Methamphetamine Use Disorder

Following comprehensive neurocognitive reviews, recent brain imaging studies have made significant progress in our understanding of the neural processes underlying chronicity and abstinence in those with methamphetamine use disorder (MUD). Structural and functional brain imaging modalities, such as magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI, fMRI), diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), voxel-based morphometry (VBM), positron emission tomography (PET), single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), functional near infra-red spectroscopy (fNIRS) and electroencephalography (EEG) have highlighted brain areas vulnerable to MUD-related disruption. In the present systematic review, a total of n = 743 studies were found in initial searches (fMRI n = 232; MRI n = 250; DTI n = 20; PET n = 113; SPECT n = 33; fNIRS n = 7; EEG n = 88). After exclusions, n = 8 studies were identified that contributed to a review of studies within the last 12 months. Broadly, corticolimbic brain areas (incorporating dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, dorsal and ventral striatum, hippocampus, insular cortex, cerebellum and brainstem neuromodulatory dopaminergic and glutamatergic systems) demonstrate disruption, with implications for cognitive deficits in working memory, response inhibition, delay discounting, decision-making, dysfunctional interoceptive awareness, altered reward and emotion processing. The review highlights new insights to update treatment interventions for adults with MUD.