Abstract
The hypothalamus is at the core of the stress responses systems of the brain. Most interestingly, even though changes of HPA-function have been observed in opiate addiction not much is known about structural changes of the hypothalamus. Volumes of hypothalamus in heroin addicts (n = 14) and healthy controls (n = 12) were assessed by using morphometry of serial whole-brain sections. Total brain volume was larger in the heroin group (mean 1478.85 +/- 62.34 cm(3) vs. mean 1352.38 +/- 103.24 cm(3)), as the heroin group was more than 10 years younger (p = 0.001). Thus, diagnosis-related effects in the hypothalamus were assessed using the hypothalamus volume relative to whole brain volume showing reduced volumes of the hypothalamus in the heroin group (0.201 +/- 0.074 x 10(-3) vs. 0.267 +/- 0.048 x 10(-3);ANOVA: F(1,23) = 6.211, p = 0.020) with a strong hemispheric effect (left side: about 20% reduction 0.209 +/- 0.080 x 10(-3) vs. 0.264 +/- 0.049 x 10(-3);F = 4.109;p = 0.054;right side: about 27% reduction, 0.198 +/- 0.069 x 10(-3) vs. 0.271 +/- 0.050 x 10(-3);F = -8.800;p = 0.007). Our results provide further evidence for structural and not only functional deficits of the hypothalamus in addiction.
Dokumententyp: | Zeitschriftenartikel |
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Fakultät: | Medizin |
Themengebiete: | 600 Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften > 610 Medizin und Gesundheit |
ISSN: | 0940-1334 |
Sprache: | Englisch |
Dokumenten ID: | 63475 |
Datum der Veröffentlichung auf Open Access LMU: | 19. Jul. 2019, 12:13 |
Letzte Änderungen: | 04. Nov. 2020, 13:41 |