DRD2 methylation is associated with executive control network connectivity and severity of alcohol problems among a sample of polysubstance users.

Chronic exposure to alcohol and other drugs of abuse has been associated with deleterious consequences, including functional connectivity deficits within neural networks associated with executive control. Altered functional connectivity within the executive control network (ECN) might underlie the progressive inability to control consumption of alcohol and other drugs as substance use disorders progress. Genetic and epigenetic factors have been associated with substance use disorders (SUDs). For example, dopamine receptor 2 (DRD2) functioning has been associated with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and related phenotypes, including correlates of executive functioning. The present study aims to explore the relationship between a continuous measure of alcohol-related problems, epigenetic markers (methylation) within the DRD2 gene, and functional connectivity within the ECN among a sample of polysubstance users. A community sample of 658 subjects, whose consumption of alcohol, nicotine, and cannabis span across a spectrum of quantity and frequency of use, were obtained across previous studies in polysubstance using populations. Resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging was analyzed to identify intrinsic connectivity networks using a priori regions of interest. Methylation measurement of functionally relevant sites within the DRD2 gene was achieved via pyrosequencing. Regression-based models, including mediation and moderation models, tested the association between DRD2 methylation, functional connectivity within intrinsic neural networks (including the ECN), and severity of alcohol problems. Results suggest that average DRD2 methylation was negatively associated with right ECN (RECN) and left ECN (LECN) connectivity, but not associated with other networks tested, and DRD2 methylation was significantly associated with alcohol problems severity. Mediation models were not supported, although moderation models suggested that connectivity between edges within the RECN moderated the relationship between DRD2 methylation and AUD severity. Results support a theoretical model in which epigenetic factors are associated with neurobiological correlates of alcohol consumption among a sample of polysubstance users.

DRD2 promoter methylation and measures of alcohol reward: functional activation of reward circuits and clinical severity.

Studies have identified strong associations between D2 receptor binding potential and neural responses to rewarding stimuli and substance use. Thus, D2 receptor perturbations are central to theoretical models of the pathophysiology of substance dependence, and epigenetic changes may represent one of the fundamental molecular mechanisms impacting the effects of alcohol exposure on the brain. We hypothesized that epigenetic alterations in the promoter region of the dopamine D2 receptor (DRD2) gene would be associated with cue-elicited activation of neural reward regions, as well as severity of alcohol use behavior. The current study leveraged functional neuroimaging (fMRI) during an alcohol reward paradigm (n = 383) to test associations among DRD2 promoter methylation in peripheral tissue, signal change in the striatum during the presentation of alcohol cues, and severity of alcohol use disorder (AUD). Controlling for age, DRD2 promoter methylation was positively associated with responses to alcohol cues in the right accumbens (partial r = 0.144, P = 0.005), left putamen (partial r = 0.133, P = 0.009), right putamen (partial r = 0.106, P = 0.039), left caudate (partial r = 0.117, P = 0.022), and right caudate (partial r = 0.133, P = 0.009), suggesting that DRD2 methylation was positively associated with robust activation in the striatum in response to reward cues. DRD2 methylation was also positively associated with clinical metrics of AUD severity. Specifically, controlling for age, DRD2 methylation was associated with Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test total (partial r = 0.140, P = 0.002); Impaired Control Scale total (partial r = 0.097, P = 0.044) and Alcohol Dependence Scale total (partial r = 0.152, P = 0.001). Thus, DRD2 methylation may be a critical mechanism linking D2 receptors with functional striatal brain changes and clinical severity among alcohol users.

Striatal dopaminergic reward response relates to age of first drunkenness and feedback response in at-risk youth.

Dopamine receptor concentrations, primarily in the striatum, are hypothesized to contribute to a developmental imbalance between subcortical and prefrontal control systems in emerging adulthood potentially biasing motivation and increasing risky behaviors. Positron emission tomography studies have found significant reductions in striatal dopamine D2 receptors, and blunted amphetamine-induced dopamine release, in substance users compared with healthy controls. Extant literature is limited and inconsistent concerning vulnerability associated with having a family history of substance abuse (FH+). Some studies have reported familial liability associated with higher dopamine receptor levels, reduced dopamine response to stimulant challenges and decreased response to oral alcohol. However, other reports have failed to find group differences based on family history. We explored the interaction of familial liability and behavioral risk with multi-modal molecular and neural imaging of the dopaminergic system. Forty-four young adult male subjects performed monetary incentive delay tasks during both [11 C]raclopride positron emission tomography and functional magnetic resonance imaging scans. FH+ subjects were identified as low (n = 24) or high risk (n = 9) based on early initiation of drunkenness. FH+ high-risk subjects exhibited heightened striatal dopamine response to monetary reward but did not differ in neural activations compared with FH+ low risk subjects and controls with no familial loading (n = 11). Across all subjects, a negative relationship was found between dopamine release and age of first drunkenness and a positive relationship with neural response to reward receipt. These results suggest that in at-risk individuals, higher dopamine transmission associated with monetary reward may represent a particularly useful neurobiological phenotype.

Daily marijuana use is not associated with brain morphometric measures in adolescents or adults.

Recent research has suggested that marijuana use is associated with volumetric and shape differences in subcortical structures, including the nucleus accumbens and amygdala, in a dose-dependent fashion. Replication of such results in well controlled studies is essential to clarify the effects of marijuana. To that end, this retrospective study examined brain morphology in a sample of adult daily marijuana users (n = 29) versus nonusers (n = 29) and a sample of adolescent daily users (n = 50) versus nonusers (n = 50). Groups were matched on a critical confounding variable, alcohol use, to a far greater degree than in previously published studies. We acquired high-resolution MRI scans, and investigated group differences in gray matter using voxel-based morphometry, surface-based morphometry, and shape analysis in structures suggested to be associated with marijuana use, as follows: the nucleus accumbens, amygdala, hippocampus, and cerebellum. No statistically significant differences were found between daily users and nonusers on volume or shape in the regions of interest. Effect sizes suggest that the failure to find differences was not due to a lack of statistical power, but rather was due to the lack of even a modest effect. In sum, the results indicate that, when carefully controlling for alcohol use, gender, age, and other variables, there is no association between marijuana use and standard volumetric or shape measurements of subcortical structures.

Negative and interactive effects of sex, aging, and alcohol abuse on gray matter morphometry.

Chronic alcohol use is associated with declines in gray matter (GM) volume, as is the normal aging process. Less apparent, however, is how the interaction between aging and heavy alcohol use affects changes in GM across the lifespan. There is some evidence that women are more vulnerable to the negative effects of alcohol use on GM than men. In the current study, we examined whether localized GM was related to measures of alcohol use disorder (e.g., AUDIT score) in a large sample (N = 436) of participants, ages 18-55 years, with a range of disease severity, using both voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and surface-based morphometry (SBM). We also explored whether GM associations with alcohol use disorder (AUD) severity are moderated by sex and age. Results showed significant negative associations between AUD severity and GM volume throughout temporal, parietal, frontal, and occipital lobes. Women showed more negative effects of alcohol use than men for cortical thickness in left orbitofrontal cortex, but evidence for increased vulnerability based on sex was limited overall. Similarly, a specific age by alcohol use interaction was observed for volume of right insula, but other regional or global interactions were not statistically supported. However, significant negative associations between heavy alcohol use and GM volumes were observed as early as 18-25 years. These findings support that alcohol has deleterious effects on global and regional GM above and beyond age, and, of particular importance, that regional associations emerge in early adulthood. Hum Brain Mapp 37:2276-2292, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience of Adolescent Sexual Risk and Alcohol Use.

Human adolescents engage in very high rates of unprotected sex. This behavior has a high potential for unintended, serious, and sustained health consequences including HIV/AIDS. Despite these serious health consequences, we know little about the neural and cognitive factors that influence adolescents' decision-making around sex, and their potential overlap with behaviorally co-occurring risk behaviors, including alcohol use. Thus, in this review, we evaluate the developmental neuroscience of sexual risk and alcohol use for human adolescents with an eye to relevant prevention and intervention implications.

MEG Coherence and DTI Connectivity in mTLE.

Magnetoencephalography (MEG) is a noninvasive imaging method for localization of focal epileptiform activity in patients with epilepsy. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is a noninvasive imaging method for measuring the diffusion properties of the underlying white matter tracts through which epileptiform activity is propagated. This study investigates the relationship between the cerebral functional abnormalities quantified by MEG coherence and structural abnormalities quantified by DTI in mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (mTLE). Resting state MEG data was analyzed using MEG coherence source imaging (MEG-CSI) method to determine the coherence in 54 anatomical sites in 17 adult mTLE patients with surgical resection and Engel class I outcome, and 17 age- and gender- matched controls. DTI tractography identified the fiber tracts passing through these same anatomical sites of the same subjects. Then, DTI nodal degree and laterality index were calculated and compared with the corresponding MEG coherence and laterality index. MEG coherence laterality, after Bonferroni adjustment, showed significant differences for right versus left mTLE in insular cortex and both lateral orbitofrontal and superior temporal gyri (p < 0.017). Likewise, DTI nodal degree laterality, after Bonferroni adjustment, showed significant differences for right versus left mTLE in gyrus rectus, insular cortex, precuneus and superior temporal gyrus (p < 0.017). In insular cortex, MEG coherence laterality correlated with DTI nodal degree laterality ([Formula: see text] in the cases of mTLE. None of these anatomical sites showed statistically significant differences in coherence laterality between right and left sides of the controls. Coherence laterality was in agreement with the declared side of epileptogenicity in insular cortex (in 82 % of patients) and both lateral orbitofrontal (88 %) and superior temporal gyri (88 %). Nodal degree laterality was also in agreement with the declared side of epileptogenicity in gyrus rectus (in 88 % of patients), insular cortex (71 %), precuneus (82 %) and superior temporal gyrus (94 %). Combining all significant laterality indices improved the lateralization accuracy to 94 % and 100 % for the coherence and nodal degree laterality indices, respectively. The associated variations in diffusion properties of fiber tracts quantified by DTI and coherence measures quantified by MEG with respect to epileptogenicity possibly reflect the chronic microstructural cerebral changes associated with functional interictal activity. The proposed methodology for using MEG and DTI to investigate diffusion abnormalities related to focal epileptogenicity and propagation may provide a further means of noninvasive lateralization.

Reduced executive and default network functional connectivity in cigarette smokers.

Altered functional connectivity has been associated with acute and chronic nicotine use. Connectivity alterations, specifically in the right and left executive control networks (RECN/LECN) and the default mode network (DMN), may contribute to the addiction cycle. The objective of this study was to determine if executive control network (ECN) and DMN connectivity is different between non-smokers and smokers and whether reductions in connectivity are related to chronic cigarette use. The RECN, LECN, and DMN were identified in resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging data in 650 subjects. Analyses tested for group differences in network connectivity strength, controlling for age and alcohol use. There was a significant group effect on LECN and DMN connectivity strength with smokers (n = 452) having lower network strengths than non-smokers (n = 198). Smokers had lower connectivity than non-smokers associated with key network hubs: the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and parietal nodes within ECNs. Further, ECN connectivity strength was negatively associated with pack years of cigarette use. Our data suggest that chronic nicotine use negatively impacts functional connectivity within control networks that may contribute to the difficulty smokers have in quitting.

Reduced left executive control network functional connectivity is associated with alcohol use disorders.

BACKGROUND: Altered functional connectivity in critical networks has been associated with chronic alcohol abuse. In turn, changes in connectivity in executive control networks (ECNs) may undermine the ability to control alcohol consumption. It was hypothesized that network connectivity would be reduced in individuals with problematic alcohol use (ALC) compared with controls and that diminished network connectivity would be associated with greater failure to control drinking. METHODS: Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging was analyzed to identify 14 previously identified intrinsic connectivity networks (ICNs) using a priori regions of interest in cases ranging from binge drinkers to those with severe alcohol use disorder, as well as control subjects. Analyses tested for differences in network connectivity strength between 255 ALC cases and 87 age- and gender-matched controls. Further, structural equation analysis, using 383 ALC cases, tested whether functional connectivity strength mediated the relationship between years of regular drinking and alcohol problems. RESULTS: The age- and gender-matched analysis showed that ALC had significantly lower network connectivity strength than controls in the left executive control (LECN), basal ganglia, and primary visual networks. For all ALC, LECN connectivity strength is negatively correlated with failed control and alcohol disorder severity. Edges connecting parietal regions with dorsolateral prefrontal, middle frontal, and temporal regions within the LECN drove these relationships. A positive association between years of drinking and severity of alcohol problems was mediated by reduced ECN connectivity. CONCLUSIONS: This study reports relationships between network strength and problematic alcohol use, suggesting that chronic drinking negatively impacts brain connectivity, specifically in the LECN. Altered functional connectivity, related to chronic alcohol abuse, may contribute to the etiology of alcohol dependence and relapse.

Nucleus accumbens response to incentive stimuli anticipation in children of alcoholics: relationships with precursive behavioral risk and lifetime alcohol use.

Children of alcoholics (COAs) are at elevated risk to develop alcohol and other substance use disorders. The neurobiological underpinnings of this heightened vulnerability are presently not well understood. This study investigated whether, in humans, COAs have different functioning of the mesolimbic reward circuitry beyond previous substance use confounds and examined potential group differences in neural response in relation to alcohol use and behavioral risk. We studied 20 18- to 22-year-old COAs and 20 controls, developmentally well characterized for substance use and selected to match on sex, age, IQ, lifetime substance use and associated problems, and precursive (ages 12-14 years) externalizing behavioral risk. None met criteria for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV diagnosis. Neural responses to anticipation of reward and loss were assessed using functional magnetic resonance imaging during a monetary incentive delay task. Overall, COAs showed reduced ventral striatum activation during anticipation of monetary reward and loss compared with controls. However, additional analysis revealed that blunted nucleus accumbens (NAcc) response was only observed in COAs who have not demonstrated any problem drinking behavior. In addition, uniquely in COAs, NAcc activation was positively correlated with precursive externalizing risk, as well as current and lifetime alcohol consumption. These findings suggest a multilevel developmental process whereby lower precursive behavioral risk appears protective of later problem alcohol use in COAs, which is further associated with a blunted NAcc response to incentive anticipation, potentially reflecting a resilience mechanism. Moreover, the results suggest that a close association between motivational responses, alcohol consumption, and behavioral risk may underlie addiction vulnerability in COAs.

Associations between fractional anisotropy and problematic alcohol use in juvenile justice-involved adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Studies have shown associations between heavy alcohol use and white matter alterations in adolescence. Youth involved with the juvenile justice system engage in high levels of risk behavior generally and alcohol use in particular as compared to their non-justice-involved peers. OBJECTIVES: This study explored white matter integrity among justice-involved adolescents. Analyses examined fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) between adolescents with low and high levels of problematic alcohol use as assessed by the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). METHODS: Participants (N = 125; 80% male; 14-18 years) completed measures assessing psychological status and substance use followed by diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). DTI data for low (n = 51) and high AUDIT (n = 74) adolescents were subjected to cluster-based group comparisons on skeletonized FA and MD data. RESULTS: Whole-brain analyses revealed significantly lower FA in clusters in the right and left posterior corona radiata (PCR) and right superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) in the high AUDIT group, as well as one cluster in the right anterior corona radiata that showed higher FA in the high AUDIT group. No differences in MD were identified. Exploratory analyses correlated cluster FA with measures of additional risk factors. FA in the right SLF and left PCR was negatively associated with impulsivity. CONCLUSION: Justice-involved adolescents with alcohol use problems generally showed poorer FA than their low problematic alcohol use peers. Future research should aim to better understand the nature of the relationship between white matter development and alcohol use specifically as well as risk behavior more generally.

Resiliency in adolescents at high risk for substance abuse: flexible adaptation via subthalamic nucleus and linkage to drinking and drug use in early adulthood.

INTRODUCTION: The personality trait resiliency is the ability to flexibly adapt impulse control relative to contextual demand. Low resiliency has been linked to later alcohol/drug problems. The underlying psychological and neural mechanisms are unknown, but neurocomputational models suggested relations between resiliency and working memory. Cortical-striatal connectivity has been proposed to underlie adaptive switches between cautious and risky behaviors. METHODS: Working memory was probed in sixty-seven 18- to 22-year-olds from a larger community study of alcoholism, using the n-back task during functional magnetic resonance imaging. Functional connectivity between task-related regions was investigated with psychophysiological interaction analysis. Resiliency was measured in early teen years and related to early adulthood measures of drinking/drug use, task activation, and connectivity. Relationships with risk factors, including family history, age of drinking onset, and number of alcohol problems, were also investigated. RESULTS: Higher resiliency was related to lower levels of substance use, fewer alcohol problems, and better working memory performance. Whole-brain regression revealed resiliency negatively correlated with activation of subthalamic nucleus (STN) and pallidum during the n-back. High and Low resiliency quartile groups (n = 17 each) differed in coupling strength between STN and median cingulate cortex, a region of reduced activation during working memory. The high resiliency group had later onset of drinking, fewer alcohol problems, had used fewer illicit drugs, and were less likely to smoke cigarettes than their low resiliency counterparts. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that resiliency in early adolescence may protect against alcohol problems and drug use, although the direction of this effect is currently unknown. This protective factor may relate to executive functioning as supported by the finding of a neural link shared between resiliency and working memory in basal ganglia structures. The STN, a key basal ganglia structure, may adaptively link flexible impulse control with cognitive processing, potentially modulating substance use outcomes.

Evidence for a frontal cortex role in both auditory and somatosensory habituation: a MEG study.

Auditory and somatosensory responses to paired stimuli were investigated for commonality of frontal activation that may be associated with gating using magnetoencephalography (MEG). A paired stimulus paradigm for each sensory evoked study tested right and left hemispheres independently in ten normal controls. MR-FOCUSS, a current density technique, imaged simultaneously active cortical sources. Each subject showed source localization, in the primary auditory or somatosensory cortex, for the respective stimuli following both the first (S1) and second (S2) impulses. Gating ratios for the auditory M50 response, equivalent to the P50 in EEG, were 0.54+/-0.24 and 0.63+/-0.52 for the right and left hemispheres. Somatosensory gating ratios were evaluated for early and late latencies as the pulse duration elicits extended response. Early gating ratios for right and left hemispheres were 0.69+/-0.21 and 0.69+/-0.41 while late ratios were 0.81+/-0.41 and 0.80+/-0.48. Regions of activation in the frontal cortex, beyond the primary auditory or somatosensory cortex, were mapped within 25 ms of peak S1 latencies in 9/10 subjects during auditory stimulus and in 10/10 subjects for somatosensory stimulus. Similar frontal activations were mapped within 25 ms of peak S2 latencies for 75% of auditory responses and for 100% of somatosensory responses. Comparison between modalities showed similar frontal region activations for 17/20 S1 responses and for 13/20 S2 responses. MEG offers a technique for evaluating cross modality gating. The results suggest similar frontal sources are simultaneously active during auditory and somatosensory habituation.

The Impact of Combinations of Alcohol, Nicotine, and Cannabis on Dynamic Brain Connectivity.

Alcohol, nicotine, and cannabis are among the most commonly used drugs. A prolonged and combined use of these substances can alter normal brain wiring in different ways depending on the consumed cocktail mixture. Brain connectivity alterations and their change with time can be assessed using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) because of its spatial and temporal content. Here, we estimated dynamic functional network connectivity (dFNC) as derived from fMRI data to investigate the effects of single or combined use of alcohol, nicotine, and cannabis. Data from 534 samples were grouped according to their substance use combination as controls (CTR), smokers (SMK), drinkers (DRN), smoking-and-drinking subjects (SAD), marijuana users (MAR), smoking-and-marijuana users (SAM), marijuana-and-drinking users (MAD), and users of all three substances (ALL). The DRN group tends to exhibit decreased connectivity mainly in areas of sensorial and motor control, a result supported by the dFNC outcome and the alcohol use disorder identification test. This trend dominated the SAD group and in a weaker manner MAD and ALL. Nicotine consumers were characterized by an increment of connectivity between dorsal striatum and sensorimotor areas. Where possible, common and separate effects were identified and characterized by the analysis of dFNC data. Results also suggest that a combination of cannabis and nicotine have more contrasting effects on the brain than a single use of any of these substances. On the other hand, marijuana and alcohol might follow an additive effect trend. We concluded that all of the substances have an impact on brain connectivity, but the effect differs depending on the dFNC state analyzed.

Does incentive-elicited nucleus accumbens activation differ by substance of abuse? An examination with adolescents.

Numerous questions surround the nature of reward processing in the developing adolescent brain, particularly in regard to polysubstance use. We therefore sought to examine incentive-elicited brain activation in the context of three common substances of abuse (cannabis, tobacco, and alcohol). Due to the role of the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) in incentive processing, we compared activation in this region during anticipation of reward and loss using a monetary incentive delay (MID) task. Adolescents (ages 14-18; 66% male) were matched on age, gender, and frequency of use of any common substances within six distinct groups: cannabis-only (n=14), tobacco-only (n=34), alcohol-only (n=12), cannabis+tobacco (n=17), cannabis+tobacco+alcohol (n=17), and non-using controls (n=38). All groups showed comparable behavioral performance on the MID task. The tobacco-only group showed decreased bilateral nucleus accumbens (NAcc) activation during reward anticipation as compared to the alcohol-only group, the control group, and both polysubstance groups. Interestingly, no differences emerged between the cannabis-only group and any of the other groups. Results from this study suggest that youth who tend toward single-substance tobacco use may possess behavioral and/or neurobiological characteristics that differentiate them from both their substance-using and non-substance-using peers.

Preliminary functional MRI results from a combined stop-signal alcohol-cue task.

OBJECTIVE: Individuals suffering from alcohol use disorders tend to show impairments in inhibitory control, and these deficits may be exacerbated in the presence of craving-inducing alcohol cues. Imbalances between neural reward and control networks can influence the trajectory of alcohol use disorders such that individuals for whom the reward (craving) network strongly overpowers the control (inhibition) network tend to have worse outcomes. Brain activation related to inhibitory control can be examined using the stop-signal task (SST), which requires balancing speed and accuracy in the context of frequent go and infrequent stop stimuli. Further, brain areas related to cue-induced craving can be studied using visual cue tasks comparing neural responses to alcohol and control images. This study aims to explore the interaction of inhibitory control and cue-elicited craving using a single functional neuroimaging task. METHOD: We developed a novel task involving presentation of alcohol and control cues concurrently with a standard SST paradigm and administered it to 53 heavy drinkers (29 women). RESULTS: Successful response inhibition during alcohol compared to control picture trials was associated with significant activation in anterior cingulate, supplementary motor, and frontal inferior regions, and this activation was differentially related to alcohol use symptom severity across several self-report measures. CONCLUSIONS: RESULTS suggest that recruitment of compensatory error detection and inhibitory control resources may be required for successful inhibition in the presence of alcohol cues among more severe drinkers. These preliminary findings support the construct validity of the task and indicate several methodological alterations to the task's design that should be implemented in future studies.

Exploring the relationship of functional network connectivity to latent trajectories of alcohol use and risky sex.

Alcohol use is a major risk factor associated with unprotected sexual behavior, leading to higher risk of sexually transmitted infections (STI) including the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Emerging largely cross-sectional data suggest functional network connectivity strength is associated with problematic alcohol use, and as evidence supports a relationship between risky sexual behaviors and alcohol use, we hypothesized that functional connectivity might be associated with both categories of risk behavior. As part of a sexual risk reduction intervention study, juvenile justice-involved adolescents (N = 239) underwent a baseline functional magnetic resonance imaging scan and completed questionnaires about their alcohol use and risky sexual behavior at 3-month intervals over 12 months of follow up. To test both cross-sectional and longitudinal relationships between alcohol use and sexual risk behaviors, we estimated a parallel process latent growth model that simultaneously modeled the trajectories of alcohol use and sexual risk behavior. Functional connectivity strength was included as an exogenous variable to evaluate its relationship with level of risk and change in risk over time in both behaviors. Associations were found between baseline alcohol use and risky sex, and between longitudinal trajectories of alcohol use and risky sex. Network functional connectivity strength of the dorsal default mode network was associated with initial and longitudinal alcohol use, which may suggest that self-awareness of the effects of alcohol could serve as a useful target to decrease subsequent risky sexual behavior in adolescence.

Substance abuse risk in emerging adults associated with smaller frontal gray matter volumes and higher externalizing behaviors.

BACKGROUND: During emerging adulthood, alcohol and substance use peak. Previous research has suggested that prefrontal and subcortical brain volumes may relate to risk for development of substance abuse. Epidemiological studies indicate that early initiation of alcohol or drug use significantly increases the likelihood of later substance use disorder diagnoses. We hypothesized that frontal regions would be smaller in young adults with early substance use and related problems (early-risk, ER), compared with a control group without early use/problems (C). We further hypothesized that these volumes would be associated with more externalizing behaviors, an additional robust predictor of substance abuse. METHODS: One hundred and six subjects, ages 18-23, underwent high-resolution anatomical magnetic resonance image scanning. Individuals were categorized as C (n=64) or ER (n=42) using a composite-score of early alcohol/drug use and problems based on prospectively collected assessments; externalizing behaviors were also previously assessed during adolescence. Neuroanatomical volumes were compared between groups and correlated with behavioral measures. RESULTS: ER subjects exhibited more externalizing behaviors than their control counterparts. Total left frontal cortex and left superior frontal cortex volumes were significantly smaller in the ER group, controlling for family history of alcoholism and current substance use. Total gray matter volumes were negatively associated with substance risk score. Further, externalizing behavior score was negatively correlated with both left superior cortical and left total cortical volumes. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that smaller frontal cortical volumes, specifically the left superior frontal cortex, represent an underlying risk factor for substance abuse in emerging adults.

Relationship between impulsivity, prefrontal anticipatory activation, and striatal dopamine release during rewarded task performance.

Impulsivity, and in particular the negative urgency aspect of this trait, is associated with poor inhibitory control when experiencing negative emotion. Individual differences in aspects of impulsivity have been correlated with striatal dopamine D2/D3 receptor availability and function. This multi-modal pilot study used both positron emission tomography (PET) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to evaluate dopaminergic and neural activity, respectively, using modified versions of the monetary incentive delay task. Twelve healthy female subjects underwent both scans and completed the NEO Personality Inventory Revised to assess Impulsiveness (IMP). We examined the relationship between nucleus accumbens (NAcc) dopaminergic incentive/reward release, measured as a change in D2/D3 binding potential between neutral and incentive/reward conditions with [(11)C]raclopride PET, and blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) activation elicited during the anticipation of rewards, measured with fMRI. Left NAcc incentive/reward dopaminergic release correlated with anticipatory reward activation within the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), left angular gyrus, mammillary bodies, and left superior frontal cortex. Activation in the mPFC negatively correlated with IMP and mediated the relationship between IMP and incentive/reward dopaminergic release in left NAcc. The mPFC, with a regulatory role in learning and valuation, may influence dopamine incentive/reward release.

Effect of GABRA2 genotype on development of incentive-motivation circuitry in a sample enriched for alcoholism risk.

Heightened reactivity of the incentive-motivation system has been proposed to underlie adolescent-typical risky behaviors, including problem alcohol involvement. However, even in adolescence considerable individual variation in these behaviors exists, which may have genetic underpinnings and be related to variations in risk for later alcohol use disorder (AUD). Variants in GABRA2 have been associated with adult alcohol dependence as well as phenotypic precursors, including impulsiveness and externalizing behaviors. We investigated the impact of GABRA2 on the developmental trajectory of nucleus accumbens (NAcc) activation during anticipation of monetary reward from childhood to young adulthood. Functional MRI during a monetary incentive delay task was collected in 175 participants, with the majority (n = 151) undergoing repeated scanning at 1- to 2-year intervals. One group entered the study at age 8-13 years (n = 76) and another entered at age 18-23 years (n = 99). Most participants were children of alcoholics (79%) and thus at heightened risk for AUD. A total of 473 sessions were completed, covering ages 8-27 years. NAcc activation was heightened during adolescence compared with childhood and young adulthood. GABRA2 genotype (SNP rs279858) was associated with individual differences in NAcc activation specifically during adolescence, with the minor allele (G) associated with greater activation. Furthermore, NAcc activation mediated an effect of genotype on alcohol problems (n = 104). This work demonstrates an impact of GABRA2 genotype on incentive-motivation neurocircuitry in adolescence, with implications for vulnerability to alcoholism. These findings represent an important step toward understanding the genetic and neural basis of individual differences in how risk for addiction unfolds across development.