Enlarged cerebrospinal fluid spaces in opiate-dependent male patients: A stereological CT study

Danos, Peter; Van Roos, Dirk; Kasper, Siegfried; Brömel, Thomas; Broich, Karl; Krappel, Christian; Solymosi, Lazslo and Möller, Hans-Jürgen (1998): Enlarged cerebrospinal fluid spaces in opiate-dependent male patients: A stereological CT study. In: Neuropsychobiology, No. 2: pp. 80-83

Abstract

Computed tomography was performed in 9 male patients with a diagnosis of opiate dependence and in 9 age-matched psychiatric controls (neurotic depression). Patients with a history or diagnosis of another substance dependence (alcohol, cocaine, cannabis) were excluded from the study. The volumes of internal and external components of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were measured with a point-counting stereological method. Analysis of variance with age as a covariate revealed a significant enlargement of external and external CSF spaces in male patients with opiate dependence. There was no significant correlation between the length of opiate dependence and the volumes of internal and external CSF spaces. The present results suggest that opiate dependence is associated with structural brain alterations. However, the relationship between opiate dependence and structural brain changes is complex and still not well understood.

• Item Type: Journal article
• Form of publication: Publisher's Version
• Faculties: Medicine
• Subjects: 600 Technology > 610 Medicine and health
• ISSN: 0302-282X
• Alliance/National Licence: This publication is with permission of the rights owner freely accessible due to an Alliance licence and a national licence (funded by the DFG, German Research Foundation) respectively.
• Language: English