CEREBRAL CT FINDINGS IN MALE OPIOID-DEPENDENT PATIENTS - STEREOLOGICAL, PLANIMETRIC AND LINEAR MEASUREMENTS

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) space enlargement has been demonstrated in s ubstance-related disorders like alcohol and cocaine dependence. Experi mental animal studies showed a reduction in shape and size of mesolimb ic dopaminergic neurons after chronic morphine administration. Other s tudies indicated a change of neurofilament and glial fibrillary acid p roteins after chronic opiate administration. Furthermore, frequent ove rdosing and toxicological effects of 'street'-heroin may lead to CSF s pace enlargement in opioid dependence. In our study the pericortical a nd ventricular CSF space of 21 male opioid-dependent patients was comp ared with an age- and sex-matched normal control group. Considering se rious problems with ratio and proportion measures, we used a battery o f linear (cella media index, Huckman number, frontal horn index), plan imetric (cortical atrophy score) and stereological volumetric measures in order to detect differences in cranial computerized tomography sca ns. We found a significant ventricular and cortical volume loss of the brain in opioid-dependent patients. A higher degree of frontal lobe v olume loss seemed to be associated with a shorter period of abstinence before relapse. However, the etiology of volume loss of the brain in opioid-dependent patients is still unclear, but experimental animal st udies provide some evidence that long-term, chronic opiate exposure is associated with visible changes of specific structures in the brain. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.