White-Matter Deficits Found in Codeine-Containing Cough Syrup Users

A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study of chronic users of codeine-containing cough syrups (CCS) has found deficits in specific regions of brain white matter and linked these changes with increased impulsivity in codeine-containing cough syrup users. These findings were consistent with findings from earlier research of heroin and cocaine addicts. White matter disruptions also correlated with the duration of CCS use.

Researchers used MR diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), combined with fractional anisotropy, to study the white matter integrity of chronic CCS users. Deficits were discovered in multiple regions of the brain, including the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, which other studies have found to be abnormal in other forms of addiction, such as addiction to the Internet, alcohol, and heroin.

The researchers, from the department of medical imaging of the First Affiliated Hospital of Gannan Medical University (Ganzhou, China), and the departments of medical imaging and interventional radiology, Cancer Center, Sun Yat-Sen University (Guangzhou, China), reported that the white matter deficits in CCS users also correlated with increased impulsivity characteristics in the study subjects, as measured by the Barratt impulsiveness scale. These findings were consistent with the findings of earlier studies of heroin and cocaine addicts. White matter disruptions also correlated with the duration of CCS use.

Codeine-containing cough syrups have become one of the most widespread drugs of abuse in young people worldwide. Progressive alterations in the white matter of users' brains may cause greater impulsivity in CCS users.

The study’s findings were published August 2014 on the website of the American Journal of Neuroradiology (AJNR).

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