Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37148676›Full record

SynthesisDrug and alcohol dependence2023

Spectroscopic meta-analyses reveal novel metabolite profiles across methamphetamine and cocaine substance use disorder.

Jason Smucny, Richard J Maddock

Open access · greenAbstract readMeta-AnalysisReview
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Drug and alcohol dependence, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.6field-weighted citation impact, top 17% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 7 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Interpol review of forensic drug chemistry, 2022-2025.Forensic science international. Synergy · 2026
    Review
  3. Cue-elicited prefrontal gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) dynamics in cannabis use disorder.Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2026
    Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Neuroimaging Biomarkers in Addiction.medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences · 2024
    Article
  7. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

2 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Jason SmucnyDepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, USA. Electronic address: jsmucny@ucdavis.edu.
Richard J MaddockDepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, USA.
University of California, Davis · US

Funding

Effects of DLPFC tDCS on Cognition, Oscillations and GABA Levels in SchizophreniaR01MH119546 · NIMH · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-IRVINE · PI CARTER, CAMERON S. · 2019 to 2023
$2.6M
Predictive Markers and Mechanisms of Persistent Psychotic-like Experiences in Children: An Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development Study AnalysisK01MH125096 · NIMH · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT DAVIS · PI SMUCNY, JASON · 2021 to 2025
$872k
NIMH NIH HHS K01 MH125096NIMH NIH HHS R01 MH119546
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAlthough proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) has been used to study metabolite alterations in stimulant (methamphetamine and cocaine) substance use disorders (SUDs) for over 25 years, data-driven consensus regarding the nature and magnitude of these alterations is lacking.

methodIn this meta-analysis, we examined associations between SUD and regional metabolites (N-acetyl aspartate (NAA), choline, myo-inositol, creatine, glutamate, and glutamate+glutamine (glx)) in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), frontal white matter (FWM), occipital cortex, and basal ganglia as measured by 1 H-MRS. We also examined moderating effects of MRS acquisition parameters (echo time (TE), field strength), data quality (coefficient of variation (COV)), and demographic/clinical variables.

resultsA MEDLINE search revealed 28 articles that met meta-analytic criteria. Significant effects included lower mPFC NAA, higher mPFC myo-inositol, and lower mPFC creatine in SUD relative to people without SUD. mPFC NAA effects were moderated by TE, with larger effects at longer TEs. For choline, although no group effects were observed, effect sizes in the mPFC were related to MRS technical indicators (field strength, COV). No effects of age, sex, primary drug of use (methamphetamine vs. cocaine), duration of use, or duration of abstinence were observed. Evidence for moderating effects of TE and COV may have implications for future MRS studies in SUDs.

conclusionsThe observed metabolite profile in methamphetamine and cocaine SUD (lower NAA and creatine with higher myo-inositol) parallels that observed in Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment, suggesting these drugs are associated with neurometabolic differences similar to those characterizing these neurodegenerative conditions.

Indexed as

MethamphetamineSubstance-Related DisordersBrainCholineCreatineGlutamic AcidHumansInositolMagnetic Resonance SpectroscopyCholineCreatineGlutamic AcidInositolMethamphetamineCholineMRSMyo-inositolNAAN-acetyl-aspartateSpectroscopy

Identifiers

PMID37148676
PMCPMC11187716
OpenAlexW4367043755

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.