Prohedonic properties of gamma-hydroxybutyrate are associated with changes in limbic resting-state functional connectivity

Objective: Gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) is an endogenous GHB-/GABA-B receptor agonist and a narcolepsy treatment. However, GHB is also abused for its prohedonic effects. On a neuronal level, it was shown that GHB increases regional cerebral blood flow in limbic areas such as the right anterior insula (rAI) and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). We aimed to further explore the association between the subjective and neuronal signatures of GHB. Method: We assessed subjective effects and resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) of an rAI- and an ACC-seed in 19 healthy male subjects after GHB (35mg/kg p.o.) using a placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized, cross-over functional magnet resonance imaging design. Results: GHB increased subjective ratings for euphoria (p&nbsp