Chronic heroin use disorder and the brain : current evidence and future implications
Abstract
The incidence of chronic heroin use disorder, including overdose deaths, has reached epidemic proportions. Here we summarise and evaluate our knowledge of the relationship between chronic heroin use disorder and the brain through a narrative review. A broad range of areas was considered including causal mechanisms, cognitive and neurological consequences of chronic heroin use and novel neuroscience-based clinical interventions. Chronic heroin use is associated with limited or very limited evidence of impairments in memory, cognitive impulsivity, non-planning impulsivity, compulsivity and decision-making. Additionally, there is some evidence for certain neurological disorders being caused by chronic heroin use, including toxic leukoencephalopathy and neurodegeneration. However, there is insufficient evidence on whether these impairments and disorders recover after abstinence. Whilst there is a high prevalence of comorbid psychiatric disorders, there is no clear evidence that chronic heroin use per se causes depression, bipolar disorder, PTSD and/or psychosis. Despite the growing burden on society from heroin use, knowledge of the long-term effects of chronic heroin use disorder on the brain remains limited. Nevertheless, there is evidence for progress in neuroscience-based interventions being made in two areas: assessment (cognitive assessment and neuroimaging) and interventions (cognitive training/remediation and neuromodulation). Longitudinal studies are needed to unravel addiction and neurotoxic mechanisms and clarify the role of pre-existing psychiatric symptoms and cognitive impairments.
Citation
Tolomeo , S , Steele , J D , Ekhtiari , H & Baldacchino , A 2021 , ' Chronic heroin use disorder and the brain : current evidence and future implications ' , Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry , vol. 111 , 110148 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pnpbp.2020.110148
Publication
Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry
Status
Peer reviewed
ISSN
0278-5846Type
Journal article
Rights
Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. This work has been made available online in accordance with publisher policies or with permission. Permission for further reuse of this content should be sought from the publisher or the rights holder. This is the author created accepted manuscript following peer review and may differ slightly from the final published version. The final published version of this work is available at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pnpbp.2020.110148
Collections
Items in the St Andrews Research Repository are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.