The pMRI produces electronic images of the brain structure in order to measure the amount of blood flow in certain regions of the brain.
The neurocognitive effects of methamphetamine abuse are generally measured using a variety of neuropsychological test batteries. The tests are designed to measure a variety of cognitive functioning skills that include attention, concentration, working and verbal memory, learning, visuospatial ability, executive systems functioning, information storage and recall, task shifting strategies, and abstract reasoning (Kalechstein et al., 2003; Nordahl et al., 2003; Swan, 2003; & Volkow et al., 2001a). The cognitive functioning skills of the most concern in methamphetamine abusers are those related to attention and memory. Neuropsychological tests that focus on response inhibition, distractibility, reaction times, and word recall are commonly used to measure these cognitive functions. Researchers compare the performance of methamphetamine abusers to the performance of a control group composed of non-abusers. The results are analyzed in order to determine if any significant differences are present. Researchers make associations about regions of the brain cognitively impaired by repeated exposure to methamphetamine that are responsible for the differences in performance.
The abuse of methamphetamine is associated with functional changes in certain regions of the brain, including those that do not involve neurotransmitter activity. Volkow et al. (2001b) identifies the parietal cortex, striatum, and thalamus as areas of the brain susceptible to long-lasting changes in metabolism due to methamphetamine abuse. Damage to certain areas of the brain, along with the depletion of dopamine neurotransmitters, can lead to psychomotor impairments similar to those seen with Parkinson's disease. A research study conducted by T. Guilarte (2001) investigated the possibility that chronic methamphetamine abuse may predispose people to developing Parkinson's disease due to the depletion of dopamine.