| ObjectiveLong-term heroin abuse can cause brain dysfunction and structural damage. Compared to studies on impacts of compulsory abstinent treatment on heroin addicts’ brain functions, few studies pay attention to impacts of compulsory abstinent treatment on their brain structures, the impacts of abstinent time on heroin addicts’ brain white matter is still unclear. This research will use diffusion tensor imaging to observe ①the characteristics of Micro-structural alteration of white matter in heroin addicts who accept compulsory abstinent treatment; ② Impact of time effect of compulsory abstinent on heroin addicts’ brain white matter integrity. All of this would provide imaging basis in structure scheme for making and improving policy of compulsory drug rehabilitation. Methods1. 25 short-time abstinents and 20 control subjects were recruited.GE 3.0T magnetic resonance scanner were used for DTI data acquisition. Tract-Based Spatial Statistics were used for fractional anisotropy comparison between HA group and HN group. Using two sample t test in SPSS 13.0 software to process demographic data, radial diffusivty value and axial diffusivty value between HA group and HN group. Partial correlation analysis used between FA and duration or dose of heroin use and duration of abstinence.2. 28 short-time abstinents(sa group) and17 long-time abstinents(la group) were recruited. GE 3.0T magnetic resonance scanner were used for DTI data acquisition. Tract-Based Spatial Statistics were used for fractional anisotropy comparison between two groups. Using two sample t test in SPSS 13.0 software to process age, education, daily smoking, the duration/doses of heroin, duration of abstinence, radial diffusivty value and axial diffusivty value between two groups. correlation analysis used for correlation analysis between FA and duration of abstinence.(P<0.05) Result1. Compared with the HN group, significant reduced FA were found in several white matter regions including the genu of corpus callosum,the body of corpus callosum,bilateral anterior corona radiation,the left posterior corona radiata and the right of superior corona radiata in HA group.(P<0.01, corrected by TFEC and FWE)within these regions the HA group showed increased RD and decreased AD.(P<0.01)There were no regions showed significant increased.(P<0.01)There was no significantly correlation between FA and duration or dose of heroin use and duration of abstinence.(P<0.05)2. Compared with the sa group, significant increased FA in la group were found in several white matter regions including left posterior,left external capsule, left posterior limb of the internal capsule, right superior longitudinal fasciculus, right anterior coronary radiation, right corticospinal tract, bilateral anterior corona radiata, body of corpus callosum, genu of corpus callosum, splenium of corpus callosum(P<0.05, corrected by TFEC and FWE).There were no regions showed inter-group differences of AD values.(P<0.05). abstinent time is positively related to the FA value of white matter differences between groups(r =0.353,P =0.002;r =0.453,P =0.002)(P<0.05) Conclusion1. White matter integrity significantly reduced in extensive regions among heroin addicts under short-time abstinence. The pathological features may include the abnormalities both in myelin and axonal. the involved brain areas mainly related to reward and cognitive controls. These foundings may underline the high relapse rate in heroin addicts under short-time abstinence.2. This experiment found that extensive regions of brain white matter showed improved significantly integrity in heroin addicts who reserved long-term abstinent treatment, meanwhile the characteristic of repair is the improvement of myelin. This study prompted that the long-term abstinence is more beneficial to the recovery of white matter impairment caused by heroin, and the improvement of the white matter microstructure may be beneficial to the recover of cognition and brain function. |
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