Brain connectivity could predict adolescent substance use risk

Brain connectivity could predict adolescent substance use risk

Adolescent substance use is a significant predictor of future addiction and related disorders. Understanding the neural mechanisms that initiate substance use and underlie frequency during adolescence is critical for early prevention and intervention. A novel study inBiological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimagingpublished by Elsevier, shows that by tracking year-to-year changes in cognitive control, the ability to use goals flexibly to guide behavior and overcome habitual responses predicts when an adolescent is at high risk for substance use, an important message for early prevention.

Lead investigator Jungmeen Kim-Spoon, PhD, Department of Psychology and School of Neuroscience, Virginia Tech, says,"Beginning to use substances at a young age can significantly increase the risk of later life problems later in life. This can lead to major challenges in relationships, work and general wellbeing.By identifying the risk of early substance use, we can improve our chances of preventing it and helping individuals avoid these challenges.“

To clarify brain mechanisms that prospectively predict the initiation and progression of substance use, the current study examined the trajectories of functional connectivity during cognitive control associated with substance use. For seven years, researchers followed 91 adolescents ages 14 to 21 who had never used substances at the start of this longitudinal study to identify potential neural precursors that predict initiation and frequency of substance use. Cognitive control processes were examined using the Multi-Source Interference Task (MSIT) to assess functional neural connectivity. A questionnaire assessed substance use frequency.

Results show that brain connectivity related to cognitive control predicted substance use initiation, while cognitive control behavior did not.

Co-investigator Tae-Ho Lee, PhD, Department of Psychology and School of Neuroscience, Virginia Tech, explains,“Our study It showed that neural recruitment from the salience network (brain regions used to detect and respond to stimuli) during the cognitive control process, particularly the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (DACC) and anterior insula (AINs), can predict future substance use in adolescents before they actually use substances. “

Co-investigator Ya-yun Chen, MS, Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, adds,"Specifically, greater connectivity between the DACC and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex was associated with the onset of delayed substance use, and this connectivity pattern showed a significant decrease one year before the initiation of substance use. In contrast to lower connectivity of the DACC -connectivity of the DACC -DACC area to the supplementary motor area as well as increased connectivity of the AIN to the dorsal medial prefire cortical area.

Editor-in-Chief ofBiological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and NeuroimagingCameron S. Carter, MD, University of California Irvine, Comments,"Adolescence is an important period characterized by increased susceptibility to risk-taking behaviors, which have implications for substance use. National data indicate that approximately 68% of individuals aged 12 to 17 in the United States reported initiating the use of substances such as cigarettes, alcohol, or marijuana in the past year. In light of these statistics, identifying neurodevelopmental precursors linked to the risk of early substance use and heavy use during adolescence becomes critically important.

Dr. Kim Spoon concludes,"Our study highlights the critical role of cognitive control-related neural connectivity in predicting substance use initiation and frequency during adolescence. The results imply that efforts to strengthen and monitor the development of top-down cognitive control systems in the brain may potentially serve as a preliminary adolescence predictor when targeting interoceptive processes as part of cognitive control training."

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