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. 2017 Mar;2(2):188-195.
doi: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2016.03.001.

Shared microstructural features of behavioral and substance addictions revealed in areas of crossing fibers

Sarah W Yip  1 , Kristen P Morie  2 , Jiansong Xu  2 , R Todd Constable  3 , Robert T Malison  4 , Kathleen M Carroll  2 , Marc N Potenza  5
Affiliations

Shared microstructural features of behavioral and substance addictions revealed in areas of crossing fibers

Sarah W Yip et al. Biol Psychiatry Cogn Neurosci Neuroimaging. 2017 Mar.

Abstract

Background: Similarities between behavioral and substance addictions exist. However, direct neurobiological comparison between addictive disorders is rare. Determination of disorder-specificity (or lack thereof) of alterations within white-matter microstructures will advance understanding of the pathophysiology of addictions.

Methods: We compared white-matter microstructural features between individuals with gambling disorder (GD; n=38), cocaine-use disorder (CUD; n=38) and healthy comparison (HC; n=38) participants, as assessed using diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI). To provide a more precise estimate of diffusion within regions of complex architecture (e.g., cortico-limbic tracts), analyses were conducted using a crossing-fiber model incorporating local-orientation modeling (tbss_x). Anisotropy estimates for primary and secondary fiber orientations were compared using ANOVAs corrected for multiple comparisons across space using threshold-free cluster enhancement (pFWE<.05).

Results: A main effect of group on anisotropy of secondary fiber orientations within the left internal capsule, corona radiata, forceps major and posterior thalamic radiation, involving reduced anisotropy among GD and CUD participants in comparison to HC participants. No differences in anisotropy measures were found between GD and CUD individuals.

Conclusions: This is the first study to compare diffusion indices directly between behavioral and substance addictions and the largest dMRI study of GD. Our findings indicate similar white-matter microstructural alterations across addictions that cannot be attributed solely to exposure to drugs or alcohol and thus may be a vulnerability mechanism for addictive disorders.

Keywords: alcohol-use disorder; behavioral addiction; diffusion tensor imaging (DTI); impulsivity; pathological gambling; substance-use disorder.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Partial volume estimates (PVEs) for primary and secondary fibers in the corpus genu and corticospinal tract
Figure one shows partial volume estimates (PVEs) for a region of uniform fiber orientations (corpus genu) and for a region associated with crossing fibers (corticospinal tract). Across all participants (n=114), PVEs for primary fibers (PVE 1) were decreased and PVEs for secondary fibers (PVE 2) were increased in the corticospinal tract in comparison to the corpus genu. For reference, fractional anisotropy (FA) values are also shown. ***p<.001
Figure 2
Figure 2. ANOVA results for secondary fiber partial volume estimates (PVE2)
Panel A shows main effect of diagnostic group on PVE2 values within the forceps major and internal capsule. The mean FA skeleton is shown in light blue. Significant clusters (pFWE<.05) were ‘thickened’ using tbss_fill and for display purposes and are shown in red-yellow. Images shown in radiological convention (left=right). Panel B shows individual partial volume estimates for secondary fibers (PVE2) within the forceps major cluster. For reference, different markers are used to indicate patients with and without lifetime alcohol-use disorders (AUDs), with light blue indicating patients positive for AUDs (AUD+) and dark blue indicating patients negative for AUDs (AUD−).
Figure 3
Figure 3. Anisotropy of primary (PVE1) and secondary (PVE2) fibers for cocaine-use disorder (CUD) and gambling disorder (GD) patients with and without lifetime alcohol-use disorders (AUDs)
Figure 3 shows individual partial volume estimates for primary fibers (PVE1; left) and secondary fibers (PVE2; right) within the corpus genu. No differences in anisotropy were found among CUD patients with and without lifetime AUDs. Primary fiber PVEs were decreased and secondary fiber PVEs were increased among GD patients with a history of AUDs in comparison to those without. AUD+ = lifetime alcohol-use-disorder; AUD− = no lifetime alcohol-use-disorder; n.s.=not significant; **p≤.01; *p<.05
Figure 3
Figure 3. Anisotropy of primary (PVE1) and secondary (PVE2) fibers for cocaine-use disorder (CUD) and gambling disorder (GD) patients with and without lifetime alcohol-use disorders (AUDs)
Figure 3 shows individual partial volume estimates for primary fibers (PVE1; left) and secondary fibers (PVE2; right) within the corpus genu. No differences in anisotropy were found among CUD patients with and without lifetime AUDs. Primary fiber PVEs were decreased and secondary fiber PVEs were increased among GD patients with a history of AUDs in comparison to those without. AUD+ = lifetime alcohol-use-disorder; AUD− = no lifetime alcohol-use-disorder; n.s.=not significant; **p≤.01; *p<.05
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