Understanding drug craving: evidence from fMRI studies
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31117/neuroscirn.v7i3.294Keywords:
Cocaine, Craving, fMRI, Heroin, MethamphetamineAbstract
Drug craving is a major crisis experienced by active or former drug abusers. The experience is characterised by an intense desire to abuse drugs for self-pleasure and satisfaction. This desire appears to be the main culprit behind the skyrocketing relapse rate. Neuroimaging has identified neural substrates associated with drug cravings. Here, we provide a mini-review of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies that have examined the brain regions associated with the common types of drug abuse — heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine. Most studies use visual cues (that is drug-related images) to elicit brain responses in reward-related pathways. Studies have also focused on comparing brain activities between active drug abusers, drug-abstinent individuals, and healthy controls. Current evidence suggests that the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is associated with heroin craving, whereas the ventral striatum and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) underpin methamphetamine craving. Meanwhile, the hypothalamus is responsible for cocaine cravings. Compared to active drug abusers, drug-abstinent individuals demonstrated fewer brain activations when viewing drug-related images. The relationship between brain response and drug cravings is discussed in terms of brain functions and drug types. The findings offer valuable insights into the potential role of these brain areas in drug cravings and have important implications for drug addiction treatments.
References
Amat, M. a. C., Ahmad, J., Jailani, O., Jaafar, W. M. W., & Zaremohzzabieh, Z. (2020). Relapse among drug addicts in east coast Malaysia: a qualitative study of risk factors. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 10(12), 432–447. https://doi.org/10.6007/ijarbss/v10-i12/8337
Biernacki, K., Lopez-Guzman, S., Messinger, J. C., Banavar, N. V., Rotrosen, J., Glimcher, P. W., & Konova, A. B. (2021). A neuroeconomic signature of opioid craving: How fluctuations in craving bias drug-related and nondrug-related value. Neuropsychopharmacology, 47(8), 1440–1448. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41386-021-01248-3
Chen, S., Huang, S., Yang, C., Cai, W., Chen, H., Hao, W., Liu, T., Wang, X., Worhunsky, P. D., & Potenza, M. N. (2019). Neurofunctional differences related to methamphetamine and sexual cues in men with shorter and longer term abstinence methamphetamine dependence. The International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology, 23(3), 135–145. https://doi.org/10.1093/ijnp/pyz069
Courtney, K. E., Ghahremani, D. G., & Ray, L. A. (2016). The effects of pharmacological opioid blockade on neural measures of drug Cue-Reactivity in humans. Neuropsychopharmacology, 41(12), 2872–2881. https://doi.org/10.1038/npp.2016.99
Dakhili, A., Sangchooli, A., Jafakesh, S., Zare-Bidoky, M., Soleimani, G., Batouli, S. a. H., Kazemi, K., Faghiri, A., Oghabian, M. A., & Ekhtiari, H. (2022). Cue-induced craving and negative emotion disrupt response inhibition in methamphetamine use disorder: Behavioral and fMRI results from a mixed Go/No-Go task. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 233, 109353. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2022.109353
Dejoie, J. M., Senia, N., Konova, A. B., Smith, D. V., & Fareri, D. S. (2024). Common and distinct drug cue reactivity patterns associated with cocaine and heroin: an fmri meta-analysis. Imaging Neuroscience, 2, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1162/imag_a_00211
Denomme, W. J., & Shane, M. S. (2020). History of withdrawal modulates drug- and food-cue reactivity in cocaine dependent participants. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 208, 107815. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2019.107815
Devoto, F., Zapparoli, L., Spinelli, G., Scotti, G., & Paulesu, E. (2020). How the harm of drugs and their availability affect brain reactions to drug cues: a meta-analysis of 64 neuroimaging activation studies. Translational Psychiatry, 10(1), 429. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-020-01115-7
Edinoff, A. N., Sall, S., Roberts, T. D., Tomlinson, H. H., Soileau, L. G., Jackson, E. D., Murnane, K. S., Wenger, D. M., Cornett, E. M., Toms, J., Kumbhare, D., Kaye, A. M., & Kaye, A. D. (2023). Transcranial stimulation for the treatment of stimulant use disorder. Neurology International, 15(1), 325–338. https://doi.org/10.3390/neurolint15010021
Giacolini, T., Conversi, D., & Alcaro, A. (2021). The brain emotional systems in addictions: from attachment to Dominance/Submission systems. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 14, 609467. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2020.609467
Glover, G. H. (2011). Overview of functional magnetic resonance imaging. Neurosurgery Clinics of North America, 22(2), 133–139. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nec.2010.11.001
Grodin, E. N., Courtney, K. E., & Ray, L. A. (2019). Drug-induced craving for methamphetamine is associated with neural methamphetamine cue reactivity. Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, 80(2), 245–251. https://doi.org/10.15288/jsad.2019.80.245
Hanlon, C. A., Dowdle, L. T., Naselaris, T., Canterberry, M., & Cortese, B. M. (2014). Visual cortex activation to drug cues: A meta-analysis of functional neuroimaging papers in addiction and substance abuse literature. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 143, 206–212. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2014.07.028
Huang, S., Zhang, Z., Dai, Y., Zhang, C., Yang, C., Fan, L., Liu, J., Hao, W., & Chen, H. (2018). Craving responses to methamphetamine and sexual visual cues in individuals with methamphetamine use disorder after long-term drug rehabilitation. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 9, 145. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00145
Huang, Y., Ceceli, A. O., Kronberg, G., King, S., Malaker, P., Parvaz, M. A., Alia-Klein, N., Garland, E. L., & Goldstein, R. Z. (2024). Association of cortico-striatal engagement during cue reactivity, reappraisal, and savoring of drug and non-drug stimuli with craving in heroin addiction. American Journal of Psychiatry, 181(2), 153–165. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.20220759
Huff, T., Mahabadi, N., & Tadi, P. (2023, August 14). Neuroanatomy, visual cortex. StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf, United States. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482504/
Hussain, S., Mubeen, I., Ullah, N., Shah, S. S. U. D., Khan, B. A., Zahoor, M., Ullah, R., Khan, F. A., & Sultan, M. A. (2022). Modern diagnostic imaging technique applications and risk factors in the medical field: a review. BioMed Research International, 2022, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/5164970
Jhanjee, S. (2014). Evidence based psychosocial interventions in substance use. Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine, 36(2), 112–118. https://doi.org/10.4103/0253-7176.130960
Kim, S., & Bandettini, P. A. (2023). Principles of BOLD Functional MRI. Springer eBooks, Switzerland. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-10909-6_19
Klein-Flügge, M. C., Bongioanni, A., & Rushworth, M. F. (2022). Medial and orbital frontal cortex in decision-making and flexible behavior. Neuron, 110(17), 2743–2770. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuron.2022.05.022
Lewis, R. G., Florio, E., Punzo, D., & Borrelli, E. (2021). The brain’s reward system in health and disease. In: Engmann, O., Brancaccio, M. (Eds), Circadian Clock in Brain Health and Disease, 1344, 57–69. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-81147-1_4
Li, Q., Li, W., Wang, H., Wang, Y., Zhang, Y., Zhu, J., Zheng, Y., Zhang, D., Wang, L., Li, Y., Yan, X., Chang, H., Fan, M., Li, Z., Tian, J., Gold, M. S., Wang, W., & Liu, Y. (2014). Predicting subsequent relapse by drug‐related cue‐induced brain activation in heroin addiction: an event‐related functional magnetic resonance imaging study. Addiction Biology, 20(5), 968–978. https://doi.org/10.1111/adb.12182
Liu, S., Wang, S., Zhang, M., Xu, Y., Shao, Z., Chen, L., Yang, W., Liu, J., & Yuan, K. (2021). Brain responses to drug cues predict craving changes in abstinent heroin users: A preliminary study. NeuroImage, 237, 118169. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118169
Lundengård, K. (2017). Mechanistic modelling - a BOLD response to the fMRI information loss problem. Linkoping University Electronic Press, Sweden. https://doi.org/10.3384/diss.diva-142870
MacNiven, K. H., Jensen, E. L. S., Borg, N., Padula, C. B., Humphreys, K., & Knutson, B. (2018). Association of neural responses to drug cues with subsequent relapse to stimulant use. JAMA Network Open, 1(8), e186466. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.6466
Malcolm, R., Myrick, H., Li, X., Henderson, S., Brady, K. T., George, M. S., & See, R. E. (2016). Regional brain activity in abstinent methamphetamine dependent males following CUE exposure. Journal of Drug Abuse, 02(01), 100016. https://doi.org/10.21767/2471-853x.100016
Moeller, S. J., & Paulus, M. P. (2018). Toward biomarkers of the addicted human brain: Using neuroimaging to predict relapse and sustained abstinence in substance use disorder. Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry, 80, 143–154. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pnpbp.2017.03.003
National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2020, July). Drugs and the Brain. https://nida.nih.gov/publications/drugs-brains-behavior-science-addiction/drugs-brain
National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2022, December). What is heroin? https://nida.nih.gov/publications/drugfacts/heroin
O’Reilly, J. X., Woolrich, M. W., Behrens, T. E., Smith, S. M., & Johansen-Berg, H. (2012). Tools of the trade: psychophysiological interactions and functional connectivity. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 7(5), 604–609. https://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nss055
Othman, E. A., Yusoff, A. N., Mohamad, M., Manan, H. A., Giampietro, V., Hamid, A. I. A., Dzulkifli, M. A., Osman, S. S., & Burhanuddin, W. I. D. P. W. (2019). Low intensity white noise improves performance in auditory working memory task: An fMRI study. Heliyon, 5(9), e02444. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e02444
Prisciandaro, J. J., McRae-Clark, A. L., Myrick, H., Henderson, S., & Brady, K. T. (2012). Brain activation to cocaine cues and motivation/treatment status. Addiction Biology, 19(2), 240–249. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1369-1600.2012.00446.x
Regier, P. S., Jagannathan, K., Franklin, T. R., Wetherill, R. R., Langleben, D. D., Gawyrsiak, M., Kampman, K. M., & Childress, A. R. (2021). Sustained brain response to repeated drug cues is associated with poor drug‐use outcomes. Addiction Biology, 26(5), 13028. https://doi.org/10.1111/adb.13028
Schreuders, E., Braams, B. R., Blankenstein, N. E., Peper, J. S., Güroğlu, B., & Crone, E. A. (2018). Contributions of reward sensitivity to ventral striatum activity across adolescence and early adulthood. Child Development, 89(3), 797–810. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.13056
Shen, Y., & Ward, H. B. (2020). Transcranial magnetic stimulation and neuroimaging for cocaine use disorder: Review and future directions. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 47(2), 144–153. https://doi.org/10.1080/00952990.2020.1841784
Sklerov, M., Dayan, E., & Browner, N. (2018). Functional neuroimaging of the central autonomic network: recent developments and clinical implications. Clinical Autonomic Research, 29(6), 555–566. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10286-018-0577-0
Wei, X., Li, Q., Chen, J., Shen, B., Wang, W., & Li, W. (2021). Differences in cue-induced brain activation between long-term methadone maintenance treatment and protracted abstinence in heroin use disorder patients: a functional magnetic resonance imaging study. Quantitative Imaging in Medicine and Surgery, 11(5), 2104–2113. https://doi.org/10.21037/qims-20-1002
Wiers, C. E., Zhao, J., Manza, P., Murani, K., Ramirez, V., Zehra, A., Freeman, C., Yuan, K., Wang, G., Demiral, S. B., Childress, A. R., Tomasi, D., & Volkow, N. D. (2020). Conscious and unconscious brain responses to food and cocaine cues. Brain Imaging and Behavior, 15(1), 311–319. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11682-020-00258-x
Xue, G., Chen, C., Lu, Z., & Dong, Q. (2010). Brain imaging techniques and their applications in Decision-Making Research. Acta Psychologica Sinica, 42(1), 120–137. https://doi.org/10.3724/sp.j.1041.2010.00120
Yen, C., Lin, C., & Chiang, M. (2023). Exploring the frontiers of neuroimaging: A review of recent advances in understanding brain functioning and disorders. Life, 13(7), 1472. https://doi.org/10.3390/life13071472
Yuan, K., Yu, D., Bi, Y., Wang, R., Li, M., Zhang, Y., Dong, M., Zhai, J., Li, Y., Lu, X., & Tian, J. (2017). The left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and caudate pathway: New evidence for cue-induced craving of smokers. Human Brain Mapping, 38(9), 4644–4656. https://doi.org/10.1002/hbm.23690
Zeng, H., Su, D., Wang, P., Wang, M., Vollstädt-Klein, S., Chen, Q., & Ye, H. (2018). The action representation elicited by different types of drug-related cues in Heroin-Abstinent individuals. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 12, 123. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00123
Zhang, S., Zhornitsky, S., Angarita, G. A., & Li, C. R. (2018). Hypothalamic response to cocaine cues and cocaine addiction severity. Addiction Biology, 25(1), e12682–e12682. https://doi.org/10.1111/adb.12682
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
Categories
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Nor Alia Aqilah Mohd Nawawi, Fairuz Nasir, Kamarul Amin Abdullah, Elza Othman
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
The observations and associated materials published or posted by NeurosciRN are licensed by the authors for use and distribution in accord with the Creative Commons Attribution license CC BY-NC 4.0 international, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
