| Publication Abstract Display | | Type: Published Abstract | | Title: Age-related cerebral changes in abstinent methampetamine users. | | Authors: Schweinsburg BC, Gonzalez R, Taylor MJ, Alhassoon OM, Cherner M, Brown GG, Grant I, and the HNRC Group | | Year: 2003 | | Publication: Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society | | Volume: 9 Issue: Pages: 200 | | Abstract:Methamphetamine abuse has been associated with cognitive and neurochemical changes, but the impact of previous use on the aging brain is not well-understood. Aging may leave the brain vulnerable to substancerelated injury, particularly in white matter. Based on this assumption, we hypothesized that recently abstinent methamphetamine users (METH) would display evidence of brain injury on spectroscopic examination, above and beyond what could be expected for normal aging. Decreased N-acetylaspartate (NAA: a marker of neuronal integrity) was expected to predict neuropsychological (NP) dysfunction in METH. Forty-eight METH (age=37.1, education=12.1, female=31.3%, non-white=16.7%) and 36 healthy control participants (CON: age=34.8, education=13.1, female=30.6% non-white=33.3%) received proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy and a comprehensive NP examination. T tests revealed METH and CON had similar concentrations of NAA in a frontal white matter (FWM) region of interest [t(82)=.14, p=.89]. However, age interacted with group status in a multiple regression [F(3,83) = 3.16, p=.03], and predicted a significant amount of variance in FWM NAA (partial r = 2.33, p = .003). NAA declined with age in the METH group (r=2.28,p=.05), but increased with age in the CON (r=.39, p5.02). Quantities of methamphetamine use did not predict NAA. In addition, levels of NAA did not predict NP performance. The results suggest that white matter is sensitive to methamphetamine-related axonal injury, and this change is greater than can be explained by age alone. As the brain ages, axons may have a decreased ability to endure the toxic effects of substances. |
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