Multi-dimensional Assessments for Heroin Users: Craving, Brain Morphology and Brain Functional Connectivity / 海洛因使用者多向度評估:渴癮、腦部形態學與功能性連結

博士 / 高雄醫學大學 / 臨床醫學研究所博士班 / 106 / Because of its high addictive property, heroin is one of the most worldwide used illicit drugs. Heroin use disorder is considered as a chronic relapsing brain disorder and creates a major public health problem. We tried to explore the entity of heroin use disorder with two perspectives by different means.
The first part of the study aimed to examine the psychometrics of the Desire for Drug Questionnaire-Chinese Mandarin version (DDQ-CM) and its clinical utility of assessing craving for heroin measured among heroin users with methadone maintenance treatment (MMT). Self-reported craving for heroin use was measured on the DDQ-CM and visual analog scale among 314 intravenous heroin users receiving MMT. Self-reported heroin dependence, attitude toward heroin use, readiness to change heroin use, and depression were collected. The results revealed that although the original three-factor model was acceptable for applying the DDQ-CM for heroin users with MMT, only the concurrent validity of the subscales of Desire and Intention and Negative Reinforcement was supported but not that of Control. Meanwhile, the levels of craving on the subscales of Desire and Intention and of Negative Reinforcement on the DDQ-CM were positively associated with the levels of heroin dependence, positive and negative attitudes toward heroin use, and depression, but negatively associated with readiness to change heroin use.
The Second part of this study evaluated the alteration of gray matter volume (GMV) and its resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) among male heroin users. Thirty heroin-dependent men undergoing methadone maintenance therapy and 30 educational-level- and age-matched male controls were recruited for this study. To assess their GMV and rsFC, the participants were evaluated using spoiled gradient echo and gradient-recalled echo planar imaging sequences with 3-Tesla General Electric MR scanner under resting state. The results showed that the heroin-dependent men had lower GMV over the right DLPFC in comparison with the controls. Further evaluation of the rsFC of the right DLPFC revealed a marked decrease in interhemispheric DLPFC connectivity among those with heroin dependence under control of head movement and GMV of the right DLPFC. As the DLPFC plays an imperative role in various domains of cognitive function, service providers for heroin users should consider the impacts of possible DLPFC-related cognitive deficits on treatment effectiveness.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:TW/106KMC05521013
Date January 2018
CreatorsHuang-Chi Lin, 林皇吉
ContributorsCheng-Fang Yen, 顏正芳
Source SetsNational Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations in Taiwan
Languagezh-TW
Detected LanguageEnglish
Type學位論文 ; thesis
Format77

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