Molecular Imaging of Opioid and Dopamine Systems: Insights Into the Pharmacogenetics of Opioid Use Disorders

Frontiers in Psychiatry

Danielle S. Kroll¹  Jamie A. Burns¹  Gene-Jack Wang¹  Peter Manza¹  Corinde E. Wiers¹  Dana E. Feldman¹  Christopher Kure Liu¹  Nora D. Volkow² 

[1] National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, United States;National Institute on Drug Abuse, Bethesda, MD, United States;

关键词: opioid use disorder;    neuroimaging;    genetics;    positron emission tomography;    PET;    polymorphism;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00626

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Opioid use in the United States has steadily risen since the 1990s, along with staggering increases in addiction and overdose fatalities. With this surge in prescription and illicit opioid abuse, it is paramount to understand the genetic risk factors and neuropsychological effects of opioid use disorder (OUD). Polymorphisms disrupting the opioid and dopamine systems have been associated with increased risk for developing substance use disorders. Molecular imaging studies have revealed how these polymorphisms impact the brain and contribute to cognitive and behavioral differences across individuals. Here, we review the current molecular imaging literature to assess how genetic variations in the opioid and dopamine systems affect function in the brain’s reward, cognition, and stress pathways, potentially resulting in vulnerabilities to OUD. Continued research of the functional consequences of genetic variants and corresponding alterations in neural mechanisms will inform prevention and treatment of OUD.

【 授权许可】

Unknown