Diagnostic group differences and exploratory sex differences in intrinsic connectivity during fMRI Stroop in individuals with and without cocaine use disorder.

Sex-/gender-related differences in cognitive control and how they relate to addictions may inform novel treatment options. Cognitive control, including Stroop performance, has been linked to addictions and treatment outcomes. The extent to which women and men with cocaine use disorder (CUD) show brain and behavioral differences relating to Stroop performance has not been previously studied. We examined sex-related differences in Stroop-related brain connectivity in female and male CUD and healthy-comparison (HC) subjects. 40 individuals with CUD (20 female) and 40 HC (20 female) subjects matched on age, race, and ethnicity completed an fMRI Stroop task. Intrinsic connectivity distribution (ICD) and mean-adjusted ICD analyses were conducted to identify differences related to sex and diagnostic group. Stroop task performance was also considered. Behavioral results confirmed a Stroop effect. A main effect of diagnostic group indicated that the CUD versus HC group showed lower connectivity in the prefrontal cortex, frontal gyrus, cingulate gyrus, precuneus, cerebellum, and somatosensory, visual, and auditory areas. An exploratory main effect of sex suggested that males may show relatively lower connectivity than females in the cerebellum and brainstem, although connectivity was largely similar across sexes. Intrinsic connectivity during cognitive control varied by diagnostic group and possibly by sex. The findings suggest that interventions targeting cognitive control in CUD should consider sex. • Functional connectivity has previously been associated with cognitive control (Stroop performance). • Subjects displayed a 'Stroop effect' (slower reaction time to incongruent trials). • People with versus without CUD showed less frontal, parietal, and limbic connectivity. • Exploratory findings show lower cerebellar and brainstem connectivity in males than females. • Findings support cognitive control processes vary by group and possibly sex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]