Effects of Methamphetamine on Within- and Between-Network Connectivity in Healthy Adults

Methamphetamine (MA) abuse remains an urgent public health problem. Understanding how the drug affects brain function will help to identify how it leads to abuse and dependence. Previous studies indicate that MA and other stimulants have complex effects on resting state functional connectivity. Here, we used a hypothesis-free approach to examine the acute effects of MA (20 mg oral) versus placebo on neural connectivity in healthy adults. Using networks identified by an independent component analysis with placebo data, we examined the effects of MA on connectivity within and between resting state networks. The drug did not significantly alter connectivity within networks. MA did alter connectivity between some networks: it increased connectivity between both the thalamus and cerebellum to sensorimotor and middle temporal gyrus. However, MA decreased connectivity between sensorimotor and middle temporal gyrus networks. MA produced its expected subjective effects, but these were not significantly related to connectivity. The findings extend our knowledge of how MA affects connectivity, by reporting that it affects between-network connectivity but not within-network connectivity. Future studies with other behavioral measures may reveal relationships between the neural and behavioral actions of the drug.