Total hypothalamic volume is reduced in postmortem brains of male heroin addicts

Müller, Ulf J.; Schiltz, Kolja; Mawrin, Christian; Dobrowolny, Henrik; Frodl, Thomas; Bernstein, Hans-Gert; Bogerts, Bernhard; Truebner, Kurt and Steiner, Johann (2018): Total hypothalamic volume is reduced in postmortem brains of male heroin addicts. In: European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience, Vol. 268, No. 3: pp. 243-248

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.

• Item Type: Journal article
• Faculties: Medicine
• Subjects: 600 Technology > 610 Medicine and health
• ISSN: 0940-1334
• Language: English