their compulsive behavior. METHODS We assessed habitual behavior in 48 patients with CUD and 42 healthy control participants using a contingency degradation paradigm and the Creature of Habit Scale. In a subgroup of this sample (CUD: n = 21; control participants: n = 22), we also measured glutamate and glutamine concentrations in the left putamen using ultra-high-field (7T) magnetic resonance spectroscopy. We hypothesized that increased habitual tendencies in patients with CUD would be associated with abnormal glutamatergic metabolites in the putamen. RESULTS Compared with their non-drug-using peers, patients with CUD exhibited greater habitual tendencies during contingency degradation, which correlated with increased levels of self-reported daily habits. We further identified a significant reduction in glutamate concentration and glutamate turnover (glutamate-to-glutamine ratio) in the putamen in patients with CUD, which was significantly related to the level of self-reported daily habits. CONCLUSIONS Patients with CUD exhibit enhanced habitual behavior, as assessed both by questionnaire and by a laboratory paradigm of contingency degradation. This automatic habitual tendency is related to a reduced glutamate turnover in the putamen, suggesting a dysregulation of habits caused by chronic cocaine use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen D Ersche
- Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
| | - Tsen Vei Lim
- Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Alexander G Murley
- Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Catarina Rua
- Wolfson Brain Imaging Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Matilde M Vaghi
- Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, California
| | - Tara L White
- Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
| | - Guy B Williams
- Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Wolfson Brain Imaging Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Trevor W Robbins
- Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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16
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Savulich G, Bowden-Jones O, Stephenson R, Brühl AB, Ersche KD, Robbins TW, Sahakian BJ. "Hot" and "Cold" Cognition in Users of Club Drugs/Novel Psychoactive Substances. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:660575. [PMID: 33841219 PMCID: PMC8024487 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.660575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Novel psychoactive substances (NPS) are popular "club/party" drugs that first attracted attention in the UK in 2009 and remained legal until the 2016 Psychoactive Substances Act criminalized their distribution. Unlike "traditional" illicit drugs, very little is known about the influence of their analogs on neuropsychological functioning. We characterized the cognitive and emotional profile of NPS/polydrug users using the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) and EMOTICOM test battery in adult male (aged 20-49 years) recreational users without psychiatric comorbidities (n = 27; "psychonauts"), service users attending a UK specialist "Club Drug" Clinic for problematic use (n = 20) and healthy control volunteers without significant drug-taking histories (n = 35). Tasks were selected to distinguish "hot" cognitive processes that are highly influenced by emotion from "cold" cognitive processes that are largely independent of emotional influence. Both user groups reported significantly higher sensation-seeking traits compared with non-users. Recreational NPS users demonstrated more risk-taking behavior compared with controls and treatment-seeking NPS users showed poorer learning, episodic memory and response inhibition compared with the other two groups. These effects persisted, when controlling for age, intelligence, alcohol and cannabis use severity, nicotine dependence, trait anxiety, depression, childhood adversity, impulsivity, and sensation seeking. Overall, recreational NPS users showed elevated "hot" (emotion-laden) cognition in the absence of "cold" (non-emotional) cognitive deficits, whereas "cold" cognitive dysfunction was pronounced in individuals seeking treatment for problematic NPS use. High trait impulsivity and poor self-control may confer additional risk to NPS/polydrug use severity and separate those seeking treatment from those using NPS recreationally.
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Affiliation(s)
- George Savulich
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Owen Bowden-Jones
- Club Drug Clinic, Central and North West London National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom.,University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Annette B Brühl
- University Hospital of Psychiatry, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Karen D Ersche
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Trevor W Robbins
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Barbara J Sahakian
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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17
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Breedon JR, Ziauddeen H, Stochl J, Ersche KD. Feeding the addiction: Narrowing of goals to habits. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2021; 42:110-114. [PMID: 33246848 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2020.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Revised: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Whilst the initiation of cocaine use is typically goal-directed and motivated by the rewarding effects of the drug, drug-taking can become habitual over time, rendering the user less sensitive to cocaine's hedonic value. Experimental studies suggest that patients with cocaine use disorder (CUD) are particularly prone to develop habits, even in non-drug related contexts. CUD patients have previously been shown to consume higher levels of high-calorie foods and report more uncontrolled eating, suggesting a tendency towards habitual or dysregulated food-related behaviours. We investigated this in CUD patients compared with healthy controls. Participants were presented with a series of food images and asked to rate their willingness to pay for, and their motivation to consume the foods. Self-reported motivations for food choices were collected using a validated questionnaire. Our data suggests CUD patients display goal-narrowing towards cocaine, as well as habitual tendencies towards both cocaine and food. These findings stress the importance of addressing non-drug related behaviours when treating CUD patients. Further, they suggest that habits may provide a novel and additional target for psychological interventions, for example, through the retraining of maladaptive habits. Whilst research into the feasibility and efficacy of habit retraining is certainly required, the potential for a new avenue of treatment should not be ignored.
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Affiliation(s)
- J R Breedon
- University of Cambridge, Department of Psychiatry, Herchel Smith Building for Brain & Mind Sciences, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge CB2 0SZ, UK
| | - H Ziauddeen
- University of Cambridge, Department of Psychiatry, Herchel Smith Building for Brain & Mind Sciences, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge CB2 0SZ, UK; Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge CB21 5EF, UK
| | - J Stochl
- University of Cambridge, Department of Psychiatry, Herchel Smith Building for Brain & Mind Sciences, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge CB2 0SZ, UK; Department of Kinanthropology and Humanities, Charles University, 16252 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - K D Ersche
- University of Cambridge, Department of Psychiatry, Herchel Smith Building for Brain & Mind Sciences, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge CB2 0SZ, UK.
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Orban C, McGonigle J, Flechais RS, Paterson LM, Elliott R, Erritzoe D, Ersche KD, Murphy A, Nestor LJ, Passetti F, Reed LJ, Ribeiro AS, Smith DG, Suckling J, Taylor EM, Waldman AD, Wing VC, Deakin JW, Robbins TW, Nutt DJ, Lingford‐Hughes AR, Nutt D, Lingford‐Hughes A, Paterson L, McGonigle J, Flechais R, Orban C, Deakin B, Elliott R, Murphy A, Taylor E, Robbins T, Ersche K, Suckling J, Smith D, Reed L, Passetti F, Faravelli L, Erritzoe D, Mick I, Kalk N, Waldman A, Nestor L, Kuchibatla S, Boyapati V, Metastasio A, Faluyi Y, Fernandez‐Egea E, Abbott S, Sahakian B, Voon V, Rabiner I. Chronic alcohol exposure differentially modulates structural and functional properties of amygdala: A cross‐sectional study. Addict Biol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/adb.12980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Csaba Orban
- Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, Centre for Psychiatry, Division of Brain Sciences Imperial College London London UK
- Centre for Sleep and Cognition National University of Singapore Singapore
- N.1 Institute for Health, ECE & CIRC National University of Singapore Singapore
| | - John McGonigle
- Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, Centre for Psychiatry, Division of Brain Sciences Imperial College London London UK
| | - Remy S.A. Flechais
- Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, Centre for Psychiatry, Division of Brain Sciences Imperial College London London UK
| | - Louise M. Paterson
- Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, Centre for Psychiatry, Division of Brain Sciences Imperial College London London UK
| | - Rebecca Elliott
- Neuroscience and Psychiatry Unit, Institute of Brain, Behaviour and Mental Health The University of Manchester Manchester UK
| | - David Erritzoe
- Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, Centre for Psychiatry, Division of Brain Sciences Imperial College London London UK
| | - Karen D. Ersche
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
- Department of Psychiatry University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
| | - Anna Murphy
- Neuroscience and Psychiatry Unit, Institute of Brain, Behaviour and Mental Health The University of Manchester Manchester UK
| | - Liam J. Nestor
- Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, Centre for Psychiatry, Division of Brain Sciences Imperial College London London UK
- Department of Psychiatry University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
| | - Filippo Passetti
- Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, Centre for Psychiatry, Division of Brain Sciences Imperial College London London UK
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
- Department of Psychiatry University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
| | - Laurence J. Reed
- Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, Centre for Psychiatry, Division of Brain Sciences Imperial College London London UK
| | - Andre S. Ribeiro
- Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, Centre for Psychiatry, Division of Brain Sciences Imperial College London London UK
| | - Dana G. Smith
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
- Department of Psychology University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
| | - John Suckling
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
- Department of Psychiatry University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust Cambridgeshire UK
| | - Eleanor M. Taylor
- Neuroscience and Psychiatry Unit, Institute of Brain, Behaviour and Mental Health The University of Manchester Manchester UK
| | - Adam D. Waldman
- Centre for Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Imperial College London London UK
| | - Victoria C. Wing
- Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, Centre for Psychiatry, Division of Brain Sciences Imperial College London London UK
| | - J.F. William Deakin
- Neuroscience and Psychiatry Unit, Institute of Brain, Behaviour and Mental Health The University of Manchester Manchester UK
| | - Trevor W. Robbins
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
- Department of Psychology University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
| | - David J. Nutt
- Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, Centre for Psychiatry, Division of Brain Sciences Imperial College London London UK
| | - Anne R. Lingford‐Hughes
- Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, Centre for Psychiatry, Division of Brain Sciences Imperial College London London UK
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19
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Bland AR, Ersche KD. Deficits in recognizing female facial expressions related to social network in cocaine-addicted men. Drug Alcohol Depend 2020; 216:108247. [PMID: 32896724 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2020.108247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2020] [Revised: 07/23/2020] [Accepted: 08/16/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The ability to accurately recognise facial expressions of emotion is crucial for social functioning and maintaining healthy relationships. Recognising the emotional state of others allows us to respond to their needs and adjust our behaviour appropriately. Impairments in facial affect recognition have been reported in chronic cocaine users but little is known whether these contribute to their difficulties in social situations. METHODS We assessed facial emotional expression recognition in forty-five men with cocaine use disorder (CUD) and forty-four healthy control participants. Using standardised questionnaires, we also collected information on perceived social support, social provision and community integration. RESULTS Our results found that male cocaine users had greater difficulty in recognising female emotional facial expressions than male controls. This effect was not explained by demographic variables but it was associated with their social network; including social support, social provisions and community integration. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that men with CUD have greater difficulty in identifying emotional expression in female faces, which is linked with their social support networks. This may play an important role in misunderstanding non-verbal communications that contribute to destabilising friendship and family ties typically seen in drug addiction. Addressing deficits in recognising female emotional expressions may be an important piece of information for counselling and other interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy R Bland
- Department of Psychiatry, Herchel Smith Building for Brain & Mind Sciences, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0SZ, UK; Department of Psychology, Brooks Building, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, M15 6GX, UK
| | - Karen D Ersche
- Department of Psychiatry, Herchel Smith Building for Brain & Mind Sciences, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0SZ, UK.
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20
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Overmeyer R, Fürtjes S, Ersche KD, Ehrlich S, Endrass T. Self-regulation is negatively associated with habit tendencies: A validation of the German Creature of Habit Scale. Personality and Individual Differences 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2020.110029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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21
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Luijten M, Gillan CM, de Wit S, Franken IHA, Robbins TW, Ersche KD. Goal-Directed and Habitual Control in Smokers. Nicotine Tob Res 2020; 22:188-195. [PMID: 30768206 PMCID: PMC7004226 DOI: 10.1093/ntr/ntz001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2018] [Accepted: 01/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Introduction Harmful behavior such as smoking may reflect a disturbance in the balance of goal-directed and habitual control. Animal models suggest that habitual control develops after prolonged substance use. In this study, we investigated whether smokers (N = 49) differ from controls (N = 46) in the regulation of goal-directed and habitual behavior. It was also investigated whether individual differences in nicotine dependence levels were associated with habitual responding. Methods We used two different multistage instrumental learning tasks that consist of an instrumental learning phase, subsequent outcome devaluation, and a testing phase to measure the balance between goal-directed and habitual responding. The testing phases of these tasks occurred after either appetitive versus avoidance instrumental learning. The appetitive versus aversive instrumental learning stages in the two different tasks modeled positive versus negative reinforcement, respectively. Results Smokers and nonsmoking controls did not differ on habitual versus goal-directed control in either task. Individual differences in nicotine dependence within the group of smokers, however, were positively associated with habitual responding after appetitive instrumental learning. This effect seems to be due to impaired stimulus-outcome learning, thereby hampering goal-directed task performance and tipping the balance to habitual responding. Conclusions The current finding highlights the importance of individual differences within smokers. For future research, neuroimaging studies are suggested to further unravel the nature of the imbalance between goal-directed versus habitual control in severely dependent smokers by directly measuring activity in the corresponding brain systems. Implications Goal-directed versus habitual behavior in substance use and addiction is highly debated. This study investigated goal-directed versus habitual control in smokers. The findings suggest that smokers do not differ from controls in goal-directed versus habitual control. Individual differences in nicotine dependence within smokers, however, were positively associated with habitual responding after appetitive instrumental learning. This effect seems to be due to impaired stimulus-outcome learning, thereby hampering goal-directed task performance and tipping the balance to habitual responding. These findings add to the ongoing debate on habitual versus goal-directed control in addiction and emphasize the importance of individual differences within smokers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maartje Luijten
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Claire M Gillan
- Department of Psychology, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland.,Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Sanne de Wit
- Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Amsterdam Brain and Cognition, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ingmar H A Franken
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Trevor W Robbins
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Karen D Ersche
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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22
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Zhukovsky P, Morein‐Zamir S, Meng C, Dalley JW, Ersche KD. Network failures: When incentives trigger impulsive responses. Hum Brain Mapp 2020; 41:2216-2228. [PMID: 32150321 PMCID: PMC7267965 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.24941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2019] [Revised: 01/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Adequate control of impulsive urges to act is demanded in everyday life but is impaired in neuropsychiatric conditions such as stimulant use disorder. Despite intensive research it remains unclear whether failures in impulse control are caused by impaired suppression of behavior or by the over invigoration of behavior by stimuli associated with salient incentives such as drugs, food, and money. We investigated failures in impulse control using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to map the neural correlates of premature (impulsive) responses during the anticipation phase of the Monetary Incentive Delay (MID) task in healthy controls (HC), stimulant-dependent individuals (SDIs), and their unaffected first-degree siblings (SIB). We combined task-based fMRI analyses with dynamic causal modeling to show that failures of impulse control were associated with interactions between cingulo-opercular and dorsal striatal networks regardless of group status and incentive type. We further report that group-specific incentive salience plays a critical role in modulating impulsivity in SDIs since drug-related incentives specifically increased premature responding and shifted task modulation away from the dorsal striatal network to the cingulo-opercular network. Our findings thus indicate that impulsive actions are elicited by salient personally-relevant incentive stimuli and those such slips of action recruit a distinct fronto-striatal network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Zhukovsky
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | | | - Chun Meng
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - Jeffrey W. Dalley
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - Karen D. Ersche
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
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23
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Nestor LJ, Suckling J, Ersche KD, Murphy A, McGonigle J, Orban C, Paterson LM, Reed L, Taylor E, Flechais R, Smith D, Bullmore ET, Elliott R, Deakin B, Rabiner I, Hughes AL, Sahakian BJ, Robbins TW, Nutt DJ. Disturbances across whole brain networks during reward anticipation in an abstinent addiction population. Neuroimage Clin 2020; 27:102297. [PMID: 32505119 PMCID: PMC7270610 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2020.102297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2020] [Revised: 04/24/2020] [Accepted: 05/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Analytical methods can capture key features of whole brain networks in addiction. We compared reward network connectivity in addiction (ADD) and control (CON) groups. The ADD group showed disruptions in global network connectivity. Global network measures may be more sensitive than traditional voxel-wise analyses.
The prevalent spatial distribution of abnormalities reported in cognitive fMRI studies in addiction suggests there are extensive disruptions across whole brain networks. Studies using resting state have reported disruptions in network connectivity in addiction, but these studies have not revealed characteristics of network functioning during critical psychological processes that are disrupted in addiction populations. Analytic methods that can capture key features of whole brain networks during psychological processes may be more sensitive in revealing additional and widespread neural disturbances in addiction, that are the provisions for relapse risk, and targets for medication development. The current study compared a substance addiction (ADD; n = 83) group in extended abstinence with a control (CON; n = 68) group on functional MRI (voxel-wise activation) and global network (connectivity) measures related to reward anticipation on a monetary incentive delay task. In the absence of group differences on MID performance, the ADD group showed reduced activation predominantly across temporal and visual regions, but not across the striatum. The ADD group also showed disruptions in global network connectivity (lower clustering coefficient and higher characteristic path length), and significantly less connectivity across a sub-network comprising frontal, temporal, limbic and striatal nodes. These results show that an addiction group in extended abstinence exhibit localised disruptions in brain activation, but more extensive disturbances in functional connectivity across whole brain networks. We propose that measures of global network functioning may be more sensitive in highlighting latent and more widespread neural disruptions during critical psychological processes in addiction and other psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liam J Nestor
- Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, Centre for Psychiatry, Imperial College London, United Kingdom; Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - John Suckling
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Karen D Ersche
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom; Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Anna Murphy
- Neuroscience and Psychiatry Unit, University of Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - John McGonigle
- Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, Centre for Psychiatry, Imperial College London, United Kingdom
| | - Csaba Orban
- Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, Centre for Psychiatry, Imperial College London, United Kingdom
| | - Louise M Paterson
- Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, Centre for Psychiatry, Imperial College London, United Kingdom
| | - Laurence Reed
- Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, Centre for Psychiatry, Imperial College London, United Kingdom
| | - Eleanor Taylor
- Neuroscience and Psychiatry Unit, University of Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Remy Flechais
- Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, Centre for Psychiatry, Imperial College London, United Kingdom
| | - Dana Smith
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom; Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | - Rebecca Elliott
- Neuroscience and Psychiatry Unit, University of Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Bill Deakin
- Neuroscience and Psychiatry Unit, University of Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Ilan Rabiner
- Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Anne-Lingford Hughes
- Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, Centre for Psychiatry, Imperial College London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Trevor W Robbins
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom; Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - David J Nutt
- Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, Centre for Psychiatry, Imperial College London, United Kingdom
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24
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Abstract
Deficits in memory control may facilitate posttraumatic stress disorder
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen D Ersche
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
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25
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Abstract
Impatience-the failure to wait or tolerate delayed rewards (e.g. food, drug and monetary incentives)-is a common behavioural tendency in humans. However, when rigidly and rapidly expressed with limited regard for future, often negative consequences, impatient or impulsive actions underlie and confer susceptibility for such diverse brain disorders as drug addiction, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and major depressive disorder. Consequently, 'waiting' impulsivity has emerged as a candidate endophenotype to inform translational research on underlying neurobiological mechanisms and biomarker discovery for many of the so-called impulse-control disorders. Indeed, as reviewed in this article, this research enterprise has revealed a number of unexpected targets and mechanisms for intervention. However, in the context of drug addiction, impulsive decisions that maximize short-term gains (e.g. acute drug consumption) over longer-term punishment (e.g. unemployment, homelessness, personal harm) defines one aspect of impulsivity, which may or may not be related to rapid, unrestrained actions over shorter timescales. We discuss the relevance of this distinction in impulsivity subtypes for drug addiction with reference to translational research in humans and other animals. This article is part of the theme issue 'Risk taking and impulsive behaviour: fundamental discoveries, theoretical perspectives and clinical implications'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey W Dalley
- 1 Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge , Cambridge CB2 3EB , UK.,2 Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge , Cambridge CB2 0SZ , UK
| | - Karen D Ersche
- 1 Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge , Cambridge CB2 3EB , UK
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26
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Ersche KD, Ward LH, Lim TV, Lumsden RJ, Sawiak SJ, Robbins TW, Stochl J. Impulsivity and compulsivity are differentially associated with automaticity and routine on the Creature of Habit Scale. Pers Individ Dif 2019; 150:109493. [PMID: 31680711 PMCID: PMC6703190 DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2019.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2019] [Revised: 06/27/2019] [Accepted: 07/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Habits may develop when meaningful action patterns are frequently repeated in a stable environment. We measured the differing tendencies of people to form habits in a population sample of n = 533 using the Creature of Habit Scale (COHS). We confirmed the high reliability of the two latent factors measured by the COHS, automaticity and routines. Whilst automatic behaviours are triggered by context and do not serve a particular purpose or goal, routines often have purpose, and because they have been performed so often in a given context, they become automatic only after their action sequence has been activated. We found that both types of habitual behaviours are influenced by the frequency of their occurrence and they are differentially influenced by personality traits. Compulsive personality is associated with an increase in both aspects of habitual tendency, whereas impulsivity is linked with increased automaticity, but reduced routine behaviours. Our findings provide further evidence that the COHS is a useful tool for understanding habitual tendencies in the general population and may inform the development of therapeutic strategies that capitalise on functional habits and help to treat dysfunctional ones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen D. Ersche
- Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology, Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Laetitia H.E. Ward
- Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology, Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Tsen-Vei Lim
- Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology, Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Roderick J. Lumsden
- Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology, Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Steven J. Sawiak
- Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology, Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Trevor W. Robbins
- Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology, Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Jan Stochl
- Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology, Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Kinanthropology, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
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27
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Nestor LJ, Paterson LM, Murphy A, McGonigle J, Orban C, Reed L, Taylor E, Flechais R, Smith D, Bullmore ET, Ersche KD, Suckling J, Elliott R, Deakin B, Rabiner I, Lingford Hughes A, Sahakian BJ, Robbins TW, Nutt DJ. Naltrexone differentially modulates the neural correlates of motor impulse control in abstinent alcohol-dependent and polysubstance-dependent individuals. Eur J Neurosci 2019; 50:2311-2321. [PMID: 30402987 PMCID: PMC6767584 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2018] [Revised: 09/18/2018] [Accepted: 09/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Identifying key neural substrates in addiction disorders for targeted drug development remains a major challenge for clinical neuroscience. One emerging target is the opioid system, where substance-dependent populations demonstrate prefrontal opioid dysregulation that predicts impulsivity and relapse. This may suggest that disturbances to the prefrontal opioid system could confer a risk for relapse in addiction due to weakened 'top-down' control over impulsive behaviour. Naltrexone is currently licensed for alcohol dependence and is also used clinically for impulse control disorders. Using a go/no-go (GNG) task, we examined the effects of acute naltrexone on the neural correlates of successful motor impulse control in abstinent alcoholics (AUD), abstinent polysubstance-dependent (poly-SUD) individuals and controls during a randomised double blind placebo controlled fMRI study. In the absence of any differences on GNG task performance, the AUD group showed a significantly greater BOLD response compared to the control group in lateral and medial prefrontal regions during both placebo and naltrexone treatments; effects that were positively correlated with alcohol abstinence. There was also a dissociation in the positive modulating effects of naltrexone in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and anterior insula cortex (AIC) of the AUD and poly-SUD groups respectively. Self-reported trait impulsivity in the poly-SUD group also predicted the effect of naltrexone in the AIC. These results suggest that acute naltrexone differentially amplifies neural responses within two distinct regions of a salience network during successful motor impulse control in abstinent AUD and poly-SUD groups, which are predicted by trait impulsivity in the poly-SUD group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liam J. Nestor
- Neuropsychopharmacology UnitCentre for PsychiatryImperial College LondonLondonUK
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - Louise M. Paterson
- Neuropsychopharmacology UnitCentre for PsychiatryImperial College LondonLondonUK
| | - Anna Murphy
- Neuroscience and Psychiatry UnitUniversity of ManchesterManchesterUK
| | - John McGonigle
- Neuropsychopharmacology UnitCentre for PsychiatryImperial College LondonLondonUK
| | - Csaba Orban
- Neuropsychopharmacology UnitCentre for PsychiatryImperial College LondonLondonUK
| | - Laurence Reed
- Neuropsychopharmacology UnitCentre for PsychiatryImperial College LondonLondonUK
| | - Eleanor Taylor
- Neuroscience and Psychiatry UnitUniversity of ManchesterManchesterUK
| | - Remy Flechais
- Neuropsychopharmacology UnitCentre for PsychiatryImperial College LondonLondonUK
| | - Dana Smith
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | | | - Karen D. Ersche
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - John Suckling
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - Rebecca Elliott
- Neuroscience and Psychiatry UnitUniversity of ManchesterManchesterUK
| | - Bill Deakin
- Neuroscience and Psychiatry UnitUniversity of ManchesterManchesterUK
| | - Ilan Rabiner
- ImanovaCentre for Imaging SciencesInvicroLondonUK
| | - Anne Lingford Hughes
- Neuropsychopharmacology UnitCentre for PsychiatryImperial College LondonLondonUK
| | - Barbara J. Sahakian
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - Trevor W. Robbins
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - David J. Nutt
- Neuropsychopharmacology UnitCentre for PsychiatryImperial College LondonLondonUK
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28
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Lim TV, Cardinal RN, Savulich G, Jones PS, Moustafa AA, Robbins TW, Ersche KD. Impairments in reinforcement learning do not explain enhanced habit formation in cocaine use disorder. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2019; 236:2359-2371. [PMID: 31372665 PMCID: PMC6695345 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-019-05330-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2019] [Accepted: 07/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Drug addiction has been suggested to develop through drug-induced changes in learning and memory processes. Whilst the initiation of drug use is typically goal-directed and hedonically motivated, over time, drug-taking may develop into a stimulus-driven habit, characterised by persistent use of the drug irrespective of the consequences. Converging lines of evidence suggest that stimulant drugs facilitate the transition of goal-directed into habitual drug-taking, but their contribution to goal-directed learning is less clear. Computational modelling may provide an elegant means for elucidating changes during instrumental learning that may explain enhanced habit formation. OBJECTIVES We used formal reinforcement learning algorithms to deconstruct the process of appetitive instrumental learning and to explore potential associations between goal-directed and habitual actions in patients with cocaine use disorder (CUD). METHODS We re-analysed appetitive instrumental learning data in 55 healthy control volunteers and 70 CUD patients by applying a reinforcement learning model within a hierarchical Bayesian framework. We used a regression model to determine the influence of learning parameters and variations in brain structure on subsequent habit formation. RESULTS Poor instrumental learning performance in CUD patients was largely determined by difficulties with learning from feedback, as reflected by a significantly reduced learning rate. Subsequent formation of habitual response patterns was partly explained by group status and individual variation in reinforcement sensitivity. White matter integrity within goal-directed networks was only associated with performance parameters in controls but not in CUD patients. CONCLUSIONS Our data indicate that impairments in reinforcement learning are insufficient to account for enhanced habitual responding in CUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- T V Lim
- Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology and Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Herchel Smith Building for Brain & Mind Sciences, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, CB2 0SZ, UK
| | - R N Cardinal
- Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology and Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Herchel Smith Building for Brain & Mind Sciences, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, CB2 0SZ, UK
- Behavioural and Clinical Neurosciences Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Liaison Psychiatry Service, Cambridgeshire & Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Box 190, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, UK
| | - G Savulich
- Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology and Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Herchel Smith Building for Brain & Mind Sciences, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, CB2 0SZ, UK
- Behavioural and Clinical Neurosciences Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - P S Jones
- Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology and Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Herchel Smith Building for Brain & Mind Sciences, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, CB2 0SZ, UK
| | - A A Moustafa
- School of Social Sciences and Psychology, MARCS Institute for Brain and Behaviour, Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - T W Robbins
- Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology and Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Herchel Smith Building for Brain & Mind Sciences, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, CB2 0SZ, UK
- Behavioural and Clinical Neurosciences Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - K D Ersche
- Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology and Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Herchel Smith Building for Brain & Mind Sciences, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, CB2 0SZ, UK.
- Behavioural and Clinical Neurosciences Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
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Kanen JW, Ersche KD, Fineberg NA, Robbins TW, Cardinal RN. Computational modelling reveals contrasting effects on reinforcement learning and cognitive flexibility in stimulant use disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder: remediating effects of dopaminergic D2/3 receptor agents. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2019; 236:2337-2358. [PMID: 31324936 PMCID: PMC6820481 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-019-05325-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2019] [Accepted: 07/02/2019] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Disorders of compulsivity such as stimulant use disorder (SUD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are characterised by deficits in behavioural flexibility, some of which have been captured using probabilistic reversal learning (PRL) paradigms. OBJECTIVES This study used computational modelling to characterise the reinforcement learning processes underlying patterns of PRL behaviour observed in SUD and OCD and to show how the dopamine D2/3 receptor agonist pramipexole and the D2/3 antagonist amisulpride affected these responses. METHODS We applied a hierarchical Bayesian method to PRL data across three groups: individuals with SUD, OCD, and healthy controls. Participants completed three sessions where they received placebo, pramipexole, and amisulpride, in a double-blind placebo-controlled, randomised design. We compared seven models using a bridge sampling estimate of the marginal likelihood. RESULTS Stimulus-bound perseveration, a measure of the degree to which participants responded to the same stimulus as before irrespective of outcome, was significantly increased in SUD, but decreased in OCD, compared to controls (on placebo). Individuals with SUD also exhibited reduced reward-driven learning, whilst both the SUD and OCD groups showed increased learning from punishment (nonreward). Pramipexole and amisulpride had similar effects on the control and OCD groups; both increased punishment-driven learning. These D2/3-modulating drugs affected the SUD group differently, remediating reward-driven learning and reducing aspects of perseverative behaviour, amongst other effects. CONCLUSIONS We provide a parsimonious computational account of how perseverative tendencies and reward- and punishment-driven learning differentially contribute to PRL in SUD and OCD. D2/3 agents modulated these processes and remediated deficits in SUD in particular, which may inform therapeutic effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan W Kanen
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Karen D Ersche
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Naomi A Fineberg
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, UK
- Department of Postgraduate Medicine, College Lane Hatfield, University of Hertfordshire, Hertfordshire, UK
| | - Trevor W Robbins
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Rudolf N Cardinal
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK
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Medic N, Kochunov P, Ziauddeen H, Ersche KD, Nathan PJ, Ronan L, Fletcher PC. BMI-related cortical morphometry changes are associated with altered white matter structure. Int J Obes (Lond) 2019; 43:523-532. [PMID: 30568264 PMCID: PMC6462878 DOI: 10.1038/s41366-018-0269-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2017] [Revised: 10/07/2018] [Accepted: 10/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND While gross measures of brain structure have shown alterations with increasing body mass index (BMI), the extent and nature of such changes has varied substantially across studies. Here, we sought to determine whether small-scale morphometric measures might prove more sensitive and reliable than larger scale measures and whether they might offer a valuable opportunity to link cortical changes to underlying white matter changes. To examine this, we explored the association of BMI with millimetre-scale Gaussian curvature, in addition to standard measures of morphometry such as cortical thickness, surface area and mean curvature. We also assessed the volume and integrity of the white matter, using white matter signal intensity and fractional anisotropy (FA). We hypothesised that BMI would be linked to small-scale changes in Gaussian curvature and that this phenomenon would be mediated by changes in the integrity of the underlying white matter. METHODS The association of global measures of T1-weighted cortical morphometry with BMI was examined using linear regression and mediation analyses in two independent groups of healthy young to middle aged human subjects (n1 = 52, n2 = 202). In a third dataset of (n3 = 897), which included diffusion tensor images, we sought to replicate the significant associations established in the first two datasets, and examine the potential mechanistic link between BMI-associated cortical changes and global FA. RESULTS Gaussian curvature of the white matter surface showed a significant, positive association with BMI across all three independent datasets. This effect was mediated by a negative association between the integrity of the white matter and BMI. CONCLUSIONS Increasing BMI is associated with changes in white matter microstructure in young to middle-aged healthy adults. Our results are consistent with a model whereby BMI-linked cortical changes are mediated by the effects of BMI on white matter microstructure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nenad Medic
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 8AH, UK
- Wellcome Trust-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, UK
| | - Peter Kochunov
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Hisham Ziauddeen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 8AH, UK
- Wellcome Trust-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, UK
- Cambridgeshire & Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, CB21 5EF, UK
| | - Karen D Ersche
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 8AH, UK
| | - Pradeep J Nathan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 8AH, UK
- School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
- Heptares Therapeutics Ltd, Cambridge, UK
| | - Lisa Ronan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 8AH, UK
| | - Paul C Fletcher
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 8AH, UK.
- Wellcome Trust-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, UK.
- Cambridgeshire & Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, CB21 5EF, UK.
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Just AL, Meng C, Smith DG, Bullmore ET, Robbins TW, Ersche KD. Effects of familial risk and stimulant drug use on the anticipation of monetary reward: an fMRI study. Transl Psychiatry 2019; 9:65. [PMID: 30718492 PMCID: PMC6362203 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-019-0399-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2018] [Revised: 10/19/2018] [Accepted: 12/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The association between stimulant drug use and aberrant reward processing is well-documented in the literature, but the nature of these abnormalities remains elusive. The present study aims to disentangle the separate and interacting effects of stimulant drug use and pre-existing familial risk on abnormal reward processing associated with stimulant drug addiction. We used the Monetary Incentive Delay task, a well-validated measure of reward processing, during fMRI scanning in four distinct groups: individuals with familial risk who were either stimulant drug-dependent (N = 41) or had never used stimulant drugs (N = 46); and individuals without familial risk who were either using stimulant drugs (N = 25) or not (N = 48). We first examined task-related whole-brain activation followed by a psychophysiological interaction analysis to further explore brain functional connectivity. For analyses, we used a univariate model with two fixed factors (familial risk and stimulant drug use). Our results showed increased task-related activation in the putamen and motor cortex of stimulant-using participants. We also found altered task-related functional connectivity between the putamen and frontal regions in participants with a familial risk (irrespective of whether they were using stimulant drugs or not). Additionally, we identified an interaction between stimulant drug use and familial risk in task-related functional connectivity between the putamen and motor-related cortical regions in potentially at-risk individuals. Our findings suggest that abnormal task-related activation in motor brain systems is associated with regular stimulant drug use, whereas abnormal task-related functional connectivity in frontostriatal brain systems, in individuals with familial risk, may indicate pre-existing neural vulnerability for developing addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alanna L. Just
- 0000000121885934grid.5335.0Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK ,0000000121885934grid.5335.0Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Chun Meng
- 0000000121885934grid.5335.0Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK ,0000000121885934grid.5335.0Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Dana G. Smith
- 0000000121885934grid.5335.0Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK ,0000000121885934grid.5335.0Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Edward T. Bullmore
- 0000000121885934grid.5335.0Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK ,0000000121885934grid.5335.0Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK ,0000 0004 0412 9303grid.450563.1Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK ,0000 0001 2162 0389grid.418236.aGlaxoSmithKline, Immuno-Inflammation Therapeutic Area Unit, Stevenage, UK
| | - Trevor W. Robbins
- 0000000121885934grid.5335.0Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK ,0000000121885934grid.5335.0Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Karen D. Ersche
- 0000000121885934grid.5335.0Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK ,0000000121885934grid.5335.0Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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32
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Murray GK, Knolle F, Ersche KD, Craig KJ, Abbott S, Shabbir SS, Fineberg NA, Suckling J, Sahakian BJ, Bullmore ET, Robbins TW. Dopaminergic drug treatment remediates exaggerated cingulate prediction error responses in obsessive-compulsive disorder. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2019; 236:2325-2336. [PMID: 31201476 PMCID: PMC6695357 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-019-05292-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2019] [Accepted: 05/30/2019] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) have been found to show exaggerated error responses and prediction error learning signals in a variety of EEG and fMRI tasks, with data converging on the anterior cingulate cortex as a key locus of dysfunction. Considerable evidence has linked prediction error processing to dopaminergic function. OBJECTIVE In this study, we investigate potential dopaminergic dysfunction during reward processing in the context of OCD. METHODS We studied OCD patients (n = 18) and controls (n = 18) whilst they learned probabilistic associations between abstract stimuli and monetary rewards in the fMRI scanner involving administration (on separate visits) of a dopamine receptor agonist, pramipexole 0.5 mg; a dopamine receptor antagonist, amisulpride 400 mg; and placebo. We fitted a Q-learning computational model to fMRI prediction error responses; group differences were examined in anterior cingulate and nucleus accumbens regions of interest. RESULTS There were no significant group, drug, or interaction effects in the number of correct choices; computational modeling suggested a marginally significant difference in learning rates between groups (p = 0.089, partial ƞ2 = 0.1). In the imaging results, there was a significant interaction of group by drug (p = 0.013, partial ƞ2 = 0.13). OCD patients showed abnormally strong cingulate signaling of prediction errors during omission of an expected reward, with unexpected reduction by both pramipexole and amisulpride (p = 0.014, partial ƞ2 = 0.26, 1-β error probability = 0.94). Exaggerated cingulate prediction error signaling to omitted reward in placebo was related to trait subjective difficulty in self-regulating behavior in OCD. CONCLUSIONS Our data support cingulate dysfunction during reward processing in OCD, and bidirectional remediation by dopaminergic modulation, suggesting that exaggerated cingulate error signals in OCD may be of dopaminergic origin. The results help to illuminate the mechanisms through which dopamine receptor antagonists achieve therapeutic benefit in OCD. Further research is needed to disentangle the different functions of dopamine receptor agonists and antagonists during bidirectional modulation of cingulate activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Graham K. Murray
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, 18b Trumpington Road, Cambridge, CB2 8AH UK ,Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1TN UK ,Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, CB21 5EF UK
| | - Franziska Knolle
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, 18b Trumpington Road, Cambridge, CB2 8AH, UK. .,Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1TN, UK.
| | - Karen D. Ersche
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, 18b Trumpington Road, Cambridge, CB2 8AH UK ,Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1TN UK
| | - Kevin J. Craig
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, 18b Trumpington Road, Cambridge, CB2 8AH UK ,Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1TN UK
| | - Sanja Abbott
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1TN UK ,Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1TN UK ,European Bioinformatics Institute, Cambridge, CB10 1SD UK
| | - Shaila S. Shabbir
- GlaxoSmithKline, Immuno-Inflammation Therapeutic Area Unit, Stevenage, UK
| | - Naomi A. Fineberg
- Department of Psychiatry, Queen Elizabeth II Hospital, Welwyn Garden City, UK
| | - John Suckling
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, 18b Trumpington Road, Cambridge, CB2 8AH UK ,Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1TN UK
| | - Barbara J. Sahakian
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, 18b Trumpington Road, Cambridge, CB2 8AH UK ,Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1TN UK
| | - Edward T. Bullmore
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, 18b Trumpington Road, Cambridge, CB2 8AH UK ,Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1TN UK ,Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, CB21 5EF UK
| | - Trevor W. Robbins
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1TN UK ,Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 1TN UK
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33
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Morris LS, Baek K, Tait R, Elliott R, Ersche KD, Flechais R, McGonigle J, Murphy A, Nestor LJ, Orban C, Passetti F, Paterson LM, Rabiner I, Reed L, Smith D, Suckling J, Taylor EM, Bullmore ET, Lingford-Hughes AR, Deakin B, Nutt DJ, Sahakian BJ, Robbins TW, Voon V. Naltrexone ameliorates functional network abnormalities in alcohol-dependent individuals. Addict Biol 2018; 23:425-436. [PMID: 28247526 PMCID: PMC5811832 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2016] [Revised: 01/03/2017] [Accepted: 02/05/2017] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Naltrexone, an opioid receptor antagonist, is commonly used as a relapse prevention medication in alcohol and opiate addiction, but its efficacy and the mechanisms underpinning its clinical usefulness are not well characterized. In the current study, we examined the effects of 50‐mg naltrexone compared with placebo on neural network changes associated with substance dependence in 21 alcohol and 36 poly‐drug‐dependent individuals compared with 36 healthy volunteers. Graph theoretic and network‐based statistical analysis of resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data revealed that alcohol‐dependent subjects had reduced functional connectivity of a dispersed network compared with both poly‐drug‐dependent and healthy subjects. Higher local efficiency was observed in both patient groups, indicating clustered and segregated network topology and information processing. Naltrexone normalized heightened local efficiency of the neural network in alcohol‐dependent individuals, to the same levels as healthy volunteers. Naltrexone failed to have an effect on the local efficiency in abstinent poly‐substance‐dependent individuals. Across groups, local efficiency was associated with substance, but no alcohol exposure implicating local efficiency as a potential premorbid risk factor in alcohol use disorders that can be ameliorated by naltrexone. These findings suggest one possible mechanism for the clinical effects of naltrexone, namely, the amelioration of disrupted network topology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurel S. Morris
- Department of Psychology; University of Cambridge; UK
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute; University of Cambridge; UK
| | | | - Roger Tait
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute; University of Cambridge; UK
- Department of Psychiatry; University of Cambridge; UK
| | - Rebecca Elliott
- Neuroscience and Psychiatry Unit; University of Manchester; UK
| | - Karen D. Ersche
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute; University of Cambridge; UK
- Department of Psychiatry; University of Cambridge; UK
| | - Remy Flechais
- Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Division of Brain Sciences; Imperial College London; UK
| | - John McGonigle
- Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Division of Brain Sciences; Imperial College London; UK
| | - Anna Murphy
- Neuroscience and Psychiatry Unit; University of Manchester; UK
| | - Liam J. Nestor
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute; University of Cambridge; UK
- Department of Psychiatry; University of Cambridge; UK
- Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Division of Brain Sciences; Imperial College London; UK
| | - Csaba Orban
- Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Division of Brain Sciences; Imperial College London; UK
| | - Filippo Passetti
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute; University of Cambridge; UK
- Department of Psychiatry; University of Cambridge; UK
- Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Division of Brain Sciences; Imperial College London; UK
| | - Louise M. Paterson
- Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Division of Brain Sciences; Imperial College London; UK
| | | | - Laurence Reed
- Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Division of Brain Sciences; Imperial College London; UK
| | - Dana Smith
- Department of Psychology; University of Cambridge; UK
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute; University of Cambridge; UK
- Department of Psychiatry; University of Cambridge; UK
| | - John Suckling
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute; University of Cambridge; UK
- Department of Psychiatry; University of Cambridge; UK
| | | | - Edward T. Bullmore
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute; University of Cambridge; UK
- Department of Psychiatry; University of Cambridge; UK
| | | | - Bill Deakin
- Neuroscience and Psychiatry Unit; University of Manchester; UK
| | - David J. Nutt
- Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Division of Brain Sciences; Imperial College London; UK
| | - Barbara J. Sahakian
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute; University of Cambridge; UK
- Department of Psychiatry; University of Cambridge; UK
| | - Trevor W. Robbins
- Department of Psychology; University of Cambridge; UK
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute; University of Cambridge; UK
- Department of Psychiatry; University of Cambridge; UK
| | - Valerie Voon
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute; University of Cambridge; UK
- Department of Psychiatry; University of Cambridge; UK
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34
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Nestor LJ, Murphy A, McGonigle J, Orban C, Reed L, Taylor E, Flechais R, Paterson LM, Smith D, Bullmore ET, Ersche KD, Suckling J, Tait R, Elliott R, Deakin B, Rabiner I, Lingford-Hughes A, Nutt DJ, Sahakian B, Robbins TW. Acute naltrexone does not remediate fronto-striatal disturbances in alcoholic and alcoholic polysubstance-dependent populations during a monetary incentive delay task. Addict Biol 2017; 22:1576-1589. [PMID: 27600363 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2015] [Revised: 07/29/2016] [Accepted: 08/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
There is a concerted research effort to investigate brain mechanisms underlying addiction processes that may predicate the development of new compounds for treating addiction. One target is the brain's opioid system, because of its role in the reinforcing effects of substances of abuse. Substance-dependent populations have increased numbers of the mu opioid receptor (MOR) in fronto-striatal regions that predict drug relapse, and demonstrate disturbances in these regions during the processing of non-drug rewards. Naltrexone is currently licensed for alcohol and opiate dependence, and may remediate such disturbances through the blockade of MORs in fronto-striatal reward circuitry. Therefore, we examined the potential acute modulating effects of naltrexone on the anticipation of, and instrumental responding for, non-drug rewards in long-term abstinent alcoholics, alcoholic poly substance-dependent individuals and controls using a monetary incentive delay (MID) task during a randomized double blind placebo controlled functional MRI study. We report that the alcoholic poly substance-dependent group exhibited slower and less accurate instrumental responding compared to alcoholics and controls that was less evident after acute naltrexone treatment. However, naltrexone treatment was unable to remediate disturbances within fronto-striatal regions during reward anticipation and 'missed' rewards in either substance-dependent group. While we have not been able to identify the underlying neural mechanisms for improvement observed with naltrexone in the alcoholic poly-substance dependent group, we can confirm that both substance-dependent groups exhibit substantial neural deficits during an MID task, despite being in long-term abstinence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liam J Nestor
- Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology; Imperial College London; UK
- Department of Psychiatry; University of Cambridge; UK
| | - Anna Murphy
- Neuroscience and Psychiatry Unit; University of Manchester; UK
| | - John McGonigle
- Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology; Imperial College London; UK
| | - Csaba Orban
- Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology; Imperial College London; UK
| | - Laurence Reed
- Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology; Imperial College London; UK
| | - Eleanor Taylor
- Neuroscience and Psychiatry Unit; University of Manchester; UK
| | - Remy Flechais
- Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology; Imperial College London; UK
| | | | - Dana Smith
- Department of Psychiatry; University of Cambridge; UK
- Department of Psychology; University of Cambridge; UK
| | | | - Karen D Ersche
- Department of Psychiatry; University of Cambridge; UK
- Department of Psychology; University of Cambridge; UK
| | - John Suckling
- Department of Psychiatry; University of Cambridge; UK
| | - Roger Tait
- Department of Psychiatry; University of Cambridge; UK
| | - Rebecca Elliott
- Neuroscience and Psychiatry Unit; University of Manchester; UK
| | - Bill Deakin
- Neuroscience and Psychiatry Unit; University of Manchester; UK
| | | | | | - David J Nutt
- Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology; Imperial College London; UK
| | - Barbara Sahakian
- Department of Psychiatry; University of Cambridge; UK
- Department of Psychology; University of Cambridge; UK
| | - Trevor W Robbins
- Department of Psychiatry; University of Cambridge; UK
- Department of Psychology; University of Cambridge; UK
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Abstract
Our daily lives involve high levels of repetition of activities within similar contexts. We buy the same foods from the same grocery store, cook with the same spices, and typically sit at the same place at the dinner table. However, when questioned about these routine activities, most of us barely remember the details of our actions. Habits are automatically triggered behaviours in which we engage without conscious awareness or deliberate control. Although habits help us to operate efficiently, breaking them requires great effort. We have developed a 27-item questionnaire to measure individual differences in habitual responding in everyday life. The Creature of Habit Scale (COHS) incorporates two aspects of the general concept of habits, namely routine behaviour and automatic responses. Both aspects of habitual behaviour were weakly correlated with underlying anxiety levels, but showed a more substantial difference in relation to goal-oriented motivation. We also observed that experiences of adversity during childhood increased self-reported automaticity, and this effect was further amplified in participants who also reported exposure to stimulant drugs. The COHS is a valid and reliable self-report measure of habits, which may prove useful in a number of contexts where discerning individuals' propensity for habit is beneficial. The COHS is a valid and reliable self-report measure of proneness to habits. It assesses two aspects of habits: routine behaviour and automatic responses. The routine subscale is predominated by items favouring regularity and familiarity. The automaticity subscale is predominated by eating-related items.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen D Ersche
- Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Tsen-Vei Lim
- Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Laetitia H E Ward
- Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Trevor W Robbins
- Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Jan Stochl
- Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Department of Kinanthropology, Charles University, Prague, CZ
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36
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Murphy A, Nestor LJ, McGonigle J, Paterson L, Boyapati V, Ersche KD, Flechais R, Kuchibatla S, Metastasio A, Orban C, Passetti F, Reed L, Smith D, Suckling J, Taylor E, Robbins TW, Lingford-Hughes A, Nutt DJ, Deakin JFW, Elliott R. Acute D3 Antagonist GSK598809 Selectively Enhances Neural Response During Monetary Reward Anticipation in Drug and Alcohol Dependence. Neuropsychopharmacology 2017; 42:1925-1926. [PMID: 28701746 PMCID: PMC5520792 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2017.99] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
This corrects the article DOI: 10.1038/npp.2016.289.
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37
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Murphy A, Nestor LJ, McGonigle J, Paterson L, Boyapati V, Ersche KD, Flechais R, Kuchibatla S, Metastasio A, Orban C, Passetti F, Reed L, Smith D, Suckling J, Taylor E, Obbins TWR, Lingford-Hughes A, Nutt DJ, Deakin JFW, Elliott R. Acute D3 Antagonist GSK598809 Selectively Enhances Neural Response During Monetary Reward Anticipation in Drug and Alcohol Dependence. Neuropsychopharmacology 2017; 42:1559. [PMID: 28496172 PMCID: PMC5436126 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2017.47] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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38
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Murphy A, Nestor LJ, McGonigle J, Paterson L, Boyapati V, Ersche KD, Flechais R, Kuchibatla S, Metastasio A, Orban C, Passetti F, Reed L, Smith D, Suckling J, Taylor E, Robbins TW, Lingford-Hughes A, Nutt DJ, Deakin JFW, Elliott R. Acute D3 Antagonist GSK598809 Selectively Enhances Neural Response During Monetary Reward Anticipation in Drug and Alcohol Dependence. Neuropsychopharmacology 2017; 42:1049-1057. [PMID: 28042871 PMCID: PMC5423526 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2016.289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2016] [Revised: 12/09/2016] [Accepted: 12/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Evidence suggests that disturbances in neurobiological mechanisms of reward and inhibitory control maintain addiction and provoke relapse during abstinence. Abnormalities within the dopamine system may contribute to these disturbances and pharmacologically targeting the D3 dopamine receptor (DRD3) is therefore of significant clinical interest. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate the acute effects of the DRD3 antagonist GSK598809 on anticipatory reward processing, using the monetary incentive delay task (MIDT), and response inhibition using the Go/No-Go task (GNGT). A double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover design approach was used in abstinent alcohol dependent, abstinent poly-drug dependent and healthy control volunteers. For the MIDT, there was evidence of blunted ventral striatal response to reward in the poly-drug-dependent group under placebo. GSK598809 normalized ventral striatal reward response and enhanced response in the DRD3-rich regions of the ventral pallidum and substantia nigra. Exploratory investigations suggested that the effects of GSK598809 were mainly driven by those with primary dependence on alcohol but not on opiates. Taken together, these findings suggest that GSK598809 may remediate reward deficits in substance dependence. For the GNGT, enhanced response in the inferior frontal cortex of the poly-drug group was found. However, there were no effects of GSK598809 on the neural network underlying response inhibition nor were there any behavioral drug effects on response inhibition. GSK598809 modulated the neural network underlying reward anticipation but not response inhibition, suggesting that DRD3 antagonists may restore reward deficits in addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Murphy
- Neuroscience and Psychiatry Unit, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Liam J Nestor
- Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Division of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - John McGonigle
- Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Division of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Louise Paterson
- Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Division of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | | | - Karen D Ersche
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Remy Flechais
- Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Division of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Shankar Kuchibatla
- Neuroscience and Psychiatry Unit, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Antonio Metastasio
- Neuroscience and Psychiatry Unit, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Csaba Orban
- Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Division of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Filippo Passetti
- Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Division of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Laurence Reed
- Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Division of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Dana Smith
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - John Suckling
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Eleanor Taylor
- Neuroscience and Psychiatry Unit, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Trevor W Robbins
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Anne Lingford-Hughes
- Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Division of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - David J Nutt
- Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Division of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - John FW Deakin
- Neuroscience and Psychiatry Unit, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Rebecca Elliott
- Neuroscience and Psychiatry Unit, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - ICCAM Platform
- Neuroscience and Psychiatry Unit, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Division of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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Savulich G, Riccelli R, Passamonti L, Correia M, Deakin JFW, Elliott R, Flechais RSA, Lingford-Hughes AR, McGonigle J, Murphy A, Nutt DJ, Orban C, Paterson LM, Reed LJ, Smith DG, Suckling J, Tait R, Taylor EM, Sahakian BJ, Robbins TW, Ersche KD. Effects of naltrexone are influenced by childhood adversity during negative emotional processing in addiction recovery. Transl Psychiatry 2017; 7:e1054. [PMID: 28267152 PMCID: PMC5416677 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2017.34] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2016] [Revised: 01/25/2017] [Accepted: 01/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Naltrexone is an opioid receptor antagonist used in the management of alcohol dependence. Although the endogenous opioid system has been implicated in emotion regulation, the effects of mu-opioid receptor blockade on brain systems underlying negative emotional processing are not clear in addiction. Individuals meeting criteria for alcohol dependence alone (n=18, alcohol) and in combination with cocaine and/or opioid dependence (n=21, alcohol/drugs) and healthy individuals without a history of alcohol or drug dependence (n=21) were recruited. Participants were alcohol and drug abstinent before entered into this double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, crossover study. Functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to investigate brain response while viewing aversive and neutral images relative to baseline on 50 mg of naltrexone and placebo. We found that naltrexone modulated task-related activation in the medial prefrontal cortex and functional connectivity between the anterior cingulate cortex and the hippocampus as a function of childhood adversity (for aversive versus neutral images) in all groups. Furthermore, there was a group-by-treatment-by-condition interaction in the right amygdala, which was mainly driven by a normalization of response for aversive relative to neutral images under naltrexone in the alcohol/drugs group. We conclude that early childhood adversity is one environmental factor that influences pharmacological response to naltrexone. Pharmacotherapy with naltrexone may also have some ameliorative effects on negative emotional processing in combined alcohol and drug dependence, possibly due to alterations in endogenous opioid transmission or the kappa-opioid receptor antagonist actions of naltrexone.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Savulich
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK,Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - R Riccelli
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK,Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University Magna Graecia, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - L Passamonti
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - M Correia
- Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Medical Research Council, Cambridge, UK
| | - J F W Deakin
- Institute of Brain, Behaviour and Mental Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - R Elliott
- Institute of Brain, Behaviour and Mental Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - R S A Flechais
- Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | | | - J McGonigle
- Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - A Murphy
- Institute of Brain, Behaviour and Mental Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - D J Nutt
- Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - C Orban
- Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - L M Paterson
- Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - L J Reed
- Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - D G Smith
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK,Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - J Suckling
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK,Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - R Tait
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK,Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - E M Taylor
- Institute of Brain, Behaviour and Mental Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - B J Sahakian
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK,Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - T W Robbins
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK,Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - K D Ersche
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK,Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK,Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Herchel Smith Building for Brain and Mind Sciences, Forvie Site, Robinson Way, Cambridge CB2 0SZ, UK. E-mail:
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40
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41
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McGonigle J, Murphy A, Paterson LM, Reed LJ, Nestor L, Nash J, Elliott R, Ersche KD, Flechais RSA, Newbould R, Orban C, Smith DG, Taylor EM, Waldman AD, Robbins TW, Deakin JFW, Nutt DJ, Lingford-Hughes AR, Suckling J. The ICCAM platform study: An experimental medicine platform for evaluating new drugs for relapse prevention in addiction. Part B: fMRI description. J Psychopharmacol 2017; 31:3-16. [PMID: 27703042 PMCID: PMC5367542 DOI: 10.1177/0269881116668592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES We aimed to set up a robust multi-centre clinical fMRI and neuropsychological platform to investigate the neuropharmacology of brain processes relevant to addiction - reward, impulsivity and emotional reactivity. Here we provide an overview of the fMRI battery, carried out across three centres, characterizing neuronal response to the tasks, along with exploring inter-centre differences in healthy participants. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Three fMRI tasks were used: monetary incentive delay to probe reward sensitivity, go/no-go to probe impulsivity and an evocative images task to probe emotional reactivity. A coordinate-based activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analysis was carried out for the reward and impulsivity tasks to help establish region of interest (ROI) placement. A group of healthy participants was recruited from across three centres (total n=43) to investigate inter-centre differences. Principle observations: The pattern of response observed for each of the three tasks was consistent with previous studies using similar paradigms. At the whole brain level, significant differences were not observed between centres for any task. CONCLUSIONS In developing this platform we successfully integrated neuroimaging data from three centres, adapted validated tasks and applied whole brain and ROI approaches to explore and demonstrate their consistency across centres.
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Affiliation(s)
- John McGonigle
- Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Division of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Anna Murphy
- Neuroscience and Psychiatry Unit, Institute of Brain, Behaviour and Mental Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Louise M Paterson
- Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Division of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Laurence J Reed
- Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Division of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Liam Nestor
- Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Division of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK,Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Jonathan Nash
- Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Division of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Rebecca Elliott
- Neuroscience and Psychiatry Unit, Institute of Brain, Behaviour and Mental Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Karen D Ersche
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK,Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Remy SA Flechais
- Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Division of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | | | - Csaba Orban
- Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Division of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Dana G Smith
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Eleanor M Taylor
- Neuroscience and Psychiatry Unit, Institute of Brain, Behaviour and Mental Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Adam D Waldman
- Centre for Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration, Division of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Trevor W Robbins
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK,Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - JF William Deakin
- Neuroscience and Psychiatry Unit, Institute of Brain, Behaviour and Mental Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - David J Nutt
- Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Division of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Anne R Lingford-Hughes
- Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Division of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK,Anne Lingford-Hughes, Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Imperial College London, Burlington Danes Building, Hammersmith Hospital campus, 160 Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK.
| | - John Suckling
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK,Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK,Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Fulbourn, UK
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42
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Ersche KD, Gillan CM, Jones PS, Williams GB, Ward LHE, Luijten M, de Wit S, Sahakian BJ, Bullmore ET, Robbins TW. Carrots and sticks fail to change behavior in cocaine addiction. Science 2016; 352:1468-71. [PMID: 27313048 DOI: 10.1126/science.aaf3700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 153] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2016] [Accepted: 05/19/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Cocaine addiction is a major public health problem that is particularly difficult to treat. Without medically proven pharmacological treatments, interventions to change the maladaptive behavior of addicted individuals mainly rely on psychosocial approaches. Here we report on impairments in cocaine-addicted patients to act purposefully toward a given goal and on the influence of extended training on their behavior. When patients were rewarded for their behavior, prolonged training improved their response rate toward the goal but simultaneously rendered them insensitive to the consequences of their actions. By contrast, overtraining of avoidance behavior had no effect on patient performance. Our findings illustrate the ineffectiveness of punitive approaches and highlight the potential for interventions that focus on improving goal-directed behavior and implementing more desirable habits to replace habitual drug-taking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen D Ersche
- Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Clinical Neurosciences and the Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Claire M Gillan
- Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Clinical Neurosciences and the Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK. Department of Psychology, New York University, 6 Washington Place, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - P Simon Jones
- Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Clinical Neurosciences and the Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Guy B Williams
- Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Clinical Neurosciences and the Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Laetitia H E Ward
- Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Clinical Neurosciences and the Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Maartje Luijten
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Sanne de Wit
- Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Barbara J Sahakian
- Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Clinical Neurosciences and the Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Edward T Bullmore
- Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Clinical Neurosciences and the Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK. Cambridgeshire and Peterborough National Health Service Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK. Immunopsychiatry Discovery Performance Unit, Alternative Discovery and Development Division, GlaxoSmithKline R&D, Stevenage SG1 2NY, UK
| | - Trevor W Robbins
- Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Clinical Neurosciences and the Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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43
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Paterson LM, Flechais RSA, Murphy A, Reed LJ, Abbott S, Boyapati V, Elliott R, Erritzoe D, Ersche KD, Faluyi Y, Faravelli L, Fernandez-Egea E, Kalk NJ, Kuchibatla SS, McGonigle J, Metastasio A, Mick I, Nestor L, Orban C, Passetti F, Rabiner EA, Smith DG, Suckling J, Tait R, Taylor EM, Waldman AD, Robbins TW, Deakin JFW, Nutt DJ, Lingford-Hughes AR. The Imperial College Cambridge Manchester (ICCAM) platform study: An experimental medicine platform for evaluating new drugs for relapse prevention in addiction. Part A: Study description. J Psychopharmacol 2015; 29:943-60. [PMID: 26246443 DOI: 10.1177/0269881115596155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Drug and alcohol dependence are global problems with substantial societal costs. There are few treatments for relapse prevention and therefore a pressing need for further study of brain mechanisms underpinning relapse circuitry. The Imperial College Cambridge Manchester (ICCAM) platform study is an experimental medicine approach to this problem: using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) techniques and selective pharmacological tools, it aims to explore the neuropharmacology of putative relapse pathways in cocaine, alcohol, opiate dependent, and healthy individuals to inform future drug development. Addiction studies typically involve small samples because of recruitment difficulties and attrition. We established the platform in three centres to assess the feasibility of a multisite approach to address these issues. Pharmacological modulation of reward, impulsivity and emotional reactivity were investigated in a monetary incentive delay task, an inhibitory control task, and an evocative images task, using selective antagonists for µ-opioid, dopamine D3 receptor (DRD3) and neurokinin 1 (NK1) receptors (naltrexone, GSK598809, vofopitant/aprepitant), in a placebo-controlled, randomised, crossover design. In two years, 609 scans were performed, with 155 individuals scanned at baseline. Attrition was low and the majority of individuals were sufficiently motivated to complete all five sessions (n=87). We describe herein the study design, main aims, recruitment numbers, sample characteristics, and explain the test hypotheses and anticipated study outputs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise M Paterson
- Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Remy S A Flechais
- Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Anna Murphy
- Neuroscience and Psychiatry Unit, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Laurence J Reed
- Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Sanja Abbott
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Rebecca Elliott
- Neuroscience and Psychiatry Unit, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - David Erritzoe
- Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Karen D Ersche
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Yetunde Faluyi
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK
| | - Luca Faravelli
- Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Emilio Fernandez-Egea
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK
| | - Nicola J Kalk
- Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | | | - John McGonigle
- Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Antonio Metastasio
- Neuroscience and Psychiatry Unit, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK 5 Boroughs Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Warrington, UK
| | - Inge Mick
- Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Liam Nestor
- Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Imperial College London, London, UK Clinical Research Unit, GlaxoSmithKline, Cambridge, UK
| | - Csaba Orban
- Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Filippo Passetti
- Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Imperial College London, London, UK Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Dana G Smith
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - John Suckling
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK
| | - Roger Tait
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Eleanor M Taylor
- Neuroscience and Psychiatry Unit, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Adam D Waldman
- Centre for Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Trevor W Robbins
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - J F William Deakin
- Neuroscience and Psychiatry Unit, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - David J Nutt
- Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Imperial College London, London, UK
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Morein-Zamir S, Simon Jones P, Bullmore ET, Robbins TW, Ersche KD. Take it or leave it: prefrontal control in recreational cocaine users. Transl Psychiatry 2015; 5:e582. [PMID: 26080317 PMCID: PMC4490290 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2015.80] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2015] [Revised: 04/14/2015] [Accepted: 04/29/2015] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Though stimulant drugs such as cocaine are considered highly addictive, some individuals report recreational use over long periods without developing dependence. Difficulties in response inhibition have been hypothesized to contribute to dependence, but previous studies investigating response inhibition in recreational cocaine users have reported conflicting results. Performance on a stop-signal task was examined in 24 recreational cocaine users and 32 healthy non-drug using control participants matched for age, gender and verbal intelligence during functional magnetic resonance imaging scanning. The two groups were further matched on traumatic childhood histories and the absence of family histories of addiction. Results revealed that recreational cocaine users did not significantly differ from controls on any index of task performance, including response execution and stop-signal reaction time, with the latter averaging 198 ms in both groups. Functional magnetic resonance imaging analyses indicated that, compared with controls, stopping in the recreational users was associated with increased activation in the pre-supplementary motor area but not the right inferior frontal cortex. Thus, findings imply intact response inhibition abilities in recreational cocaine users, though the distinct pattern of accompanying activation suggests increased recruitment of brain areas implicated in response inhibition. This increased recruitment could be attributed to compensatory mechanisms that enable preserved cognitive control in this group, possibly relating to their hypothetical resilience to stimulant drug dependence. Such overactivation, alternatively, may be attributable to prolonged cocaine use leading to neuroplastic adaptations.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Morein-Zamir
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK,Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK,Department of Psychology, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK,Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EB, UK. E-mail:
| | - P Simon Jones
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK,Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - E T Bullmore
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK,Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK,Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK,Clinical Unit Cambridge, GlaxoSmithKline, Addenbrooke's Centre for Clinical Investigations, Cambridge, UK
| | - T W Robbins
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK,Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - K D Ersche
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK,Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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Abstract
Almost one-third of the participants in a neuropsychological study signed the consent form below the given line. The relationship between a signature position on or below the line and participants' cognitive function was investigated. Fifty drug-dependent individuals, 50 of their siblings, and 50 unrelated control participants completed a battery of neuropsychological tests using the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB). Individuals signing below, rather than on, the line performed more poorly on tests of visuospatial memory, but no differently on other cognitive tests. Signature positioning may be a soft sign for impairment of the mechanisms involved in visuospatial memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire F Whitelock
- a Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute , University of Cambridge , Cambridge , UK
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46
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Smith DG, Jones PS, Williams GB, Bullmore ET, Robbins TW, Ersche KD. Overlapping decline in orbitofrontal gray matter volume related to cocaine use and body mass index. Addict Biol 2015; 20:194-6. [PMID: 23927455 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Loss of control over hedonically motivated actions is a defining component of impulse control disorders, such as drug dependence and the proposed 'food addiction' model of obesity. Devolution from goal-directed to compulsively maintained behaviors is partially attributed to abnormalities in the orbitofrontal cortex, an area critical in reward valuation. In the current study, overlapping reductions in orbitofrontal gray matter volume relating to body mass index were seen in healthy control and cocaine-dependent individuals, as well as in relation to duration of cocaine abuse, providing support for a shared neuropathology between the two conditions potentially related to dysfunctional reward-seeking behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana G. Smith
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute; Department of Psychology and Department of Psychiatry; University of Cambridge; UK
| | - P. Simon Jones
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute; Department of Psychology and Department of Psychiatry; University of Cambridge; UK
| | - Guy B. Williams
- Wolfson Brain Imaging Centre; Department of Clinical Neurosciences; University of Cambridge; UK
| | - Edward T. Bullmore
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute; Department of Psychology and Department of Psychiatry; University of Cambridge; UK
- GlaxoSmithKline; Clinical Unit Cambridge; UK
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust; UK
| | - Trevor W. Robbins
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute; Department of Psychology and Department of Psychiatry; University of Cambridge; UK
| | - Karen D. Ersche
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute; Department of Psychology and Department of Psychiatry; University of Cambridge; UK
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47
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Affiliation(s)
- Lawrence Billing
- Departments of Psychology and Psychiatry, University of Cambridge and
| | - Karen D. Ersche
- Departments of Psychology and Psychiatry, University of Cambridge and
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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Patel AX, Kundu P, Rubinov M, Jones PS, Vértes PE, Ersche KD, Suckling J, Bullmore ET. A wavelet method for modeling and despiking motion artifacts from resting-state fMRI time series. Neuroimage 2014; 95:287-304. [PMID: 24657353 PMCID: PMC4068300 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2014.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 252] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2013] [Revised: 02/23/2014] [Accepted: 03/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The impact of in-scanner head movement on functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) signals has long been established as undesirable. These effects have been traditionally corrected by methods such as linear regression of head movement parameters. However, a number of recent independent studies have demonstrated that these techniques are insufficient to remove motion confounds, and that even small movements can spuriously bias estimates of functional connectivity. Here we propose a new data-driven, spatially-adaptive, wavelet-based method for identifying, modeling, and removing non-stationary events in fMRI time series, caused by head movement, without the need for data scrubbing. This method involves the addition of just one extra step, the Wavelet Despike, in standard pre-processing pipelines. With this method, we demonstrate robust removal of a range of different motion artifacts and motion-related biases including distance-dependent connectivity artifacts, at a group and single-subject level, using a range of previously published and new diagnostic measures. The Wavelet Despike is able to accommodate the substantial spatial and temporal heterogeneity of motion artifacts and can consequently remove a range of high and low frequency artifacts from fMRI time series, that may be linearly or non-linearly related to physical movements. Our methods are demonstrated by the analysis of three cohorts of resting-state fMRI data, including two high-motion datasets: a previously published dataset on children (N=22) and a new dataset on adults with stimulant drug dependence (N=40). We conclude that there is a real risk of motion-related bias in connectivity analysis of fMRI data, but that this risk is generally manageable, by effective time series denoising strategies designed to attenuate synchronized signal transients induced by abrupt head movements. The Wavelet Despiking software described in this article is freely available for download at www.brainwavelet.org.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ameera X Patel
- Behavioral and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, UK.
| | - Prantik Kundu
- Behavioral and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, UK; National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Mikail Rubinov
- Behavioral and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, UK; Churchill College, University of Cambridge, UK
| | - P Simon Jones
- Behavioral and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, UK
| | - Petra E Vértes
- Behavioral and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, UK
| | - Karen D Ersche
- Behavioral and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, UK
| | - John Suckling
- Behavioral and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, UK
| | - Edward T Bullmore
- Behavioral and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, UK
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Ersche KD, Hagan CC, Smith DG, Abbott S, Jones PS, Apergis-Schoute AM, Döffinger R. Aberrant disgust responses and immune reactivity in cocaine-dependent men. Biol Psychiatry 2014; 75:140-7. [PMID: 24090796 PMCID: PMC3898808 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2013.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2013] [Revised: 07/29/2013] [Accepted: 08/01/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Infectious diseases are the most common and cost-intensive health complications associated with drug addiction. There is wide belief that drug-dependent individuals expose themselves more regularly to disease-related pathogens through risky behaviors such as sharing pipes and needles, thereby increasing their risk for contracting an infectious disease. However, evidence is emerging indicating that not only lifestyle but also the immunomodulatory effects of addictive drugs, such as cocaine, may account for their high infection risk. As feelings of disgust are thought to be an important psychological mechanism in avoiding the exposure to pathogens, we sought to investigate behavioral, physiological, and immune responses to disgust-evoking cues in both cocaine-dependent and healthy men. METHODS All participants (N = 61) were exposed to neutral and disgust-evoking photographs depicting food and nonfood images while response accuracy, latency, and skin conductivity were recorded. Saliva samples were collected before and after exposure to neutral and disgusting images, respectively. Attitudes toward disgust and hygiene behaviors were assessed using questionnaire measures. RESULTS Response times to disgust-evoking photographs were prolonged in all participants, and specifically in cocaine-dependent individuals. While viewing the disgusting images, cocaine-dependent individuals exhibited aberrant skin conductivity and increased the secretion of the salivary cytokine interleukin-6 relative to control participants. CONCLUSION Our data provide evidence of a hypersensitivity to disgusting stimuli in cocaine-dependent individuals, possibly reflecting conditioned responses to noningestive sources of infection. Coupled with a lack of interoception of bodily signals, aberrant disgust responses might lead to increased infection susceptibility in affected individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen D. Ersche
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, United Kingdom,Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, United Kingdom,Address correspondence to Karen Ersche, Ph.D., Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Herchel Smith Building for Brain & Mind Sciences, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge CB2 0SZ, United Kingdom
| | - Cindy C. Hagan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Dana G. Smith
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Sanja Abbott
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - P. Simon Jones
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Annemieke M. Apergis-Schoute
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, United Kingdom,Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Rainer Döffinger
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Immunology, Cambridge University Hospitals National Health Service Foundation Trust, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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50
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Morein-Zamir S, Simon Jones P, Bullmore ET, Robbins TW, Ersche KD. Prefrontal hypoactivity associated with impaired inhibition in stimulant-dependent individuals but evidence for hyperactivation in their unaffected siblings. Neuropsychopharmacology 2013; 38:1945-53. [PMID: 23609131 PMCID: PMC3746700 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2013.90] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2013] [Revised: 03/01/2013] [Accepted: 03/07/2013] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
A neurocognitive endophenotype has been proposed for stimulant dependence, based on behavioral measures of inhibitory response control associated with white matter changes in the frontal cortex. This study investigated the functional neuroimaging correlates of inhibitory response control, as functional activity serves as a more dynamic measure than brain structure, allowing refinement of the suggested endophenotype. Stimulant-dependent individuals (SDIs), their unaffected siblings (SIBs), and healthy controls (CTs) performed the stop-signal task, including stop-signal reaction time (SSRT) as a measure of response inhibition, while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging. SDIs had impaired response inhibition accompanied by hypoactivation in the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (PFC). In addition, they demonstrated hypoactivation in the anterior cingulate when failing to stop. In contrast, no hypoactivations were noted in their unaffected SIBs. Rather, they exhibited increased activation in the dorsomedial PFC relative to controls, together with inhibitory performance that was intermediate between that of the stimulant group and the healthy CT group. Such hyperactivations within the neurocircuitry underlying response inhibition and control are suggestive of compensatory mechanisms that could be protective in nature or could reflect coping with a pre-existing vulnerability, thus expressing potential aspects of resilience. The functional activation associated with response inhibition and error monitoring showed differential patterns of results between SDIs and their unaffected first-degree relatives, suggesting that the proposed endophenotype does not generalize to functional brain activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon Morein-Zamir
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| | - P Simon Jones
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK,Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Edward T Bullmore
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK,Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK,Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK,Clinical Unit Cambridge, GlaxoSmithKline, Addenbrooke's Centre for Clinical Investigations, Cambridge, UK
| | - Trevor W Robbins
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK,Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Karen D Ersche
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK,Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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