About

Edythe D. London is a professor in the Pharmacology Department at the University of California, Los Angeles. She is a pioneer in brain imaging to study addiction, performing translational studies primarily using multi-modal brain imaging in human research participants, including molecular imaging with PET and MRS, as well as structural and functional MRI. Her research aims to elucidate neurochemical and circuit-level abnormalities that can inform evidence-based treatments for addiction. Her work has provided notable firsts, such as mapping drug-induced euphoria and drug craving in the human brain, visualizing the cerebral distributions of actions of abused drugs, and developing probes for external brain imaging. Her contributions to the development of radiotracers for human research have facilitated studies on addictions and other neuropsychiatric disorders. Focusing on corticostriatal circuitry, dopamine receptor signaling, and executive functioning, her recent work builds on her seminal findings of prefrontal cortical and cognitive deficits in cocaine users, providing potential therapeutic targets for addiction treatments and mechanisms by which dopaminergic neurotransmission modulates decision-making through an interactive frontostriatal system.

Research topics

• Psychology
• Medicine
• Neuroscience
• Internal medicine
• Chemistry

Selected publications

• Effects of Oral Contraceptive Pills on Brain Networks: A Conceptual Replication and Extension

  Human Brain Mapping · 2025-08-01 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  ABSTRACT Neuroimaging studies have reported that oral contraceptive pills (OCPs) alter brain connectivity, but findings have varied widely and are often derived from observational designs. Here, we used a randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled crossover design to test for conceptual replication of three prior studies and to explore broader network‐level effects of OCPs. Replication analyses largely did not confirm previously reported seed‐based connectivity changes in edges containing amygdala, putamen, or dorsal anterior cingulate nodes ( p s > 0.05). In the absence of a clear replication, we pursued exploratory analyses using functional connectome fingerprinting, a multivariate, data‐driven method that allows parsimonious interrogation of connectivity changes simultaneously across the whole by detecting whole‐brain connectivity patterns that distinguish individuals from one another. This approach revealed network‐level changes during OCP use, especially within subcortical, executive, and somatomotor circuits. OCPs also increased between‐subject similarity in functional connectomes ( I other , p FWE < 0.001), suggesting a loss of individual idiosyncrasy while using OCPs. Intraclass correlations indicated that idiosyncrasy was significantly lowered in the default mode, executive, limbic, salience, somatomotor, and subcortical networks (all p FWE < 0.05). Finally, changes in functional connectivity were significantly associated with increases in negative affect, with 13 connectivity edges showing significant ( p < 0.001) correlations with DRSP symptom scores. These findings suggest that OCPs induce widespread and individually meaningful alterations to brain network organization, which may underlie mood‐related side effects and should be considered in future neuroimaging research involving hormonal contraceptive users.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• The mesocorticolimbic system in stimulant use disorder

  Molecular Psychiatry · 2025-09-10 · 3 citations

  reviewOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  Stimulant Use Disorder (StUD) is a pervasive and extremely dangerous form of addiction for which there are currently no approved medications. Discovering treatments will require a deep understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying the behavioral effects of stimulant drugs. A major target is the mesocorticolimbic system. Individual differences in mesocorticolimbic function can influence the propensity to initiate stimulant use and the risk for stimulant use disorders. Since repeated stimulant use can further alter mesocorticolimbic function, these pathways may serve as a target for both early interventions aimed at preventing the onset of harmful stimulant use and treatments designed to alleviate addiction symptoms. Here we review evidence from studies in both humans and laboratory animals, focusing on the neurotransmitter systems most strongly implicated in StUD, primarily dopamine and, to a lesser extent, glutamate. We identify evidence of (i) complex, non-linear perturbations to mesocorticolimbic function related to stimulant use, and (ii) gaps in knowledge and opportunities for research to improve our understanding of the determinants and consequences of StUD.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Adjunctive Cannabidiol in Inpatient Buprenorphine Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder: A Pilot Randomized Trial

  Journal of Addiction Medicine · 2025-12-30

  article1st authorCorresponding

  OBJECTIVES: Despite the efficacy of medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), return to illegal opioid use remains common. Cannabidiol (CBD) may reduce craving and improve outcomes. This pilot trial evaluated the safety and preliminary efficacy of CBD as adjunctive therapy to buprenorphine in an inpatient setting. METHODS: Adults (≥18 years), who met DSM-5 criteria for opioid use disorder and were admitted to an inpatient addiction treatment center between May 2022 and March 2024, were enrolled in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Participants received oral CBD (600 mg/day) or placebo for 28 days alongside buprenorphine. Primary outcomes were safety and tolerability, monitored via adverse events and clinical laboratory tests. Efficacy was assessed as effects on opioid craving and withdrawal, and affective symptoms (anxiety, negative affect, and positive affect). RESULTS: Of 35 enrolled participants, 30 received at least one dose of study medication (CBD: n=18; placebo: n=12) and were included in the safety analysis. CBD was well tolerated; no serious adverse events or deaths occurred. Gastrointestinal symptoms occurred in both groups and were the most common adverse event. No significant pharmacokinetic interaction was observed between CBD and buprenorphine. Both groups showed reductions in opioid craving and negative affect over time, with mixed group-by time interactions (most favoring placebo, but cue-induced craving trending toward greater improvement with CBD). CONCLUSIONS: Adjunctive CBD was safe and well tolerated in combination with buprenorphine. No clear advantage over placebo was observed. Larger trials are needed to determine clinical utility in MOUD treatment.

  PublisherDOI

• Comparing neuromodulation targets to reduce cigarette craving and withdrawal: a randomized clinical trial

  Neuropsychopharmacology · 2025-04-25 · 7 citations

  articleOpen access

  Cigarette smoking remains the leading preventable cause of death, emphasizing the need for new therapeutics, such as repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). We tested the hypothesis that TMS to three targets would reduce cigarette craving and withdrawal by modulating connectivity within and between three canonical networks in a randomized clinical trial (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03827265). Participants (N = 72; DSM-5 tobacco use disorder, ≥1 year of daily smoking) received one session of TMS to hubs of canonical resting-state networks: the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), superior frontal gyrus (SFG), posterior parietal cortex (PPC), and area v5 (control). Self-reports (craving, withdrawal, and negative affect) and resting-state functional connectivity were measured before and after stimulation. SFG stimulation significantly reduced craving (95% CI, 0.0476-7.9559) and withdrawal (95% CI, 0.9225-8.1063) versus control, with larger effects in men (D = 0.59) than in women (D = 0.30). SFG stimulation did not change network connectivity, whereas dlPFC stimulation increased somatomotor, default mode, and dorsal attention network connectivity. No severe or unexpected treatment-related adverse events occurred. These findings suggest that SFG shows promise as a target for smoking-cessation treatment, especially for men. Further trials are warranted to confirm efficacy and develop imaging biomarkers for precision neuromodulation.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Molecular Neuroimaging in Substance Use Disorders

  2025-01-01

  book-chapter1st authorCorresponding

  Abstract This chapter describes the molecular neuroimaging techniques of positron emission tomography and single-photon emission tomography and the findings obtained in studies of chronic drug misuse and the behavioral states that perpetuate it. A deficit in the dopamine system, involving dopamine D2-type receptor availability, is common among drug use disorders. Studies of stimulant use disorders provide evidence for an imbalance between D2- and D1-type receptors, with links to impulsivity and cognitive deficits. Also common across addictions is a role of the orbitofrontal cortex in craving. More limited studies of serotonin and opioid systems show abnormalities in alcohol and stimulant use disorders that vary with duration of abstinence. Human molecular neuroimaging studies of opioid system markers, other than the μ-opioid receptor, and of other neurochemical and neuromodulatory systems are lacking. The field can benefit from large studies with standardization of methodology and from development of new radiolabeled probes for understudied systems.

  PublisherDOI

• 373. Cue Labeling Reduces Cigarette Craving and Associated Neural Activity

  Biological Psychiatry · 2025-12-17

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Abstract Cigarette craving, triggered by smoking-related cues, significantly contributes to resumption of smoking after cessation. This study investigated whether affect labeling, the cognitive technique of using words to regulate emotions, could be adapted to regulate cue-induced craving. Fifty adults who smoked cigarettes daily (24 women, ages 20–65) completed a novel Cue Labeling Task during fMRI. In this task, participants viewed cigarette-cue images under three conditions: cue matching (craving elicitation), cue labeling (experimental condition), and gender labeling (control). In a fourth condition, neutral matching (baseline), they matched neutral images with one another. Participants rated their cigarette craving in each condition. Relative to cue matching, cue labeling elicited lower craving ( p < 0.05, Hedges’ g = −0.11) and lower activation in the precuneus ( Z = −4.5, p corrected < 0.001), a region associated with craving in prior research and in the present study ( β = 0.43, p < 0.05). Age moderated these effects. In the older (but not younger) subsample (Johnson-Neyman age cutoff of 46.7 years), craving during cue labeling was lower than cue matching ( p < 0.05, g = −0.29) and similar to neutral matching ( p > 0.5). Greater age was also associated with lower precuneus activity during cue labeling versus cue matching ( Z = −3.8, p corrected < 0.001). Gender labeling did not significantly alter craving compared to cue matching ( p > 0.05, g = −0.13); and, although it led to lower precuneus activity ( Z = −5.5, p corrected < 0.001), activity in this region was lower during cue labeling than cue matching ( Z = −3.9, p corrected < 0.01). These findings suggest that cue labeling, a simple and scalable self-regulation strategy, may reduce cigarette craving and related neural activity, particularly among older midlife adults with nicotine addiction.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• CANNABIS AND TOBACCO CO-USE AND ITS ASSOCIATION WITH STRIATAL BRAIN MORPHOMETRY: LEVERAGING DATA FROM THE ENIGMA ADDICTION WORKING GROUP

  Drug and Alcohol Dependence · 2025-02-01

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Dopamine D2/D3 receptor availability and working memory in stimulant use disorder

  The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse · 2025-07-28 · 1 citations

  articleSenior author

  The findings suggest that the weakness in working memory in participants who use stimulants reflects a deficit in cortical D2/3 R signaling. Strategies to augment cortical D2/3 R signaling may enhance cognitive function to improve treatment response.

  PublisherDOI

• Comparing neuromodulation targets to reduce cigarette craving and withdrawal: A randomized clinical trial

  medRxiv · 2024-10-11 · 2 citations

  preprintOpen access

  Importance: Cigarette smoking remains the leading preventable cause of death worldwide, leading to development of new therapeutics, such as repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). Objective: To optimize treatment, we compared three TMS targets to evaluate the effects on cigarette craving and withdrawal, and on within- and between-network connectivity of the default mode, salience, and executive control networks. Design: Data were collected using a repeated-measures, crossover trial. Investigators were not blinded, nor were participants, who were aware of the location of the stimulating magnet but not which locations were designated as the control and experimental sites. Setting: Data were collected in a neuromodulation clinic within an academic medical center. Participants: Participants were men and women (44%) aged 21-45 (M = 33.3 years), who met DSM-5 criteria for tobacco use disorder and endorsed daily smoking for at least one year. Interventions: TMS was delivered to three neuroanatomical targets: dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), superior frontal gyrus (SFG), and posterior parietal cortex (PPC). Area v5 of the visual cortex served as an active control site. Participants were scanned with resting-state fMRI and completed behavioral assessments before and after TMS. Main Outcomes and Measures: Self-reports of craving, withdrawal, and negative affect were obtained, and resting-state functional connectivity of three canonical networks (executive control, default mode, and salience networks) was measured. Results: Seventy-two participants completed at least one data collection session, and 57 completed all 4, yielding 61, 60, 62, and 66 complete stimulation sessions to the dlPFC, SFG, PPC, and v5, respectively. Stimulation to the SFG significantly reduced craving (95% CI, 0.0476-7.9559) and withdrawal (95% CI, 0.9225-8.1063) more than control stimulation. Effect sizes were larger in men (up D = 0.59) than in women (up to D =0.30). Neither PPC nor control site stimulation significant effects on craving, withdrawal, or negative affect. Functional connectivity analyses revealed that SFG stimulation did not produce significant changes to the networks examined, whereas dlPFC stimulation led to increased connectivity between somatomotor, default mode, and dorsal attention networks. Conclusions and Relevance: The SFG appears to be a viable target for smoking-cessation treatment, especially for men, with possible advantages over dlPFC.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• EDDY LECTURE: WHAT HAS BRAIN IMAGING TAUGHT US ABOUT STIMULANT USE DISORDER

  Drug and Alcohol Dependence · 2024-07-01

  article1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• NIH Grant Z01DA000385

  NIH · $1.2M

• NIH Grant Z01DA000405

  NIH · $1.9M

• NIH Grant R01DA036487

  NIH · $1.5M · 2016

• NIH Grant R21DA040156

  NIH · $541k · 2017

• NIH Grant P20DA022539

  NIH · $6.4M · 2011

Frequent coauthors

• M. Mandelkern

  University of California, Irvine

  199 shared

• Alane S. Kimes

  National Institute on Drug Abuse

  179 shared

• Dara G. Ghahremani

  124 shared

• Alexey G. Mukhin

  Duke University

  115 shared

• Monique Ernst

  National Institutes of Health

  109 shared

• Arthur L. Brody

  University of California, San Diego

  100 shared

• John A. Matochik

  National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

  97 shared

• Angelica M. Morales

  Oregon Health & Science University

  95 shared

Education

• Doctor of Philosophy, Pharmacology and Toxicology

  University of Maryland, Baltimore