Podcast: Vascular Injury Fuels Stimulant Addiction

Burrows et al. looked at people with stimulant use disorder (SUD), such as methamphetamine or amphetamine addiction, to better understand how drug use affects both the immune system and the brain. People with SUD showed higher levels of an inflammatory marker (sICAM-1), in their blood compared to those without SUD. Using brain scans (fMRI), researchers found that higher inflammation was linked to reduced activity in the brain’s reward center (nucleus accumbens) during anticipation of rewards and increased amygdala activity during attention to bodily sensations. These findings suggest that inflammation may contribute to altered reward and emotional processing in SUD. Targeting inflammatory pathways could represent a novel strategy for improving treatment outcomes.

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LEANDRA FIGUEROA-HALL,
​Principal Investigator