%0 Journal Article
%A Todd, Gabrielle
%A Noyes, Carolyn
%A Flavel, Stanley C
%A Della Vedova, Chris B
%A Spyropoulos, Peter
%A Chatterton, Barry
%A Berg, Daniela
%A White, Jason M
%T Illicit stimulant use is associated with abnormal substantia nigra morphology in humans.
%J PLOS ONE
%V 8
%N 2
%@ 1932-6203
%C San Francisco, California, US
%I PLOS
%M DZNE-2020-03152
%P e56438
%D 2013
%X Use of illicit stimulants such as methamphetamine, cocaine, and ecstasy is an increasing health problem. Chronic use can cause neurotoxicity in animals and humans but the long-term consequences are not well understood. The aim of the current study was to investigate the long-term effect of stimulant use on the morphology of the human substantia nigra. We hypothesised that history of illicit stimulant use is associated with an abnormally bright and enlarged substantia nigra (termed ‘hyperechogenicity’) when viewed with transcranial sonography. Substantia nigra morphology was assessed in abstinent stimulant users (n = 36; 31±9 yrs) and in two groups of control subjects: non-drug users (n = 29; 24±5 yrs) and cannabis users (n = 12; 25±7 yrs). Substantia nigra morphology was viewed with transcranial sonography and the area of echogenicity at the anatomical site of the substantia nigra was measured at its greatest extent. The area of substantia nigra echogenicity was significantly larger in the stimulant group (0.273±0.078 cm2) than in the control (0.201±0.054 cm2; P<0.001) and cannabis (0.202±0.045 cm2; P<0.007) groups. 53
%K Adolescent
%K Adult
%K Central Nervous System Stimulants: poisoning
%K Cocaine: poisoning
%K Drug Users
%K Humans
%K Methamphetamine: poisoning
%K Middle Aged
%K N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine: poisoning
%K Reproducibility of Results
%K Substantia Nigra: diagnostic imaging
%K Substantia Nigra: drug effects
%K Surveys and Questionnaires
%K Ultrasonography, Doppler, Transcranial: methods
%K Young Adult
%K Central Nervous System Stimulants (NLM Chemicals)
%K Methamphetamine (NLM Chemicals)
%K Cocaine (NLM Chemicals)
%K N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (NLM Chemicals)
%F PUB:(DE-HGF)16
%9 Journal Article
%$ pmid:23418568
%2 pmc:PMC3572078
%R 10.1371/journal.pone.0056438
%U https://pub.dzne.de/record/136830