Progress of Functional Imaging in Brain Structure and Functional Changes in People with Amphetamine Addiction / 昆明医科大学学报

ABSTRACT

Amphetamines abuse is defined as a chronic recurrent encephalopathy, and it is a global public health problem which seriously threatens the health of human and the social stability. Long-term abuse and addiction of amphetamines leads to structural and functional changes of specific encephalic regions. Further researches on these encephalic regions, the network of brain and biological information may be helpful to understanding drug abuse mechanism and possible therapeutic measures. Recently, a series of functional imaging techniques, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), functional magnetic resonance imaging (f MRI), magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and positron emission tomography (PET), were used to detect different brain structural changes of the volume and density of encephalic regions, functional changes of cerebral blood flow and brain cognition. The results showed functional imaging techniques play significant roles to detect different structural and functional changes of the brain. Based on these results, the researchers aim to clarify the mechanisms of drug abuse. That is the main focus of this review.