Abstract Crack-cocaine offers a higher risk of abuse than intranasal and intravenous use of cocaine. Yet, current treatments remain disappointing and our understanding of the mechanism of crack-cocaine neurotoxicity is still incomplete. Magnetic resonance images studies on brain changes of crack-cocaine addicts show divergent data. The present study investigated gray matter (GM) abnormalities in crack-cocaine dependents (n=18) compared to healthy controls (n=17). MRI data was analysed using FreeSurfer and voxel-based morphometry (VBM). FreeSurfer analysis showed that CD had decreased cortical thickness (CT) in the left inferior temporal cortex (lTC), left orbitofrontal cortex (lOFC) and left rostro frontal cortex (lRFC), enlargement in left inferior lateral ventricle, and smaller GM volume in right hippocampus and right ventral diencephalon. VBM analysis showed that CD had significantly decreased GM volume in left Putamen and left nucleus accumbens. Furthermore, we found a negative correlation between duration of crack-cocaine use and lTC CT. These results provide compelling evidence for GM abnormalities in CD and also suggest that duration of crack-cocaine use may be associated with CT alterations.

中文翻译：

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男性快克可卡因使用者的皮质厚度和皮质下体积异常

摘要 快克可卡因比鼻内和静脉内使用可卡因具有更高的滥用风险。然而，目前的治疗方法仍然令人失望，我们对快克可卡因神经毒性机制的理解仍然不完整。对可卡因成瘾者大脑变化的磁共振图像研究显示出不同的数据。本研究调查了与健康对照 (n=17) 相比，可卡因依赖者 (n=18) 的灰质 (GM) 异常。使用 FreeSurfer 和基于体素的形态测量 (VBM) 分析 MRI 数据。FreeSurfer 分析显示 CD 的左下颞叶皮层 (lTC)、左眶额皮层 (lOFC) 和左额叶皮层 (lRFC) 的皮质厚度 (CT) 减少，左下侧脑室扩大，右侧 GM 体积更小海马体和右腹间脑。VBM 分析表明，CD 显着降低了左侧壳核和左侧伏隔核的 GM 体积。此外，我们发现可卡因使用持续时间与 lTC CT 之间呈负相关。这些结果为 CD 中的 GM 异常提供了令人信服的证据，并且还表明使用可卡因的持续时间可能与 CT 改变有关。