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Almeida-Antunes N, Antón-Toro L, Crego A, Rodrigues R, Sampaio A, López-Caneda E. Trying to forget alcohol: Brain mechanisms underlying memory suppression in young binge drinkers. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2024; 134:111053. [PMID: 38871018 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2024.111053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 06/07/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024]
Abstract
People are able to voluntarily suppress unwanted thoughts or memories, a phenomenon known as suppression-induced forgetting or memory suppression. Despite harmful alcohol use, such as binge drinking, has been linked to impaired inhibitory control (IC) and augmented alcohol-cue reactivity, no study to date has assessed memory inhibition abilities towards alcohol-related cues in binge drinkers (BDs). Thus, the present preregistered study aimed to evaluate the behavioral and neurofunctional mechanisms associated with memory inhibition, specifically those related to the suppression of alcohol-related memories, in young BDs. For this purpose, electroencephalographic activity was recorded in eighty-two college students aged between 18 and 24 years old from the University of Minho (50% females; 40 non/low-drinkers [N/LDS] and 42 BDs) while they performed the Think/No-Think Alcohol task. Brain functional connectivity (FC) was calculated using the phase locking value and, subsequently, a dynamic seed-based analysis was conducted to explore the FC patterns between IC and memory networks. Comparatively to N/LDs, BDs exhibited decreased alpha-band FC between the anterior cingulate cortex and the left fusiform gyrus during attempts to suppress non-alcohol memories, accompanied by unsuccessful forgetting of those memories. Conversely, BDs displayed augmented gamma-band FC between the IC network and memory regions -i.e., hippocampus, parahippocampus and fusiform gyrus- during suppression of alcohol-related memories. Inhibitory abnormalities in BDs may lead to hypoconnectivity between IC and memory networks and deficient suppression of non-alcohol-related memories. However, while suppressing highly salient and reward-predicting stimuli, such as alcohol-related memories, BDs display a hyperconnectivity pattern between IC and memory networks, likely due to their augmented attention towards intrusive alcoholic memories and the attempts to compensate for potential underlying IC deficits. These findings hold important implications for alcohol research and treatment, as they open up new avenues for reducing alcohol use by shifting the focus to empowering suppression/control over alcohol-related memories. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: [http://www.ClinicalTrials.gov], identifier [NCT05237414].
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Affiliation(s)
- Natália Almeida-Antunes
- Psychological Neuroscience Laboratory (PNL), Psychology Research Center (CIPsi), School of Psychology, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
| | - Luis Antón-Toro
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), 28223 Madrid, Spain
| | - Alberto Crego
- Psychological Neuroscience Laboratory (PNL), Psychology Research Center (CIPsi), School of Psychology, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
| | - Rui Rodrigues
- Psychological Neuroscience Laboratory (PNL), Psychology Research Center (CIPsi), School of Psychology, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
| | - Adriana Sampaio
- Psychological Neuroscience Laboratory (PNL), Psychology Research Center (CIPsi), School of Psychology, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
| | - Eduardo López-Caneda
- Psychological Neuroscience Laboratory (PNL), Psychology Research Center (CIPsi), School of Psychology, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal.
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Kirkland AE, Green R, Browning BD, Aghamoosa S, Meyerhoff DJ, Ferguson PL, Tomko RL, Gray KM, Squeglia LM. Multi-modal neuroimaging reveals differences in alcohol-cue reactivity but not neurometabolite concentrations in adolescents who drink alcohol. Drug Alcohol Depend 2024; 257:111254. [PMID: 38457964 PMCID: PMC11031292 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2024.111254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2024] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/10/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The objective of this multi-modal neuroimaging study was to identify neuroscience-informed treatment targets for adolescent alcohol use disorder (AUD) by examining potential neural alterations associated with adolescent alcohol use. METHODS Adolescents (ages 17-19) who heavily used (n=49) or did not use alcohol (n=22) were recruited for a multi-modal neuroimaging protocol, including proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy within the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) and an fMRI alcohol cue-reactivity task. The alcohol cue-reactivity task was analyzed across 11 a priori regions-of-interest (ROI), including the dACC, and in an exploratory whole-brain approach. Correlations were run between neurometabolite levels and alcohol cue-reactivity in the dACC. RESULTS There were no significant group differences in absolute neurometabolite concentrations. Compared to the control group, the alcohol-using group exhibited heightened alcohol cue reactivity in the left amygdala ROI (p=0.04). The whole-brain approach identified higher alcohol cue reactivity in the alcohol-using group compared to controls in the amygdala and occipital regions, and lower reactivity in the parietal lobe. Whole-brain sex effects were noted, with females displaying higher reactivity regardless of group. No significant correlations were found between neurometabolite levels and alcohol cue-reactivity in the dACC. CONCLUSIONS The null neurometabolic findings may be due to age, relatively low severity of alcohol use, and non-treatment-seeking status of the participants. Females showed overall higher reactivity to alcohol cues, indicating a sex effect regardless of alcohol use history. Higher amygdala reactivity in alcohol-using adolescents suggests that emotional processing related to alcohol cues may be a useful target for future adolescent AUD interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna E Kirkland
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
| | - ReJoyce Green
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Brittney D Browning
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Stephanie Aghamoosa
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Dieter J Meyerhoff
- Department of Radiology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Pamela L Ferguson
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Rachel L Tomko
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Kevin M Gray
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Lindsay M Squeglia
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
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Kuhns L, Mies G, Kroon E, Willuhn I, Lesscher H, Cousijn J. Alcohol cue reactivity in the brain: Age-related differences in the role of social processes in addiction in male drinkers. J Neurosci Res 2023; 101:1521-1537. [PMID: 37401734 PMCID: PMC10538438 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.25206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023]
Abstract
Social attunement (SA)-the tendency to harmonize behavior with the social environment-has been proposed to drive the escalation of alcohol use in adolescence, while reducing use in adulthood. Little is known about how heightened social sensitivity in adolescence may interact with neural alcohol cue reactivity-a marker of alcohol use disorder-and its relationship to alcohol use severity over time. The aims of this study were to test whether (1) adolescents and adults differ in social alcohol cue reactivity in the nucleus accumbens, anterior cingulate cortex, and right medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), and (2) age moderates the relationship between social alcohol cue reactivity and social attunement, measures of drinking at baseline, and changes in drinking over time. A sample of male adolescents (16-18 years) and adults (29-35 years) completed an fMRI social alcohol cue-exposure task at baseline and an online follow-up two to three years later. No main effects of age or drinking measures were observed in social alcohol cue reactivity. However, age significantly moderated associations of social alcohol cue reactivity in the mPFC and additional regions from exploratory whole-brain analyses with SA, with a positive association in adolescents and negative association in adults. Significant age interactions emerged only for SA in predicting drinking over time. Adolescents with higher SA scores escalated drinking, while adults with higher SA scores reduced drinking. These findings warrant further research on SA as a risk and protective factor and suggest that social processes influence cue reactivity differentially in male adolescents and adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Kuhns
- Neuroscience of Addiction (NofA) Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- The Amsterdam Brain and Cognition Center (ABC), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Gabry Mies
- Neuroscience of Addiction (NofA) Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Karakter, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry University Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Emese Kroon
- Neuroscience of Addiction (NofA) Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- The Amsterdam Brain and Cognition Center (ABC), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ingo Willuhn
- The Amsterdam Brain and Cognition Center (ABC), University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands, Academy of Arts and Sciences, 1105 BA Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Heidi Lesscher
- Department of Population Health Sciences, unit Animals in Science and Society, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Janna Cousijn
- Neuroscience of Addiction (NofA) Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychology, Education & Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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Zamudio PA, Gioia D, Glaser C, Woodward JJ. Chemogenetic Perturbation of the Posterior But Not Anterior Cerebellum Reduces Voluntary Ethanol Consumption. eNeuro 2023; 10:ENEURO.0037-23.2023. [PMID: 37679043 PMCID: PMC10512884 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0037-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The cerebellum communicates with brain areas critically involved in control of goal-directed behaviors including the prefrontal and orbitofrontal cortices and midbrain and basal ganglia structures. In particular, the posterior cerebellum is important for cognitive flexibility and has been implicated in alcohol and drug-related memory. We hypothesized that the cerebellum, through its multiple connections to reward-related brain circuitry, regulates alcohol consumption. To test this, we expressed inhibitory designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADDs) in molecular layer interneurons (MLIs) in anterior (IV-V) or posterior (VI-VIII) cerebellar lobules of male and female mice and activated them during alcohol drinking sessions. In a home-cage drinking paradigm, alcohol consumption was significantly decreased by clozapine-N-oxide (CNO) or deschloroclozapine (DCZ) administration in male mice expressing DREADDs in posterior but not anterior lobules. CNO/DCZ injections did not affect drinking in DREADD expressing female mice or in male mice expressing the control vector. Activation of DREADDs expressed in anterior or posterior lobules had no effect on sucrose or quinine consumption in male or female mice. During operant self-administration sessions, DCZ decreased the number of licks and bouts in male but not female mice expressing DREADDs in posterior lobules with no effect in control vector mice. Performance on an accelerated rotarod was unaffected by chemogenetic manipulation while distance traveled in the open field was decreased by DREADD activation in anterior but not posterior lobules. These results indicate that neuronal activity within the posterior cerebellar cortex plays an important role in the control of alcohol consumption in male mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula A Zamudio
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425
| | - Dominic Gioia
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425
| | - Christina Glaser
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425
| | - John J Woodward
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425
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Cousijn J, Mies G, Runia N, Derksen M, Willuhn I, Lesscher H. The impact of age on olfactory alcohol cue-reactivity: A functional magnetic resonance imaging study in adolescent and adult male drinkers. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2023; 47:668-677. [PMID: 36855285 DOI: 10.1111/acer.15037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adolescence is marked not only by rapid surges in the prevalence of alcohol use disorders (AUDs) but also by remarkable recovery rates, as most adolescent-onset AUDs naturally resolve over time. Little is known about the differential vulnerability of adolescents and adults. Therefore, this study aimed to unravel the moderating role of age by comparing neural alcohol cue-reactivity, an important AUD biomarker, between low-to-high beer-drinking adolescent (n = 50, 16 to 18 years), and adult (n = 51, 30 to 35 years) males matched on drinking severity. METHODS Associations between beer odor-induced brain activity and AUD diagnosis, severity of alcohol use-related problems, recent alcohol use, binge-drinking frequency, and task-induced craving were investigated across and between age groups in regions of interest thought to be central in alcohol cue-reactivity: the medial prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, and striatal subregions (nucleus accumbens and caudate putamen). These analyses were complemented by exploratory whole-brain analyses. RESULTS Pre-task beer craving increased pre-to-post task in adolescents only. Individual differences in alcohol use, binge drinking, and craving did not relate to beer odor-induced activity. Although region-of-interest analyses did not reach significance, whole-brain analyses showed that adolescents with AUD, compared with adolescents without AUD and adults with AUD, had higher beer odor-induced activity in a large mesocorticolimbic cluster encompassing the right caudate, nucleus accumbens, orbitofrontal cortex, and the olfactory sulcus. Activity in the right caudate and putamen was positively associated with the severity of alcohol use-related problems in adolescents but negatively associated in adults. CONCLUSION These findings suggest a differential role of alcohol cue-reactivity in adolescents compared with adults with AUD and highlight the need for further studies investigating the role of age in the fundamental processes underlying the development of and recovery from of AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janna Cousijn
- Neuroscience of Addiction (NofA) Lab, Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Gabry Mies
- Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Karakter Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Nora Runia
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Amsterdam Brain and Cognition, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Maik Derksen
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ingo Willuhn
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Heidi Lesscher
- Unit Animals in Science and Society, Division of Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Population Health Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Dieterich R, Endrass T. Neural Correlates of Cue Reactivity and the Regulation of Craving in Substance Use Disorders. ZEITSCHRIFT FUR KLINISCHE PSYCHOLOGIE UND PSYCHOTHERAPIE 2022. [DOI: 10.1026/1616-3443/a000680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Abstract. Theoretical background: Considerable progress has been made in illuminating the neural basis of the compulsive use patterns characterizing substance use disorders. It has been suggested to utilize these findings to alleviate the health burden associated with substance use. Objective: We address how neuroimaging research can provide these benefits. Methods: Based on neurobiological models of addiction, we highlight neuroimaging research elucidating neural predictors of relapse and how treatments modify these markers. Results: With the focus on cue reactivity, brain activity related to the motivational salience of drugs and automatized use behaviors can predict relapse. Cue reactivity changes with abstinence, and it remains to be determined whether such changes confer periods of critical relapse susceptibility. Conclusions: Several established and emerging interventions modulate brain activity associated with drug value. However, executive deficits in addiction may compromise interventions targeting control-related prefrontal brain areas. Lastly, it remains more difficult to change the brain responses mediating habitual behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raoul Dieterich
- Addiction Research, Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden (TU Dresden), Germany
| | - Tanja Endrass
- Addiction Research, Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden (TU Dresden), Germany
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7
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May AC, Jacobus J, Simmons AN, Tapert SF. A prospective investigation of youth alcohol experimentation and reward responsivity in the ABCD study. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:886848. [PMID: 36003980 PMCID: PMC9393480 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.886848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Rationale Greater risk-taking behaviors, such as alcohol experimentation, are associated with different patterns of brain functioning in regions implicated in reward (nucleus accumbens, NA) and cognitive control (inferior frontal gyrus, IFG). These neural features have been observed in youth with greater risk-taking tendencies prior to substance use initiation, suggesting NA-IFG disruption may serve as an early marker for subsequent substance use disorders. Prospective studies are needed to determine if NA-IFG neural disruption predicts future substance use in school-age children, including those with minimal use of alcohol (e.g., sipping). The present large-sample prospective study sought to use machine learning to: (1) examine alcohol sipping at ages 9, 10 as a potential behavioral indicator of concurrent underlying altered neural responsivity to reward, and (2) determine if alcohol sipping and NA-IFG activation at ages 9, 10 can be used to predict which youth reported increased alcohol use at ages 11, 12. Additionally, low-level alcohol use and brain functioning at ages 9, 10 were examined as predictors of substance use and brain functioning at ages 11, 12. Design and methods This project used data from the baseline (Time 1) and two-year follow-up (Time 2) assessments of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study (Release 3.0). Support Vector Machine (SVM) learning determined if: (1) NA-IFG neural activity could correctly identify youth who reported alcohol sipping at Time 1 (n = 7409, mean age = 119.34 months, SD = 7.53; 50.27% female), and (2) NA-IFG and alcohol sipping frequency at Time 1 could correctly identify youth who reported drinking alcohol at Time 2 (n = 4000, mean age = 143.25 months, SD = 7.63; 47.53% female). Linear regression was also used to examine the relationship between alcohol sipping and NA-IFG activity at Time 1 and substance use and NA-IFG activity at Time 2. Data were also examined to characterize the environmental context in which youth first tried sips of alcohol (e.g., with or without parental permission, as part of a religious experience). Results Approximately 24% of the sample reported having tried sips of alcohol by ages 9, 10. On average, youth reported trying sips of alcohol 4.87 times (SD = 23.19) with age of first sip occurring at 7.36 years old (SD = 1.91). The first SVM model classified youth according to alcohol sipping status at Time 1 no better than chance with an accuracy of 0.35 (balanced accuracy = 0.52, sensitivity = 0.24, specificity = 0.80). The second SVM model classified youth according to alcohol drinking status at Time 2 with an accuracy of 0.76 (balanced accuracy = 0.56, sensitivity = 0.21, specificity = 0.91). Linear regression demonstrated that frequency of alcohol sipping at Time 1 predicted frequency of alcohol use at Time 2 (p < 0.001, adjusted R 2 = 0.075). Alcohol sipping at Time 1 was not linearly associated with NA or IFG activity at Time 2 (all ps > 0.05), and NA activity at Time 1 and Time 2 were not related (all ps > 0.05). Activity in the three subsections of the IFG at Time 1 predicted activity in those same regions at Time 2 (all ps < 0.02). Conclusions and implications Early sips of alcohol appear to predict alcohol use in early adolescence. Findings do not provide strong evidence for minimal early alcohol use (sipping) as a behavioral marker of underlying alterations in NA-IFG neural responsivity to reward. Improving our understanding of the neural and behavioral factors that indicate a greater propensity for future substance use is crucial for identifying at-risk youth and potential targets for preventative efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- April C. May
- San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego State University/University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Joanna Jacobus
- San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego State University/University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Alan N. Simmons
- San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego State University/University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Susan F. Tapert
- San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego State University/University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
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Almeida-Antunes N, Vasconcelos M, Crego A, Rodrigues R, Sampaio A, López-Caneda E. Forgetting Alcohol: A Double-Blind, Randomized Controlled Trial Investigating Memory Inhibition Training in Young Binge Drinkers. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:914213. [PMID: 35844233 PMCID: PMC9278062 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.914213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Binge Drinking (BD) has been associated with altered inhibitory control and augmented alcohol-cue reactivity. Memory inhibition (MI), the ability to voluntarily suppress unwanted thoughts/memories, may lead to forgetting of memories in several psychiatric conditions. However, despite its potential clinical implications, no study to date has explored the MI abilities in populations with substance misuse, such as binge drinkers (BDs). Method This study—registered in the NIH Clinical Trials Database (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT05237414)—aims firstly to examine the behavioral and electroencephalographic (EEG) correlates of MI among college BDs. For this purpose, 45 BDs and 45 age-matched non/low-drinkers (50% female) will be assessed by EEG while performing the Think/No-Think Alcohol task, a paradigm that evaluates alcohol-related MI. Additionally, this work aims to evaluate an alcohol-specific MI intervention protocol using cognitive training (CT) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) while its effects on behavioral and EEG outcomes are assessed. BDs will be randomly assigned to one MI training group: combined [CT and verum tDCS applied over the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC)], cognitive (CT and sham tDCS), or control (sham CT and sham tDCS). Training will occur in three consecutive days, in three sessions. MI will be re-assessed in BDs through a post-training EEG assessment. Alcohol use and craving will be measured at the first EEG assessment, and both 10-days and 3-months post-training. In addition, behavioral and EEG data will be collected during the performance of an alcohol cue reactivity (ACR) task, which evaluates attentional bias toward alcoholic stimuli, before, and after the MI training sessions. Discussion This study protocol will provide the first behavioral and neurofunctional MI assessment in BDs. Along with poor MI abilities, BDs are expected to show alterations in event-related potentials and functional connectivity patterns associated with MI. Results should also demonstrate the effectiveness of the protocol, with BDs exhibiting an improved capacity to suppress alcohol-related memories after both combined and cognitive training, along with a reduction in alcohol use and craving in the short/medium-term. Collectively, these findings might have major implications for the understanding and treatment of alcohol misuse. Clinical Trial Registration [www.ClinicalTrials.gov], identifier [NCT05237414].
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Affiliation(s)
- Natália Almeida-Antunes
- Psychological Neuroscience Laboratory, Psychology Research Center, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
| | - Margarida Vasconcelos
- Psychological Neuroscience Laboratory, Psychology Research Center, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
| | - Alberto Crego
- Psychological Neuroscience Laboratory, Psychology Research Center, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
| | - Rui Rodrigues
- Psychological Neuroscience Laboratory, Psychology Research Center, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
| | - Adriana Sampaio
- Psychological Neuroscience Laboratory, Psychology Research Center, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
| | - Eduardo López-Caneda
- Psychological Neuroscience Laboratory, Psychology Research Center, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
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Pérez-García JM, Suárez-Suárez S, Doallo S, Cadaveira F. Effects of binge drinking during adolescence and emerging adulthood on the brain: A systematic review of neuroimaging studies. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 137:104637. [PMID: 35339481 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Revised: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Binge drinking (BD) is a common pattern of alcohol consumption which is generating great concern because of its deleterious consequences. We selected 33 neuroimaging studies of healthy young binge drinkers (BDs) by following PRISMA guidelines. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the relationship between BD and neurocognitive anomalies reported across magnetic resonance studies. Moreover, this work is the first in which results of relatively new imaging techniques, such as resting-state functional connectivity (RS-FC) and neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI), have been reviewed using a systematic procedure. We established strict inclusion criteria in order to isolate the various potential effects of BD on the adolescent brain. Two authors independently evaluated the methodological quality, assessing different aspects related to sample size, and statistical correction methods, which are of particular importance in neuroimaging studies. BD is associated with structural and functional anomalies in several cortical and subcortical brain regions intimately involved in the control and regulation of impulsive or risky behaviours, as well as in the processing of reinforcing stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose Manuel Pérez-García
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain.
| | - Samuel Suárez-Suárez
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain.
| | - Sonia Doallo
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain.
| | - Fernando Cadaveira
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, Spain.
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10
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Tapert SF, Eberson-Shumate S. Alcohol and the Adolescent Brain: What We've Learned and Where the Data Are Taking Us. Alcohol Res 2022; 42:07. [PMID: 35465194 PMCID: PMC8999519 DOI: 10.35946/arcr.v42.1.07] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
This article is part of a Festschrift commemorating the 50th anniversary of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). Established in 1970, first as part of the National Institute of Mental Health and later as an independent institute of the National Institutes of Health, NIAAA today is the world's largest funding agency for alcohol research. In addition to its own intramural research program, NIAAA supports the entire spectrum of innovative basic, translational, and clinical research to advance the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of alcohol use disorder and alcohol-related problems. To celebrate the anniversary, NIAAA hosted a 2-day symposium, "Alcohol Across the Lifespan: 50 Years of Evidence-Based Diagnosis, Prevention, and Treatment Research," devoted to key topics within the field of alcohol research. This article is based on Dr. Tapert's presentation at the event. NIAAA Director George F. Koob, Ph.D., serves as editor of the Festschrift.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan F Tapert
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
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11
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Almeida‐Antunes N, Antón‐Toro L, Crego A, Rodrigues R, Sampaio A, López‐Caneda E. "It's a beer!": Brain functional hyperconnectivity during processing of alcohol-related images in young binge drinkers. Addict Biol 2022; 27:e13152. [PMID: 35229944 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol attentional bias has been pointed as a major marker of alcohol misuse. Recent evidence has revealed that brain functional connectivity (FC) may be a valuable index of the brain networks' integrity in young binge drinkers (BDs). However, there is no study to date examining the FC networks linked to the processing of alcohol-related images in this population. The present study aimed to explore the FC signatures underlying alcohol attention bias in young BDs. Thus, electroencephalographic (EEG) activity was recorded in 54 college students (55.5% females; 27 non/low-drinkers and 27 BDs) while performing a visual alcohol cue-reactivity task. We evaluated whole-brain FC profiles during the processing of alcoholic and non-alcoholic cues, as well as their potential relationship with craving and severity of alcohol use. Results showed that, at the behavioural level, BDs rated alcohol-related images as more pleasant/attractive than non/low-drinkers. Furthermore, at the electrophysiological level, BDs exhibited increased beta-band FC-particularly in the fronto-parieto-occipital network-when processing alcoholic cues. Conversely, they displayed reduced theta-band FC relatively to non/low-drinkers for non-alcoholic images. These hyper-/hypo-connectivity patterns were associated with higher alcohol craving levels. Findings are congruent with previous neurofunctional studies reporting an attentional bias towards alcohol-related information in BDs. These results may have important clinical implications as this neural reactivity to alcoholic cues may contribute to the maintenance and/or escalation of the drinking pattern. Finally, the present study constitutes the first evidence showing that FC networks may be a sensitive indicator to alcohol attentional bias in BDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natália Almeida‐Antunes
- Psychological Neuroscience Laboratory (PNL), Research Center in Psychology (CIPsi), School of Psychology University of Minho Braga Portugal
| | - Luis Antón‐Toro
- Department of Experimental Psychology Complutense University of Madrid (UCM) Madrid Spain
- Laboratory for Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience (UCM ‐ UPM) Center for Biomedical Technology (CBT) Madrid Spain
| | - Alberto Crego
- Psychological Neuroscience Laboratory (PNL), Research Center in Psychology (CIPsi), School of Psychology University of Minho Braga Portugal
| | - Rui Rodrigues
- Psychological Neuroscience Laboratory (PNL), Research Center in Psychology (CIPsi), School of Psychology University of Minho Braga Portugal
| | - Adriana Sampaio
- Psychological Neuroscience Laboratory (PNL), Research Center in Psychology (CIPsi), School of Psychology University of Minho Braga Portugal
| | - Eduardo López‐Caneda
- Psychological Neuroscience Laboratory (PNL), Research Center in Psychology (CIPsi), School of Psychology University of Minho Braga Portugal
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12
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Gonçalves SF, Ryan M, Niehaus CE, Chaplin TM. Affect-Related Brain Activity and Adolescent Substance Use: A Systematic Review. Curr Behav Neurosci Rep 2022; 9:11-26. [PMID: 37009067 PMCID: PMC10062006 DOI: 10.1007/s40473-021-00241-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Purpose of review This review aims to summarize the research on brain activity during affective processing (i.e., reward, negative emotional stimuli, loss) and adolescent substance use (SU). Recent findings Most research revealed links between altered neural activity in midcingulo-insular, frontoparietal and other network regions and adolescent SU. Increased recruitment of midcingulo-insular regions-particularly the striatum-to positive affective stimuli (e.g., monetary reward) was most often associated with initiation and low-level use of substances, whereas decreased recruitment of these regions was most often associated with SUD and higher risk SU. In regards to negative affective stimuli, most research demonstrated increased recruitment of midcingulo-insular network regions. There is also evidence that these associations may be sex-specific. Summary Future research should employ longitudinal designs that assess affect-related brain activity prior to and following SU initiation and escalation. Moreover, examining sex as as moderating variable may help clarify if affective neural risk factors are sex-specific.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie F. Gonçalves
- Department of Psychology, George Mason University,
Fairfax, Virginia, 22030, United States
| | - Mary Ryan
- Department of Psychology, George Mason University,
Fairfax, Virginia, 22030, United States
| | - Claire E. Niehaus
- Department of Psychology, George Mason University,
Fairfax, Virginia, 22030, United States
| | - Tara M. Chaplin
- Department of Psychology, George Mason University,
Fairfax, Virginia, 22030, United States
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13
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Dannenhoffer CA, Robertson MM, Macht VA, Mooney SM, Boettiger CA, Robinson DL. Chronic alcohol exposure during critical developmental periods differentially impacts persistence of deficits in cognitive flexibility and related circuitry. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2021; 160:117-173. [PMID: 34696872 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2021.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive flexibility in decision making depends on prefrontal cortical function and is used by individuals to adapt to environmental changes in circumstances. Cognitive flexibility can be measured in the laboratory using a variety of discrete, translational tasks, including those that involve reversal learning and/or set-shifting ability. Distinct components of flexible behavior rely upon overlapping brain circuits, including different prefrontal substructures that have separable impacts on decision making. Cognitive flexibility is impaired after chronic alcohol exposure, particularly during development when the brain undergoes rapid maturation. This review examines how cognitive flexibility, as indexed by reversal and set-shifting tasks, is impacted by chronic alcohol exposure in adulthood, adolescent, and prenatal periods in humans and animal models. We also discuss areas for future study, including mechanisms that may contribute to the persistence of cognitive deficits after developmental alcohol exposure and the compacting consequences from exposure across multiple critical periods.
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Affiliation(s)
- C A Dannenhoffer
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - M M Robertson
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Victoria A Macht
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - S M Mooney
- Nutrition Research Institute and Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - C A Boettiger
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States; Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States; Neuroscience Curriculum, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States; Biomedical Research Imaging Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Donita L Robinson
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States; Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States; Neuroscience Curriculum, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States.
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14
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Zeng J, Yu S, Cao H, Su Y, Dong Z, Yang X. Neurobiological correlates of cue-reactivity in alcohol-use disorders: A voxel-wise meta-analysis of fMRI studies. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 128:294-310. [PMID: 34171325 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.06.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Revised: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 06/19/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Altered brain responses to alcohol-associated stimuli are a neural hallmark of alcohol-use disorder (AUD) and a promising target for pharmacotherapy. However, findings in cue-reactivity based functional MRI (fMRI) studies are inconclusive. To investigate the neural substrates of cue-reactivity and their relevance to treatment outcomes, alcohol craving and relapse in AUD patients, we performed five meta-analyses using signed differential mapping software. Our meta-analysis revealed that alcohol cues evoke greater cue-reactivity than neutral cues in the mesocorticolimbic circuit and lower reactivity in the parietal and temporal regions in AUD patients. Compared to controls, AUD individuals displayed hyperactivations in the medial prefrontal cortex and anterior/middle part of the cingulate cortex. After receiving AUD treatment, AUD patients exhibited greater activations in the precentral gyrus but reduced activations in the bilateral caudate nucleus, insula, right DLPFC, and left superior frontal gyrus. No significant results were found in cue-reactivity correlates of alcohol craving and relapse. Our results implicate cue-induced abnormalities in corticostriatal-limbic circuits may underline the pathophysiology of AUD, and have translational value for treatment development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianguang Zeng
- School of Economics and Business Administration, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, China
| | - Shuxian Yu
- School of Economics and Business Administration, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, China
| | - Hengyi Cao
- Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Hempstead, NY, USA; Division of Psychiatry Research, Zucker Hillside Hospital, Glen Oaks, NY, USA
| | - Yueyue Su
- School of Public Policy and Administration, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, China
| | - Zaiquan Dong
- Department of Psychiatry, State Key Lab of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Xun Yang
- School of Public Policy and Administration, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, China.
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15
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Yu F, Sariyska R, Lachmann B, Wang Q, Reuter M, Weber B, Trautner P, Yao S, Montag C, Becker B. Convergent cross-sectional and longitudinal evidence for gaming-cue specific posterior parietal dysregulations in early stages of internet gaming disorder. Addict Biol 2021; 26:e12933. [PMID: 32602162 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2020] [Revised: 05/14/2020] [Accepted: 06/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Exaggerated reactivity to drug-cues and emotional dysregulations represent key symptoms of early stages of substance use disorders. The diagnostic criteria for (Internet) gaming disorder strongly resemble symptoms for substance-related addictions. However, previous cross-sections studies revealed inconsistent results with respect to neural cue reactivity and emotional dysregulations in these populations. To this end, the present fMRI study applied a combined cross-sectional and longitudinal design in regular online gamers (n = 37) and gaming-naïve controls (n = 67). To separate gaming-associated changes from predisposing factors, gaming-naive subjects were randomly assigned to 6 weeks of daily Internet gaming or a non-gaming condition. At baseline and after the training, subjects underwent an fMRI paradigm presenting gaming-related cues and non-gaming-related emotional stimuli. Cross-sectional comparisons revealed gaming-cue specific enhanced valence attribution and neural reactivity in a parietal network, including the posterior cingulate in regular gamers as compared to gaming naïve-controls. Longitudinal analysis revealed that 6 weeks of gaming elevated valence ratings as well as neural cue-reactivity in a similar parietal network, specifically the posterior cingulate in previously gaming-naïve controls. Together, the longitudinal design did not reveal supporting evidence for altered emotional processing of non-gaming associated stimuli in regular gamers whereas convergent evidence for increased emotional and neural reactivity to gaming-associated stimuli was observed. Findings suggest that exaggerated neural reactivity in posterior parietal regions engaged in default mode and automated information processing already occur during early stages of regular gaming and probably promote continued engagement in gaming behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangwen Yu
- The Clinical Hospital of the Chengdu Brain Science Institute, Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation University of Electronic Science and Technology of China Chengdu China
| | - Rayna Sariyska
- Institute of Psychology and Education Ulm University Ulm Baden‐Württemberg Germany
| | - Bernd Lachmann
- Institute of Psychology and Education Ulm University Ulm Baden‐Württemberg Germany
| | - Qianqian Wang
- The Clinical Hospital of the Chengdu Brain Science Institute, Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation University of Electronic Science and Technology of China Chengdu China
| | - Martin Reuter
- Department of Psychology University of Bonn Bonn North Rhine‐Westphalia Germany
- Center for Economics and Neuroscience University of Bonn Bonn North Rhine‐Westphalia Germany
| | - Bernd Weber
- Center for Economics and Neuroscience University of Bonn Bonn North Rhine‐Westphalia Germany
- Department for NeuroCognition Life & Brain Center Bonn North Rhine‐Westphalia Germany
- Institute of Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research University Hospital of Bonn Bonn North Rhine‐Westphalia Germany
| | - Peter Trautner
- Center for Economics and Neuroscience University of Bonn Bonn North Rhine‐Westphalia Germany
- Department for NeuroCognition Life & Brain Center Bonn North Rhine‐Westphalia Germany
- Institute of Experimental Epileptology and Cognition Research University Hospital of Bonn Bonn North Rhine‐Westphalia Germany
| | - Shuxia Yao
- The Clinical Hospital of the Chengdu Brain Science Institute, Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation University of Electronic Science and Technology of China Chengdu China
| | - Christian Montag
- The Clinical Hospital of the Chengdu Brain Science Institute, Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation University of Electronic Science and Technology of China Chengdu China
- Institute of Psychology and Education Ulm University Ulm Baden‐Württemberg Germany
| | - Benjamin Becker
- The Clinical Hospital of the Chengdu Brain Science Institute, Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation University of Electronic Science and Technology of China Chengdu China
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16
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Galaj E, Xi ZX. Progress in opioid reward research: From a canonical two-neuron hypothesis to two neural circuits. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2021; 200:173072. [PMID: 33227308 PMCID: PMC7796909 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2020.173072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Revised: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Opioid abuse and related overdose deaths continue to rise in the United States, contributing to the national opioid crisis in the USA. The neural mechanisms underlying opioid abuse and addiction are still not fully understood. This review discusses recent progress in basic research dissecting receptor mechanisms and circuitries underlying opioid reward and addiction. We first review the canonical GABA-dopamine neuron hypothesis that was upheld for half a century, followed by major findings challenging this hypothesis. We then focus on recent progress in research evaluating the role of the mesolimbic and nigrostriatal dopamine circuitries in opioid reward and relapse. Based on recent findings that activation of dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) is equally rewarding and that GABA neurons in the rostromedial tegmental nucleus (RMTg) and the substantia nigra pars reticula (SNr) are rich in mu opioid receptors and directly synapse onto midbrain DA neurons, we proposed that the RTMg→VTA → ventrostriatal and SNr → SNc → dorsostriatal pathways may act as the two major neural substrates underlying opioid reward and abuse. Lastly, we discuss possible integrations of these two pathways during initial opioid use, development of opioid abuse and maintenance of compulsive opioid seeking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewa Galaj
- Addiction Biology Unit, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Zheng-Xiong Xi
- Addiction Biology Unit, Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, United States of America.
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17
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Almeida-Antunes N, Crego A, Carbia C, Sousa SS, Rodrigues R, Sampaio A, López-Caneda E. Electroencephalographic signatures of the binge drinking pattern during adolescence and young adulthood: A PRISMA-driven systematic review. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2020; 29:102537. [PMID: 33418172 PMCID: PMC7803655 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2020.102537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Controls and binge drinkers (BDs) do not differ in their behavioral performance. BDs show increased neural activity during attention, working memory and inhibition. Augmented P3 amplitude in BDs was the most solid electrophysiological finding. Evidence does not support specific gender vulnerabilities to the effects of BD. Memory, emotional processing and decision-making processes need further exploration.
Research on neurophysiological impairments associated with binge drinking (BD), an excessive but episodic alcohol use pattern, has significantly increased over the last decade. This work is the first to systematically review –following PRISMA guidelines- the empirical evidence regarding the effects of BD on neural activity –assessed by electroencephalography- of adolescents and young adults. A systematic review was conducted in 34 studies (N = 1723). Results indicated that binge drinkers (BDs) showed similar behavioral performance as non/low drinkers. The most solid electrophysiological finding was an augmented P3 amplitude during attention, working memory and inhibition tasks. This increased neural activity suggests the recruitment of additional resources to perform the task at adequate/successful levels, which supports the neurocompensation hypothesis. Similar to alcoholics, BDs also displayed increased reactivity to alcohol-related cues, augmented resting-state electrophysiological signal and reduced activity during error detection –which gives support to the continuum hypothesis. Evidence does not seem to support greater vulnerability to BD in females. Replication and longitudinal studies are required to account for mixed results and to elucidate the extent/direction of the neural impairments associated with BD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natália Almeida-Antunes
- Psychological Neuroscience Laboratory (PNL), Research Center in Psychology (CIPsi), School of Psychology, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, Portugal
| | - Alberto Crego
- Psychological Neuroscience Laboratory (PNL), Research Center in Psychology (CIPsi), School of Psychology, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, Portugal
| | - Carina Carbia
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Sónia S Sousa
- Psychological Neuroscience Laboratory (PNL), Research Center in Psychology (CIPsi), School of Psychology, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, Portugal
| | - Rui Rodrigues
- Psychological Neuroscience Laboratory (PNL), Research Center in Psychology (CIPsi), School of Psychology, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, Portugal
| | - Adriana Sampaio
- Psychological Neuroscience Laboratory (PNL), Research Center in Psychology (CIPsi), School of Psychology, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, Portugal
| | - Eduardo López-Caneda
- Psychological Neuroscience Laboratory (PNL), Research Center in Psychology (CIPsi), School of Psychology, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, Portugal.
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18
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Klugah-Brown B, Di X, Zweerings J, Mathiak K, Becker B, Biswal B. Common and separable neural alterations in substance use disorders: A coordinate-based meta-analyses of functional neuroimaging studies in humans. Hum Brain Mapp 2020; 41:4459-4477. [PMID: 32964613 PMCID: PMC7555084 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2020] [Revised: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Delineating common and separable neural alterations in substance use disorders (SUD) is imperative to understand the neurobiological basis of the addictive process and to inform substance‐specific treatment strategies. Given numerous functional MRI (fMRI) studies in different SUDs, a meta‐analysis could provide an opportunity to determine robust shared and substance‐specific alterations. The present study employed a coordinate‐based meta‐analysis covering fMRI studies in individuals with addictive cocaine, cannabis, alcohol, and nicotine use. The primary meta‐analysis demonstrated common alterations in primary dorsal striatal, and frontal circuits engaged in reward/salience processing, habit formation, and executive control across different substances and task‐paradigms. Subsequent sub‐analyses revealed substance‐specific alterations in frontal and limbic regions, with marked frontal and insula‐thalamic alterations in alcohol and nicotine use disorders respectively. Examining task‐specific alterations across substances revealed pronounced frontal alterations during cognitive processes yet stronger striatal alterations during reward‐related processes. Finally, an exploratory meta‐analysis revealed that neurofunctional alterations in striatal and frontal reward processing regions can already be determined with a high probability in studies with subjects with comparably short durations of use. Together the findings emphasize the role of dysregulations in frontostriatal circuits and dissociable contributions of these systems in the domains of reward‐related and cognitive processes which may contribute to substance‐specific behavioral alterations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Klugah-Brown
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Xin Di
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey, USA
| | - Jana Zweerings
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany.,JARA Translational Brain Medicine, RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany
| | - Klaus Mathiak
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany.,JARA Translational Brain Medicine, RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany
| | - Benjamin Becker
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Bharat Biswal
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, New Jersey, USA
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19
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Hamidullah S, Thorpe HHA, Frie JA, Mccurdy RD, Khokhar JY. Adolescent Substance Use and the Brain: Behavioral, Cognitive and Neuroimaging Correlates. Front Hum Neurosci 2020; 14:298. [PMID: 32848673 PMCID: PMC7418456 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.00298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2019] [Accepted: 07/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Adolescence is an important ontogenetic period that is characterized by behaviors such as enhanced novelty-seeking, impulsivity, and reward preference, which can give rise to an increased risk for substance use. While substance use rates in adolescence are generally on a decline, the current rates combined with emerging trends, such as increases in e-cigarette use, remain a significant public health concern. In this review, we focus on the neurobiological divergences associated with adolescent substance use, derived from a cross-sectional, retrospective, and longitudinal studies, and highlight how the use of these substances during adolescence may relate to behavioral and neuroimaging-based outcomes. Identifying and understanding the associations between adolescent substance use and changes in cognition, mental health, and future substance use risk may assist our understanding of the consequences of drug exposure during this critical window.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hayley H A Thorpe
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Jude A Frie
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Richard D Mccurdy
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Jibran Y Khokhar
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
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20
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Lees B, Meredith LR, Kirkland AE, Bryant BE, Squeglia LM. Effect of alcohol use on the adolescent brain and behavior. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2020; 192:172906. [PMID: 32179028 PMCID: PMC7183385 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2020.172906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 148] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2019] [Revised: 01/31/2020] [Accepted: 03/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Adolescence is a particularly vulnerable neurodevelopmental period marked by high rates of engagement with risky alcohol use. This review summarizes the cognitive and neural consequences following alcohol use during adolescence from longitudinal design studies in humans and animals. Findings from human adolescent studies suggest that binge drinking and heavy alcohol use is associated with poorer cognitive functioning on a broad range of neuropsychological assessments, including learning, memory, visuospatial functioning, psychomotor speed, attention, executive functioning, and impulsivity. Alcohol use during adolescence is associated with accelerated decreases in gray matter and attenuated increases in white matter volume, and aberrant neural activity during executive functioning, attentional control, and reward sensitivity tasks, when compared to non-drinking adolescents. Animal studies in rodents and non-human primates have replicated human findings, and suggest cognitive and neural consequences of adolescent alcohol use may persist into adulthood. Novel rodent studies demonstrate that adolescent alcohol use may increase reward responsiveness of the dopamine system to alcohol later in life, as well as disrupt adolescent neurogenesis, potentially through neuroinflammation, with long-lasting neural and behavioral effects into adulthood. Larger longitudinal human cognitive and neuroimaging studies with more diverse samples are currently underway which will improve understanding of the impact of polysubstance use, as well as the interactive effects of substance use, physical and mental health, and demographic factors on cognition and neurodevelopment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Briana Lees
- The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, University of Sydney, Australia.
| | - Lindsay R Meredith
- University of California, Los Angeles, Department of Psychology, United States of America
| | - Anna E Kirkland
- American University, Department of Psychology, United States of America
| | - Brittany E Bryant
- Medical University of South Carolina, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, United States of America
| | - Lindsay M Squeglia
- Medical University of South Carolina, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, United States of America
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21
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Oberlin BG, Shen YI, Kareken DA. Alcohol Use Disorder Interventions Targeting Brain Sites for Both Conditioned Reward and Delayed Gratification. Neurotherapeutics 2020; 17:70-86. [PMID: 31863407 PMCID: PMC7007465 DOI: 10.1007/s13311-019-00817-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder is a destructive compulsion characterized by chronic relapse and poor recovery outcomes. Heightened reactivity to alcohol-associated stimuli and compromised executive function are hallmarks of alcohol use disorder. Interventions targeting these two interacting domains are thought to ameliorate these altered states, but the mutual brain sites of action are yet unknown. Although interventions on alcohol cue reactivity affect reward area responses, how treatments alter brain responses when subjects exert executive effort to delay gratification is not as well-characterized. Focusing on interventions that could be developed into effective clinical treatments, we review and identify brain sites of action for these two categories of potential therapies. Using activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analysis, we find that interventions on alcohol cue reactivity localize to ventral prefrontal cortex, dorsal anterior cingulate, and temporal, striatal, and thalamic regions. Interventions for increasing delayed reward preference elicit changes mostly in midline default mode network regions, including posterior cingulate, precuneus, and ventromedial prefrontal cortex-in addition to temporal and parietal regions. Anatomical co-localization of effects appears in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, whereas effects specific to delay-of-gratification appear in the posterior cingulate and precuneus. Thus, the current available literature suggests that interventions in the domains of cue reactivity and delay discounting alter brain activity along midline default mode regions, specifically in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex for both domains, and the posterior cingulate/precuneus for delay-of-gratification. We believe that these findings could facilitate targeting and development of new interventions, and ultimately treatments of this challenging disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon G Oberlin
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, USA.
- Department of Neurology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis,, USA.
- Addiction Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, Indiana University Purdue University at Indianapolis, School of Science, Indianapolis, USA.
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, USA.
| | - Yitong I Shen
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, USA
- Department of Neurology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis,, USA
| | - David A Kareken
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, USA
- Department of Neurology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis,, USA
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, USA
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Suárez-Suárez S, Doallo S, Pérez-García JM, Corral M, Rodríguez Holguín S, Cadaveira F. Response Inhibition and Binge Drinking During Transition to University: An fMRI Study. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:535. [PMID: 32581896 PMCID: PMC7296115 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Binge Drinking (BD), a highly prevalent drinking pattern among youth, has been linked with anomalies in inhibitory control. However, it is still not well characterized whether the neural mechanisms involved in this process are compromised in binge drinkers (BDs). Furthermore, recent findings suggest that exerting inhibitory control to alcohol-related stimuli requires an increased effort in BDs, relative to controls, but the brain regions subserving these effects have also been scarcely investigated. Here we explored the impact of BD on the pattern of neural activity mediating response inhibition and its modulation by the motivational salience of stimuli (alcohol-related content). METHODS Sixty-seven (36 females) first-year university students, classified as BDs (n = 32) or controls (n = 35), underwent fMRI as they performed an alcohol-cued Go/NoGo task in which pictures of alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages were presented as Go or NoGo stimuli. RESULTS During successful inhibition trials, BDs relative to controls showed greater activity in the bilateral inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), extending to the anterior insula, a brain region usually involved in response inhibition tasks, despite the lack of behavioral differences between groups. Moreover, BDs displayed increased activity in this region restricted to the right hemisphere when inhibiting a prepotent response to alcohol-related stimuli. CONCLUSIONS The increased neural activity in the IFG/insula during response inhibition in BDs, in the absence of behavioral impairments, could reflect a compensatory mechanism. The findings suggest that response inhibition-related activity in the right IFG/insula is modulated by the motivational salience of stimuli and highlight the role of this brain region in suppressing responses to substance-associated cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Suárez-Suárez
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Sonia Doallo
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Jose Manuel Pérez-García
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Montserrat Corral
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Socorro Rodríguez Holguín
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Fernando Cadaveira
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
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23
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Courtney KE, Li I, Tapert SF. The effect of alcohol use on neuroimaging correlates of cognitive and emotional processing in human adolescence. Neuropsychology 2019; 33:781-794. [PMID: 31448946 DOI: 10.1037/neu0000555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This article provides an overview of the scientific literature pertaining to the effects of alcohol on neural correlates of cognitive and emotional functioning, including reward processing and cue-reactivity, in adolescence and young adulthood. METHOD Peer-reviewed, original research articles that included a neuroimaging assessment of alcohol effects on subsequent cognitive or emotional processing in adolescent or young adult samples were searched (through November 2018) and summarized in the review. RESULTS Cross-sectional studies provided early evidence of alcohol-related differences in neural processing across a number of cognitive domains. Longitudinal studies have identified neural abnormalities that predate drinking within most domains of cognitive functioning, while a few neural alterations have been observed within the domains of visual working memory, inhibitory control, reward processing, and cue-reactivity that appear to be related to the neurotoxic effect of alcohol use during adolescence. In contrast, neural correlates of emotion functioning appear to be relatively stable to the effects of alcohol. CONCLUSIONS Larger prospective studies are greatly needed to disentangle premorbid factors from neural consequences associated with drinking, and to detect subsets of youth who may be particularly vulnerable to alcohol's effects on cognitive and emotional functioning. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).
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Cofresí RU, Bartholow BD, Piasecki TM. Evidence for incentive salience sensitization as a pathway to alcohol use disorder. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 107:897-926. [PMID: 31672617 PMCID: PMC6878895 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2019] [Revised: 10/14/2019] [Accepted: 10/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The incentive salience sensitization (ISS) theory of addiction holds that addictive behavior stems from the ability of drugs to progressively sensitize the brain circuitry that mediates attribution of incentive salience (IS) to reward-predictive cues and its behavioral manifestations. In this article, we establish the plausibility of ISS as an etiological pathway to alcohol use disorder (AUD). We provide a comprehensive and critical review of evidence for: (1) the ability of alcohol to sensitize the brain circuitry of IS attribution and expression; and (2) attribution of IS to alcohol-predictive cues and its sensitization in humans and non-human animals. We point out gaps in the literature and how these might be addressed. We also highlight how individuals with different alcohol subjective response phenotypes may differ in susceptibility to ISS as a pathway to AUD. Finally, we discuss important implications of this neuropsychological mechanism in AUD for psychological and pharmacological interventions attempting to attenuate alcohol craving and cue reactivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto U Cofresí
- University of Missouri, Department of Psychological Sciences, Columbia, MO 65211, United States.
| | - Bruce D Bartholow
- University of Missouri, Department of Psychological Sciences, Columbia, MO 65211, United States
| | - Thomas M Piasecki
- University of Missouri, Department of Psychological Sciences, Columbia, MO 65211, United States
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25
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Lees B, Mewton L, Stapinski LA, Squeglia LM, Rae CD, Teesson M. Neurobiological and Cognitive Profile of Young Binge Drinkers: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Neuropsychol Rev 2019; 29:357-385. [PMID: 31512192 PMCID: PMC7231524 DOI: 10.1007/s11065-019-09411-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2019] [Accepted: 07/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
This review provides the first systematic and quantitative synthesis of the literature examining the relationship between binge drinking, cognition, brain structure and function in youth aged 10 to 24 years. PubMed, EMBASE, Medline, PsychINFO and ProQuest were searched for neuroimaging, neurophysiological, and neuropsychological studies. A total of 58 studies (21 neuroimaging, 16 neurophysiological, 21 neuropsychological) met the eligibility criteria and were included in the review. Overall, abnormal or delayed development of key frontal executive-control regions may predispose youth to binge drink. These abnormalities appear to be further exacerbated by the uptake of binge drinking, in addition to alcohol-related neural aberrations in reward-seeking and incentive salience regions, indexed by cognitive deficits and maladaptive alcohol associations. A meta-analysis of neuropsychological correlates identified that binge drinking in youth was associated with a small overall neurocognitive deficit (g = -0.26) and specific deficits in decision-making (g = -1.70), and inhibition (g = -0.39). Using the Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) Evidence Profile, the certainty in outcomes ranged from very low to low. Future prospective longitudinal studies should address concomitant factors, exposure thresholds, and age-related vulnerabilities of binge drinking, as well as the degree of recovery following discontinuation of use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Briana Lees
- The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia.
| | - Louise Mewton
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2031, Australia
| | - Lexine A Stapinski
- The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Lindsay M Squeglia
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, 29425, USA
| | - Caroline D Rae
- Neuroscience Research Australia, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2031, Australia
- School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Maree Teesson
- The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
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26
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Hammond CJ, Allick A, Rahman N, Nanavati J. Structural and Functional Neural Targets of Addiction Treatment in Adolescents and Young Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol 2019; 29:498-507. [PMID: 31313938 PMCID: PMC6727475 DOI: 10.1089/cap.2019.0007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Objective: Addictive disorders start during adolescence for most individuals, and developmental differences in brain maturation and response to treatments are present. Recent studies in adults have identified associations between addiction treatment response and regional and circuit specific brain dysfunction, suggesting candidate neural treatment targets. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to qualitatively and quantitatively summarize findings from structural and functional neuroimaging studies that examine neural correlates of treatment response in adolescents and young adults with addictive disorders. Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis of peer-reviewed studies was conducted following PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. Studies were selected if they included individuals aged 13-26 with a DSM-IV or DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Fourth and Fifth Edition) addictive disorder diagnosis, used neuroimaging, administered a treatment/intervention, and reported within- or between-subject contrasts in brain structure or activity across treatment/intervention and a control condition or brain-behavior correlations with treatment-outcome variables. Quantitative meta-analyses used an activation-likelihood estimation (ALE) approach. Results: Out of 3177 citations, 27 studies were included in the qualitative analysis. Qualitative analyses revealed anatomical, connectivity, and functional brain-behavior associations with response to addiction interventions across a broad array of cortical and subcortical brain regions and associated networks. Eighteen functional magnetic resonance imaging studies involving 354 participants and 88 brain foci were included in the ALE meta-analysis. Despite significant heterogeneity in study design and methods, six ALE activation clusters localized to the anterior cingulate cortex, inferior frontal gyrus, supramarginal gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, precuneus, and putamen showed consistent brain-behavior associations with treatment-outcome variables. Conclusions: Cortical and subcortical brain regions involved in cognition, emotion regulation, decision-making, reward, and self-reference are associated with treatment response in addicted youth. These results are consistent with findings in the adult literature and suggest overlapping neural treatment targets across developmental stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J. Hammond
- Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.,Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.,Address correspondence to: Christopher J. Hammond, MD, PhD, Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, 5510 Nathan Shock Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224
| | - Aliyah Allick
- Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.,Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Naisa Rahman
- Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.,Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Julie Nanavati
- Welch Medical Library, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
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Abstract
Substance and alcohol use disorders impose large health and economic burdens on individuals, families, communities, and society. Neither prevention nor treatment efforts are effective in all individuals. Results are often modest. Advances in neuroscience and addiction research have helped to describe the neurobiological changes that occur when a person transitions from recreational substance use to a substance use disorder or addiction. Understanding both the drivers and consequences of substance use in vulnerable populations, including those whose brains are still maturing, has revealed behavioral and biological characteristics that can increase risks of addiction. These findings are particularly timely, as law- and policymakers are tasked to reverse the ongoing opioid epidemic, as more states legalize marijuana, as new products including electronic cigarettes and newly designed abused substances enter the legal and illegal markets, and as "deaths of despair" from alcohol and drug misuse continue.
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Affiliation(s)
- George R. Uhl
- New Mexico VA Healthcare SystemAlbuquerqueNew Mexico
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28
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Smeets PAM, de Graaf C. Brain Responses to Anticipation and Consumption of Beer with and without Alcohol. Chem Senses 2019; 44:51-60. [PMID: 30423017 DOI: 10.1093/chemse/bjy071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Beer is a popular alcoholic beverage worldwide. Nonalcoholic beer (NA-beer) is increasingly marketed. Brain responses to beer and NA-beer have not been compared. It could be that the flavor of beer constitutes a conditioned stimulus associated with alcohol reward. Therefore, we investigated whether oral exposure to NA-beer with or without alcohol elicits similar brain responses in reward-related areas in a context where regular alcoholic beer is expected. Healthy men (n = 21) who were regular beer drinkers were scanned using functional MRI. Participants were exposed to word cues signaling delivery of a 10-mL sip of chilled beer or carbonated water (control) and subsequent sips of NA-beer with or without alcohol or water (control). Beer alcohol content was not signaled. The beer cue elicited less activation than the control cue in the primary visual cortex, supplementary motor area (reward-related region) and bilateral inferior frontal gyrus/frontal operculum. During tasting, there were no significant differences between the 2 beers. Taste activation after swallowing was significantly greater for alcoholic than for NA-beer in the inferior frontal gyrus/anterior insula and dorsal prefrontal cortex (superior frontal gyrus). This appears to be due to sensory stimulation by ethanol rather than reward processing. In conclusion, we found no differences in acute brain reward upon consumption of NA-beer with and without alcohol, when presented in a context where regular alcoholic beer is expected. This suggests that in regular consumers, beer flavor rather than the presence of alcohol is the main driver of the consumption experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul A M Smeets
- Division of Human Nutrition and Health, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands.,Image Sciences Institute, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Cees de Graaf
- Division of Human Nutrition and Health, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
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29
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Nock NL, Minnes S, Alberts JL. Neurobiology of substance use in adolescents and potential therapeutic effects of exercise for prevention and treatment of substance use disorders. Birth Defects Res 2018; 109:1711-1729. [PMID: 29251846 DOI: 10.1002/bdr2.1182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2017] [Accepted: 11/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Substance use (e.g., alcohol, marijuana, opioids, cocaine., etc,) use often initiates during adolescence, a critical period of physiological and social development marked by an increase in risk-taking due, in part, to heightened motivation to obtain arousal from rewards. Substance use during adolescence has been associated with a greater risk of substance use disorders (SUD) in adulthood. Although use rates for most substances have remained relatively stable, the frequency of marijuana use and the perception that regular marijuana use is not harmful has increased in adolescents. Furthermore, the nonmedical use of opioids has increased, particularly in the South, Midwest, and rural low-income communities. Substance use in adolescence has been associated with adverse structural and functional brain changes and, may exacerbate the natural "imbalance" between frontal/regulatory and cortical-subcortical circuits, leading to further heightened impulsive and reward-driven behaviors. Exercise increases growth and brain-derived neurotrophic factors that stimulate endogenous dopaminergic systems that, in turn, enhance general plasticity, learning, and memory. Exercise may help to reinforce the "naïve" or underdeveloped connections between neurological reward and regulatory processes in adolescence from the "bottom up" and "offset" reward seeking from substances, while concomitantly improving cardiovascular health, as well as academic and social achievement. In this review, we provide an overview of the current state of substance use in adolescents and rationale for the utilization of exercise, particularly "assisted" exercise, which we have shown increases neural activity in cortical-subcortical regions and may modulate brain dopamine levels during adolescence, a unique window of heightened reward sensitivity and neural plasticity, for the prevention and adjunctive treatment of SUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nora L Nock
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Sonia Minnes
- Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Jay L Alberts
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio
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30
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Yip SW, Potenza MN. Application of Research Domain Criteria to childhood and adolescent impulsive and addictive disorders: Implications for treatment. Clin Psychol Rev 2018; 64:41-56. [PMID: 27876165 PMCID: PMC5423866 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2016.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2014] [Revised: 03/18/2016] [Accepted: 11/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) initiative provides a large-scale, dimensional framework for the integration of research findings across traditional diagnoses, with the long-term aim of improving existing psychiatric treatments. A neurodevelopmental perspective is essential to this endeavor. However, few papers synthesizing research findings across childhood and adolescent disorders exist. Here, we discuss how the RDoC framework may be applied to the study of childhood and adolescent impulsive and addictive disorders in order to improve neurodevelopmental understanding and to enhance treatment development. Given the large scope of RDoC, we focus on a single construct highly relevant to addictive and impulsive disorders - initial responsiveness to reward attainment. Findings from genetic, molecular, neuroimaging and other translational research methodologies are highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah W Yip
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States; The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Marc N Potenza
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States; The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States; Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States; Department of Neurobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States.
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31
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Lees B, Mewton L, Stapinski L, Squeglia LM, Rae C, Teesson M. Binge drinking in young people: protocol for a systematic review of neuropsychological, neurophysiological and neuroimaging studies. BMJ Open 2018; 8:e023629. [PMID: 30061448 PMCID: PMC6067338 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-023629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2018] [Revised: 06/17/2018] [Accepted: 07/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Binge drinking is the most common pattern of alcohol use among young people in Western countries. Adolescence and young adulthood is a vulnerable developmental period and binge drinking during this time has a higher potential for neurotoxicity and interference with ongoing neural and cognitive development. The purpose of this systematic review will be to assess and integrate evidence of the impact of binge drinking on cognition, brain structure and function in youth aged 10-24 years. Cross-sectional studies will synthesise the aberrations associated with binge drinking, while longitudinal studies will distinguish the cognitive and neural antecedents from the cognitive and neural effects that are a consequence of binge drinking. METHODS AND ANALYSIS A total of five peer-reviewed databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Medline, PsychINFO, ProQuest) will be systematically searched and the search period will include all studies published prior to 1 April 2018. The search terms will be a combination of MeSH keywords that are based on previous relevant reviews. Study selection will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines and study quality will be assessed using The Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach. All studies will be screened against eligibility criteria designed to synthesise studies that examined a young binge drinking sample and used neuropsychological, neurophysiological or neuroimaging assessment techniques. Studies will be excluded if participants were significantly involved in other substances or if they had been clinically diagnosed with an alcohol use disorder, or any psychiatric, neurological or pharmacological condition. If available data permits, a meta-analysis will be conducted. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION Formal ethics approval is not required as primary data will not be collected. The results will be disseminated through a peer-reviewed publication, conference presentations and social media. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER International Prospective Register for Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) number: CRD42018086856.
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Affiliation(s)
- Briana Lees
- Centre of Research Excellence in Mental Health and Substance Use, National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Louise Mewton
- Centre of Research Excellence in Mental Health and Substance Use, National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Lexine Stapinski
- Centre of Research Excellence in Mental Health and Substance Use, National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Lindsay M Squeglia
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, United States
| | - Caroline Rae
- Neuroscience Research Australia, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Maree Teesson
- Centre of Research Excellence in Mental Health and Substance Use, National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
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32
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Ray LA, Roche DJO. Neurobiology of Craving: Current Findings and New Directions. CURRENT ADDICTION REPORTS 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s40429-018-0202-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Jones SA, Lueras JM, Nagel BJ. Effects of Binge Drinking on the Developing Brain. Alcohol Res 2018; 39:87-96. [PMID: 30557151 PMCID: PMC6104956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Binge drinking is a pattern of alcohol drinking that raises a person's blood alcohol concentration to at least .08%, which amounts to consuming five alcoholic drinks for men and four alcoholic drinks for women in about 2 hours. It is the most common form of alcohol misuse in adolescents and young adults. Heavy drinking includes the same criterion as binge drinking, but with higher frequency (i.e., 5 or more days in the past 30 days). Although binge drinking or heavy drinking alone is insufficient to meet the criteria for an alcohol use disorder (AUD) diagnosis, there are neurobiological changes, as well as an increased risk of developing an AUD later in life, associated with this form of alcohol misuse. This review describes the recent neuroimaging findings in binge drinking and heavy-drinking adolescents and young adults, a developmental period during which significant neuromaturation occurs.
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Courtney AL, Rapuano KM, Sargent JD, Heatherton TF, Kelley WM. Reward System Activation in Response to Alcohol Advertisements Predicts College Drinking. J Stud Alcohol Drugs 2018; 79:29-38. [PMID: 29227227 PMCID: PMC5894856 DOI: 10.15288/jsad.2018.79.29] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE In this study, we assess whether activation of the brain's reward system in response to alcohol advertisements is associated with college drinking. Previous research has established a relationship between exposure to alcohol marketing and underage drinking. Within other appetitive domains, the relationship between cue exposure and behavioral enactment is known to rely on activation of the brain's reward system. However, the relationship between neural activation to alcohol advertisements and alcohol consumption has not been studied in a nondisordered population. METHOD In this cross-sectional study, 53 college students (32 women) completed a functional magnetic resonance imaging scan while viewing alcohol, food, and control (car and technology) advertisements. Afterward, they completed a survey about their alcohol consumption (including frequency of drinking, typical number of drinks consumed, and frequency of binge drinking) over the previous month. RESULTS In 43 participants (24 women) meeting inclusion criteria, viewing alcohol advertisements elicited activation in the left orbitofrontal cortex and bilateral ventral striatum-regions of the reward system that typically activate to other appetitive rewards and relate to consumption behaviors. Moreover, the level of self-reported drinking correlated with the magnitude of activation in the left orbitofrontal cortex. CONCLUSIONS Results suggest that alcohol cues are processed within the reward system in a way that may motivate drinking behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea L. Courtney
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire,Correspondence may be sent to Andrea L. Courtney at the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, 6207 Moore Hall, Hanover, NH 03755, or via email at:
| | - Kristina M. Rapuano
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire
| | - James D. Sargent
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire,Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, New Hampshire
| | - Todd F. Heatherton
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire
| | - William M. Kelley
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire
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35
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Acosta Barreto MR, Juárez Acosta F, Cuartas Arias M. Funciones ejecutivas y antecedentes familiares de alcoholismo en adolescentes. PENSAMIENTO PSICOLÓGICO 2017. [DOI: 10.11144/javerianacali.ppsi16-1.feaf] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022] Open
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Predictors of Naltrexone Response in a Randomized Trial: Reward-Related Brain Activation, OPRM1 Genotype, and Smoking Status. Neuropsychopharmacology 2017; 42:2640-2653. [PMID: 28409564 PMCID: PMC5686497 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2017.74] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2016] [Revised: 03/01/2017] [Accepted: 04/04/2017] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Naltrexone reduces drinking among individuals with alcohol use disorders (AUDs), but it is not effective for everyone. Variability in its effects on reward-related brain activation, genetic variation, and/or cigarette smoking may account for this mixed response profile. This randomized clinical trial tested the effects of naltrexone on drinking and alcohol cue-elicited brain activation, evaluated whether OPRM1 A118G genotype or smoking moderated these effects, and explored whether the effects of medication on cue-elicited activation predicted subsequent drinking. One hundred and fifty-two treatment-seeking individuals with alcohol dependence, half preselected to carry at least one A118G G (Asp) allele, were randomized to naltrexone (50 mg) or placebo for 16 weeks and administered an fMRI alcohol cue reactivity task at baseline and after 2 weeks of treatment. Naltrexone, relative to placebo, significantly reduced alcohol cue-elicited activation of the right ventral striatum (VS) between baseline and week 2 and reduced heavy drinking over 16 weeks. OPRM1 genotype did not significantly moderate these effects, but G-allele carriers who received naltrexone had an accelerated return to heavy drinking after medication was stopped. Smoking moderated the effects of medication on drinking, such that naltrexone was superior to placebo only among smokers. The degree of reduction in right VS activation between scans interacted with medication in predicting subsequent drinking, such that individuals with greater reduction in activation who received naltrexone, but not placebo, experienced the least heavy drinking during the following 14 weeks. These data replicate previous findings that naltrexone reduces heavy drinking and reward-related brain activation among treatment-seeking individuals with AUDs, and indicate that smoking and the magnitude of reduction in cue-elicited brain activation may predict treatment response.
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37
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Cservenka A, Brumback T. The Burden of Binge and Heavy Drinking on the Brain: Effects on Adolescent and Young Adult Neural Structure and Function. Front Psychol 2017; 8:1111. [PMID: 28713313 PMCID: PMC5491846 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2017] [Accepted: 06/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Adolescence and young adulthood are periods of continued biological and psychosocial maturation. Thus, there may be deleterious effects of consuming large quantities of alcohol on neural development and associated cognition during this time. The purpose of this mini review is to highlight neuroimaging research that has specifically examined the effects of binge and heavy drinking on adolescent and young adult brain structure and function. Methods: We review cross-sectional and longitudinal studies of young binge and heavy drinkers that have examined brain structure (e.g., gray and white matter volume, cortical thickness, white matter microstructure) and investigated brain response using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Results: Binge and heavy-drinking adolescents and young adults have systematically thinner and lower volume in prefrontal cortex and cerebellar regions, and attenuated white matter development. They also show elevated brain activity in fronto-parietal regions during working memory, verbal learning, and inhibitory control tasks. In response to alcohol cues, relative to controls or light-drinking individuals, binge and heavy drinkers show increased neural response mainly in mesocorticolimbic regions, including the striatum, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), hippocampus, and amygdala. Mixed findings are present in risky decision-making tasks, which could be due to large variation in task design and analysis. Conclusions: These findings suggest altered neural structure and activity in binge and heavy-drinking youth may be related to the neurotoxic effects of consuming alcohol in large quantities during a highly plastic neurodevelopmental period, which could result in neural reorganization, and increased risk for developing an alcohol use disorder (AUD).
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Affiliation(s)
- Anita Cservenka
- School of Psychological Science, Oregon State UniversityCorvallis, OR, United States
| | - Ty Brumback
- Mental Health Service, VA San Diego Healthcare SystemSan Diego, CA, United States.,Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San DiegoSan Diego, CA, United States
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Moreno-Rius J, Miquel M. The cerebellum in drug craving. Drug Alcohol Depend 2017; 173:151-158. [PMID: 28259088 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2016.12.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2016] [Revised: 12/04/2016] [Accepted: 12/28/2016] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Craving has been considered one of the core features of addiction. It can be defined as the urge or conscious desire to use a drug elicited by the drug itself, drug-associated cues or stressors. Craving plays a major role in relapse, even after prolonged periods of abstinence, as well as in the maintenance of drug seeking in non-abstinent addicts. The circuitry of craving includes medial parts of the prefrontal cortex, ventral striatal zones, ventral tegmental area, ventral pallidum, and limbic regions. Interestingly, the cerebellum shows reciprocal loops with many of these areas. The cerebellum has been linked traditionally to motor functions but increasing evidence indicates that this part of the brain is also involved in functions related to cognition, prediction, learning, and memory. Moreover, the functional neuroimaging studies that have addressed the study of craving in humans repeatedly demonstrate cerebellar activation when craving is elicited by the presentation of drug-related cues. However, the role of cerebellar activity in these craving episodes remains unknown. Therefore, the main goal of this review is to provide a brief update on craving studies and the traditional neural basis of this phenomenon, and then discuss and propose a hypothesis for the function of the cerebellum in craving episodes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marta Miquel
- Psychobiology, Universitat Jaume I, Castellon de la Plana, Spain.
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Meruelo AD, Castro N, Cota CI, Tapert SF. Cannabis and alcohol use, and the developing brain. Behav Brain Res 2017; 325:44-50. [PMID: 28223098 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.02.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2016] [Revised: 02/12/2017] [Accepted: 02/16/2017] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Sex hormones and white (and grey) matter in the limbic system, cortex and other brain regions undergo changes during adolescence. Some of these changes include ongoing white matter myelination and sexually dimorphic features in grey and white matter. Adolescence is also a period of vulnerability when many are first exposed to alcohol and cannabis, which appear to influence the developing brain. Neuropsychological studies have provided considerable understanding of the effects of alcohol and cannabis on the brain. Advances in neuroimaging have allowed examination of neuroanatomic changes, metabolic and neurotransmitter activity, and neuronal activation during adolescent brain development and substance use. In this review, we examine major differences in brain development between users and non-users, and recent findings on the influence of cannabis and alcohol on the adolescent brain. We also discuss associations that appear to resolve following short-term abstinence, and attentional deficits that appear to persist. These findings can be useful in guiding earlier educational interventions for adolescents, and clarifying the neural sequelae of early alcohol and cannabis use to the general public.
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Affiliation(s)
- A D Meruelo
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego,9500 Gilman Drive, CA La Jolla 92093, USA.
| | - N Castro
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego,9500 Gilman Drive, CA La Jolla 92093, USA.
| | - C I Cota
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego,9500 Gilman Drive, CA La Jolla 92093, USA.
| | - S F Tapert
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego,9500 Gilman Drive, CA La Jolla 92093, USA.
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Model-Free Temporal-Difference Learning and Dopamine in Alcohol Dependence: Examining Concepts From Theory and Animals in Human Imaging. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2016; 1:401-410. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2016.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2016] [Revised: 06/09/2016] [Accepted: 06/14/2016] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
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Abstract
Adolescence is an important neurodevelopmental period marked by rapidly escalating rates of alcohol and drug use. Over the past decade, research has attempted to disentangle pre- and post-substance use effects on brain development by using sophisticated longitudinal designs. This review focuses on recent, prospective studies and addresses the following important questions: (1) what neuropsychological and neural features predate adolescent substance use, making youth more vulnerable to engage in heavy alcohol or drug use, and (2) how does heavy alcohol and drug use affect normal neural development and cognitive functioning? Findings suggest that pre-existing neural features that relate to increased substance use during adolescence include poorer neuropsychological functioning on tests of inhibition and working memory, smaller gray and white matter volume, changes in white matter integrity, and altered brain activation during inhibition, working memory, reward, and resting state. After substance use is initiated, alcohol and marijuana use are associated with poorer cognitive functioning on tests of verbal memory, visuospatial functioning, psychomotor speed, working memory, attention, cognitive control, and overall IQ. Heavy alcohol use during adolescence is related to accelerated decreases in gray matter and attenuated increases in white matter volume, as well as increased brain activation during tasks of inhibition and working memory, relative to controls. Larger longitudinal studies with more diverse samples are needed to better understand the interactive effects of alcohol, marijuana, and other substances, as well as the role of sex, co-occurring psychopathology, genetics, sleep, and age of initiation on substance use.
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Hu S, Zhang S, Chao HH, Krystal JH, Li CSR. Association of Drinking Problems and Duration of Alcohol Use to Inhibitory Control in Nondependent Young Adult Social Drinkers. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2016; 40:319-28. [PMID: 26833431 DOI: 10.1111/acer.12964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2015] [Accepted: 11/07/2015] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Deficits in inhibitory control have been widely implicated in alcohol misuse. However, the literature does not readily distinguish the effects of drinking problems and chronic alcohol use. Here, we examined how years of drinking and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) score each influences the cerebral responses to inhibitory control in nondependent drinkers. METHODS Fifty-seven adult drinkers and 57 age- and gender-matched nondrinkers participated in one 40-minute functional magnetic resonance imaging scan of the stop signal task. Data were preprocessed and modeled using SPM8. In a regression model, we contrasted stop and go success trials for individuals and examined activities of response inhibition each in link with the AUDIT score and years of alcohol use in group analyses. We specified the effects of duration of use by contrasting regional activations of drinkers and age-related changes in nondrinkers. In mediation analyses, we investigated how regional activities mediate the relationship between drinking problems and response inhibition. RESULTS Higher AUDIT score but not years of drinking was positively correlated with prolonged stop signal reaction time (SSRT) and diminished responses in the cerebellum, thalamus, frontal and parietal regions, independent of years of alcohol use. Further, activity of the thalamus, anterior cingulate cortex, and presupplementary motor area significantly mediates the association, bidirectionally, between the AUDIT score and SSRT. The duration of alcohol use was associated with decreased activation in the right inferior frontal gyrus extending to superior temporal gyrus, which was not observed for age-related changes in nondrinkers. CONCLUSIONS The results distinguished the association of drinking problems and years of alcohol use to inhibitory control in young adult nondependent drinkers. These new findings extend the imaging literature of alcohol misuse and may have implications for treatment to prevent the escalation from social to dependent drinking. More research is needed to confirm age-independent neural correlates of years of alcohol use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sien Hu
- Department of Psychiatry , Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Sheng Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry , Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Herta H Chao
- Department of Internal Medicine , Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.,Medical Service , VA Connecticut Health Care Systems, West Haven, Connecticut
| | - John H Krystal
- Department of Psychiatry , Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.,Department of Neurobiology , Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.,Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program , Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Chiang-Shan R Li
- Department of Psychiatry , Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.,Department of Neurobiology , Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.,Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program , Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
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Brown SA, Brumback T, Tomlinson K, Cummins K, Thompson WK, Nagel BJ, De Bellis MD, Hooper SR, Clark DB, Chung T, Hasler BP, Colrain IM, Baker FC, Prouty D, Pfefferbaum A, Sullivan EV, Pohl KM, Rohlfing T, Nichols BN, Chu W, Tapert SF. The National Consortium on Alcohol and NeuroDevelopment in Adolescence (NCANDA): A Multisite Study of Adolescent Development and Substance Use. J Stud Alcohol Drugs 2015; 76:895-908. [PMID: 26562597 PMCID: PMC4712659 DOI: 10.15288/jsad.2015.76.895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 156] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2015] [Accepted: 07/20/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE During adolescence, neurobiological maturation occurs concurrently with social and interpersonal changes, including the initiation of alcohol and other substance use. The National Consortium on Alcohol and NeuroDevelopment in Adolescence (NCANDA) is designed to disentangle the complex relationships between onset, escalation, and desistance of alcohol use and changes in neurocognitive functioning and neuromaturation. METHOD A sample of 831 youth, ages 12-21 years, was recruited at five sites across the United States, oversampling those at risk for alcohol use problems. Most (83%) had limited or no history of alcohol or other drug use, and a smaller portion (17%) exceeded drinking thresholds. A comprehensive assessment of biological development, family background, psychiatric symptomatology, and neuropsychological functioning-in addition to anatomical, diffusion, and functional brain magnetic resonance imaging-was completed at baseline. RESULTS The NCANDA sample of youth is nationally representative of sex and racial/ethnic groups. More than 50% have at least one risk characteristic for subsequent heavy drinking (e.g., family history, internalizing or externalizing symptoms). As expected, those who exceeded drinking thresholds (n = 139) differ from those who did not (n = 692) on identified factors associated with early alcohol use and problems. CONCLUSIONS NCANDA successfully recruited a large sample of adolescents and comprehensively assessed psychosocial functioning across multiple domains. Based on the sample's risk profile, NCANDA is well positioned to capture the transition into drinking and alcohol problems in a large portion of the cohort, as well as to help disentangle the associations between alcohol use, neurobiological maturation, and neurocognitive development and functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra A. Brown
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
- Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Ty Brumback
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Kristin Tomlinson
- Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Kevin Cummins
- Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Wesley K. Thompson
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Bonnie J. Nagel
- Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | | | - Stephen R. Hooper
- Department of Allied Health Sciences, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Duncan B. Clark
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Tammy Chung
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Brant P. Hasler
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Ian M. Colrain
- Center for Health Sciences, SRI International, Menlo Park, California
| | - Fiona C. Baker
- Center for Health Sciences, SRI International, Menlo Park, California
| | - Devin Prouty
- Center for Health Sciences, SRI International, Menlo Park, California
| | - Adolf Pfefferbaum
- Center for Health Sciences, SRI International, Menlo Park, California
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California
| | - Edith V. Sullivan
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California
| | - Kilian M. Pohl
- Center for Health Sciences, SRI International, Menlo Park, California
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California
| | - Torsten Rohlfing
- Center for Health Sciences, SRI International, Menlo Park, California
- Google, Inc., Mountain View, California
| | - B. Nolan Nichols
- Center for Health Sciences, SRI International, Menlo Park, California
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California
| | - Weiwei Chu
- Center for Health Sciences, SRI International, Menlo Park, California
| | - Susan F. Tapert
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
- Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California
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Feldstein Ewing SW, Houck JM, Yezhuvath U, Shokri-Kojori E, Truitt D, Filbey FM. The impact of therapists' words on the adolescent brain: In the context of addiction treatment. Behav Brain Res 2015; 297:359-69. [PMID: 26455873 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2015.09.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2015] [Revised: 09/09/2015] [Accepted: 09/28/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
At this time, we still do not know how therapist behaviors influence adolescent brain response and related treatment outcomes. Therefore, we examined this question with 17 binge drinking youth (mean age=16.62 years; 64.3% female; 42.9% Hispanic; 28.6% bi-/multi-racial). In this within-subjects design, all youth completed a baseline assessment, two therapy sessions, an fMRI scan, and were re-evaluated for behavior change at one-month post-treatment. During the fMRI session, youth were presented with two types of responses from their treating therapist: higher-skill statements prescribed in an empirically-supported addiction treatment (complex reflections) vs. language standard within addiction treatment more broadly (closed questions). In terms of behavior change, at the one-month follow-up, youth showed significant reductions in number of drinking days and binge drinking days. Further, we found main effects for complex reflections and closed questions across the superior middle temporal gyrus and middle temporal gyrus (FWE-corrected, p<.05). Greater brain response was observed for complex reflections versus closed questions within the bilateral anterior cingulate gyrus. Greater BOLD response in the parietal lobe during closed questions was significantly associated with less post-treatment drinking. Lower BOLD response during complex reflections and closed questions in the precuneus were associated with greater post-treatment ratings of importance of changing. This study represents a first step in understanding how therapist behaviors influence the developing adolescent brain and how that neural response may be associated with youth treatment outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah W Feldstein Ewing
- Oregon Health & Science University, Department of Psychiatry, 3314 SW US Veteran's Hospital Road, M/C DC7P, Portland, OR 97239, USA.
| | - Jon M Houck
- University of New Mexico Department of Psychology and Center on Alcoholism, Substance Abuse, and Addictions (UNM CASAA), 2650 Yale Blvd SE, MSC11 6280, Albuquerque, NM 87106, USA.
| | - Uma Yezhuvath
- Advance MRI LLC, 8700 Stonebrook Parkway, #105, Frisco, TX 75034, USA.
| | | | - Dustin Truitt
- University of New Mexico Department of Psychology and Center on Alcoholism, Substance Abuse, and Addictions (UNM CASAA), 2650 Yale Blvd SE, MSC11 6280, Albuquerque, NM 87106, USA.
| | - Francesca M Filbey
- Center for BrainHealth, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, 2200 West Mockingbird Lane, Dallas, TX 75235, USA.
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