Functional near-infrared spectroscopy in addiction treatment: Preliminary evidence as a biomarker of treatment response

Abstract

There is growing evidence that there are functional changes in the brains of individuals with substance use disorders. Numerous studies utilizing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) have shown that drug cues elicit increased regional blood flow in reward-related brain areas among addicted participants that is not found among normal controls. This finding has prompted leading investigators to suggest fMRI might be useful as a diagnostic or prognostic biomarker of addiction severity. However, fMRI is too costly for routine use in most treatment facilities. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRs) offers an alternative neuroimaging modality that is safe, affordable, and patient-friendly. This manuscript reviews evidence that fNIRs can be used to differentiate prefrontal cortical responses of current alcohol dependent participants from alcohol dependent patients in treatment for 90-180 days. Differential responses to both alcohol and natural reward cues in both groups suggests fNIRs might serve as a clinic-friendly neuroimaging technology to inform clinical practice. © 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.