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Objective: To determine whether proton MRS (¹H MRS) can detect long-term metabolite abnormalities in abstinent methamphetamine users.

Background: Methamphetamine is toxic to dopaminergic and serotonergic neurons in rodents; however, little data are available on the toxic effects of methamphetamine on the human brain.

Methods: ¹H MRS was performed in 26 abstinent methamphetamine abusers with a history of methamphetamine dependence (median total cumulative lifetime exposure, 3,640 g; median recency of last methamphetamine use, 4.25 months) and 24 healthy subjects without a history of drug abuse. Cerebral metabolite concentrations on ¹H MRS were measured in the frontal cortex, frontal white matter, and basal ganglia.

Results: The concentration of N-acetylaspartate ([NA]), a neuronal marker, was reduced significantly (−5 to −6%) in the basal ganglia and frontal white matter of …