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Hubbard NA, Miller KB, Aloi J, Bajaj S, Wakabayashi KT, Blair RJR. Evaluating instrumental learning and striatal-cortical functional connectivity in adolescent alcohol and cannabis use. Addict Biol 2023; 28:e13258. [PMID: 36577718 PMCID: PMC10173870 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13258] [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: 05/05/2022] [Revised: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Adolescence is a vulnerable time for the acquisition of substance use disorders, potentially relating to ongoing development of neural circuits supporting instrumental learning. Striatal-cortical circuits undergo dynamic changes during instrumental learning and are implicated in contemporary addiction theory. Human studies have not yet investigated these dynamic changes in relation to adolescent substance use. Here, functional magnetic resonance imaging was used while 135 adolescents without (AUD-CUDLow ) and with significant alcohol (AUDHigh ) or cannabis use disorder symptoms (CUDHigh ) performed an instrumental learning task. We assessed how cumulative experience with instrumental cues altered cue selection preferences and functional connectivity strength between reward-sensitive striatal and cortical regions. Adolescents in AUDHigh and CUDHigh groups were slower in learning to select optimal instrumental cues relative to AUD-CUDLow adolescents. The relatively fast learning observed for AUD-CUDLow adolescents coincided with stronger functional connectivity between striatal and frontoparietal regions during early relative to later periods of task experience, whereas the slower learning for the CUDHigh group coincided with the opposite pattern. The AUDHigh group not only exhibited slower learning but also produced more instrumental choice errors relative to AUD-CUDLow adolescents. For the AUDHigh group, Bayesian analyses evidenced moderate support for no experience-related changes in striatal-frontoparietal connectivity strength during the task. Findings suggest that adolescent cannabis use is related to slowed instrumental learning and delays in peak functional connectivity strength between the striatal-frontoparietal regions that support this learning, whereas adolescent alcohol use may be more closely linked to broader impairments in instrumental learning and a general depression of the neural circuits supporting it.
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Affiliation(s)
- NA Hubbard
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE
| | - KB Miller
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE
| | - J Aloi
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN
| | - S Bajaj
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research in Children, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE
| | - KT Wakabayashi
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE
| | - RJR Blair
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Centre, Mental Health Services, Capital Region of Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark
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2
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Hsu TW, Chu CS, Tsai SJ, Hsu JW, Huang KL, Cheng CM, Su TP, Chen TJ, Bai YM, Liang CS, Chen MH. Diagnostic progression to schizophrenia: A nationwide cohort study of 11 170 adolescents and young adults with autism spectrum disorder. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2022; 76:644-651. [PMID: 36057134 DOI: 10.1111/pcn.13468] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
AIMS Previous studies have suggested an increased risk of developing schizophrenia later in life in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study aims to investigate the diagnosis stability and the potential predictors for progression to schizophrenia in ASD. METHODS We recruited 11 170 adolescents (10-19 years) and young adults (20-29 years) with ASD between 2001 and 2010. They were followed up to the end of 2011 to identify newly diagnosed schizophrenia. The Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression with age as a time scale were employed to estimate incidence rates and the significance of candidate predictors. RESULTS The progression rate from ASD to schizophrenia was 10.26% for 10 years of follow-up. Among 860 progressors, 580 (67.44%) occurred within the first 3 years after a diagnosis of ASD. The identified predictors were age (reported as hazard ratio with 95% confidence interval: 1.13; 1.11-1.15), depressive disorder (1.36; 1.09-1.69), alcohol use disorder (3.05; 2.14-4.35), substance use disorder (1.91; 1.18-3.09), cluster A personality disorder (2.95; 1.79-4.84), cluster B personality disorder (1.86; 1.05-3.28), and a family history of schizophrenia (2.12; 1.65-2.74). CONCLUSION More than two-thirds of the progressors developed schizophrenia within the first 3 years. Demographic characteristics, physical and psychiatric comorbidities, and psychiatric family history were significant predictors of progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tien-Wei Hsu
- Department of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Che-Sheng Chu
- Department of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Shih-Jen Tsai
- Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ju-Wei Hsu
- Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Kai-Lin Huang
- Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Ming Cheng
- Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Tung-Ping Su
- Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Psychiatry, General Cheng Hsin Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Tzeng-Ji Chen
- Department of Family Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.,Institute of Hospital and Health Care Administration, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Family Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Hsinchu Branch, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Ya-Mei Bai
- Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Sung Liang
- Department of Psychiatry, Beitou Branch, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Mu-Hong Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan
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3
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Xie JY, Li RH, Yuan W, Du J, Zhou DS, Cheng YQ, Xu XM, Liu H, Yuan TF. Advances in neuroimaging studies of alcohol use disorder (AUD). PSYCHORADIOLOGY 2022; 2:146-155. [PMID: 38665276 PMCID: PMC11003430 DOI: 10.1093/psyrad/kkac018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a worldwide problem and the most common substance use disorder. Chronic alcohol consumption may have negative effects on the body, the mind, the family, and even society. With the progress of current neuroimaging methods, an increasing number of imaging techniques are being used to objectively detect brain impairment induced by alcoholism and serve a vital role in the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment assessment of AUD. This article organizes and analyzes the research on alcohol dependence concerning the main noninvasive neuroimaging methods, structural magnetic resonance imaging, functional magnetic resonance imaging, and electroencephalography, as well as the most common noninvasive brain stimulation - transcranial magnetic stimulation, and intersperses the article with joint intra- and intergroup studies, providing an outlook on future research directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji-Yu Xie
- School of Mental Health, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzho 325000, Zhejiangu, China
| | - Rui-Hua Li
- Shandong Mental Health Center, Shandong University, Jinan 250014, Shandong, China
| | - Wei Yuan
- Shandong Mental Health Center, Shandong University, Jinan 250014, Shandong, China
| | - Jiang Du
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Dong-Sheng Zhou
- Department of Psychiatry, Ningbo Kangning Hospital, Ningbo 315000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yu-Qi Cheng
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming 650000, Yunnan, China
| | - Xue-Ming Xu
- Department of Psychiatry, Taizhou Second People's Hospital, Taizhou 318000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Heng Liu
- Department of Radiology, the Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Medical Imaging Center of Guizhou Province, Zunyi 563000, Guizhou, China
| | - Ti-Fei Yuan
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China
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4
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Li G, Chen Y, Chaudhary S, Tang X, Li CSR. Loss and Frontal Striatal Reactivities Characterize Alcohol Use Severity and Rule-Breaking Behavior in Young Adult Drinkers. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2022; 7:1007-1016. [PMID: 35709958 PMCID: PMC10249655 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2022.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Revised: 05/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/02/2022] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alcohol misuse is associated with externalizing behaviors, including rule breaking. Studies have implicated altered reward processing in externalizing behaviors and alcohol misuse. Here, we investigated whether reward or punishment reactivity more significantly influenced alcohol use severity and rule-breaking behavior in young adult drinkers. METHODS We curated data from the Human Connectome Project and identified 181 binge (132 men) and 288 nonbinge (97 men) drinkers performing a gambling task during brain imaging. Alcohol use severity was quantified by the first principal component of principal-component analysis of all drinking measures. We analyzed the imaging data using published routines and evaluated the results at a corrected threshold. We examined the interrelationship between imaging and clinical metrics with mediation and path analyses. RESULTS Compared with nonbingers, bingers showed more severe rule-breaking behavior and responded significantly faster during post-loss than during post-win trials. Compared with nonbingers, bingers demonstrated greater inferior/middle frontal gyrus and cerebellum activations in loss-predominating blocks but no differences in regional responses to win-predominating blocks, relative to an interblock baseline. The right caudate body showed loss reactivity that was positively correlated with the rule-breaking score. No regional responses to wins were significantly correlated with the rule-breaking score. Mediation and path analyses demonstrated significant models with inferior/middle frontal gyrus and caudate reactivity to loss interrelating rule breaking and alcohol use severity. CONCLUSIONS Punishment rather than reward reactivity was associated with alcohol use severity and rule breaking in young adults. The findings highlight the roles of negative emotions in psychological models of externalizing behaviors and alcohol misuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangfei Li
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Environment and Life Sciences, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, China; Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Yu Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Shefali Chaudhary
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Xiaoying Tang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China.
| | - Chiang-Shan R Li
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.
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5
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A Meta-Analysis of fMRI Studies of Youth Cannabis Use: Alterations in Executive Control, Social Cognition/Emotion Processing, and Reward Processing in Cannabis Using Youth. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12101281. [PMID: 36291215 PMCID: PMC9599849 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12101281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Revised: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Adolescent cannabis use (CU) is associated with adverse health outcomes and may be increasing in response to changing cannabis laws. Recent imaging studies have identified differences in brain activity between adult CU and controls that are more prominent in early onset users. Whether these differences are present in adolescent CU and relate to age/developmental stage, sex, or cannabis exposure is unknown. Methods: A systematic review and subsequent effect-size seed-based d mapping (SDM) meta-analysis were conducted to examine differences in blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) response during fMRI studies between CU and non-using typically developing (TD) youth. Supplemental analyses investigated differences in BOLD signal in CU and TD youth as a function of sex, psychiatric comorbidity, and the dose and severity of cannabis exposure. Results: From 1371 citations, 45 fMRI studies were identified for inclusion in the SDM meta-analysis. These studies compared BOLD response contrasts in 1216 CU and 1486 non-using TD participants. In primary meta-analyses stratified by cognitive paradigms, CU (compared to TD) youth showed greater activation in the rostral medial prefrontal cortex (rmPFC) and decreased activation in the dorsal mPFC (dmPFC) and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) during executive control and social cognition/emotion processing, respectively. In meta-regression analyses and subgroup meta-analyses, sex, cannabis use disorder (CUD) severity, and psychiatric comorbidity were correlated with brain activation differences between CU and TD youth in mPFC and insular cortical regions. Activation differences in the caudate, thalamus, insula, dmPFC/dACC, and precentral and postcentral gyri varied as a function of the length of abstinence. Conclusions: Using an SDM meta-analytic approach, this report identified differences in neuronal response between CU and TD youth during executive control, emotion processing, and reward processing in cortical and subcortical brain regions that varied as a function of sex, CUD severity, psychiatric comorbidity, and length of abstinence. Whether aberrant brain function in CU youth is attributable to common predispositional factors, cannabis-induced neuroadaptive changes, or both warrants further investigation.
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6
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Feldstein Ewing SW, Karalunas SL, Kenyon EA, Yang M, Hudson KA, Filbey FM. Intersection between social inequality and emotion regulation on emerging adult cannabis use. DRUG AND ALCOHOL DEPENDENCE REPORTS 2022; 3:100050. [PMID: 35694031 PMCID: PMC9187048 DOI: 10.1016/j.dadr.2022.100050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Emerging adulthood (EA; ages 18-25) is characterized by socioemotional and neurodevelopmental challenges. Cannabis is a widely used substance among EAs, and hazardous use may increase risk for sustained use patterns and related health consequences. Research shows differential increases in hazardous use by objective as well as subjective measures of social inequality, with more concerning trajectories for youth with greater experiences of social inequality. Learning how to flexibly monitor and modify emotions in proactive ways (i.e., emotion regulation) is a central developmental task navigated during the EA window. Challenges to and with emotion regulation processes can contribute to the emergence of mental health symptoms during EA, including hazardous cannabis use. In this perspective, we highlight emotion dysregulation and social inequality as two critical factors that interact to either buffer against or exacerbate cannabis use during the EA period, noting critical gaps in the literature that merit additional research. We recommend novel methods and longitudinal designs to help clarify how dynamic cognition-emotion interplay predicts trajectories of negative emotional experiences and cannabis use in EA.
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7
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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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8
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Rohlfing N, Bonnet U, Tendolkar I, Hinney A, Scherbaum N. Subjective reward processing and catechol- O- methyltransferase Val158Met polymorphism as potential research domain criteria in addiction: A pilot study. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:992657. [PMID: 36311493 PMCID: PMC9613938 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.992657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) approach seeks to understand mental functioning in continuous valid dimensions ranging from functional to pathological. Reward processing is a transdiagnostic functioning domain of the RDoC. Due to prototypical abnormalities, addictions are especially applicable for the investigation of reward processing. Subjective reward processing is challenging to determine and differs between genotypes of the catechol-O-methyltransferase gene (COMT) Val158Met polymorphism for incomparable daily life experiences. Thus, we implemented the monetary incentive delay (MID) task with comparable reward cues and visual analog scales (VAS) to assess subjective reward processing in male abstinent cannabis-dependent individuals (N = 13) and a control group of nicotine smokers (N = 13). COMT Val158Met genotypes were nominally associated with differences in cigarettes smoked per day and motivation in the MID Task (p = 0.028; p = 0.017). For feedback gain, activation of the right insula was increased in controls, and activation correlated with gain expectancy and satisfaction about gain. Subjective value is not detached from reward parameters, but is modulated from expectancy and reward by the insula. The underlying neural mechanisms are a fundamental target point for treatments, interventions, and cognitive behavioral therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nico Rohlfing
- Department of Addictive Behaviour and Addiction Medicine, LVR-Hospital Essen, Hospital of the University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, LVR-Hospital Essen, Hospital of the University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Udo Bonnet
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, LVR-Hospital Essen, Hospital of the University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic Medicine, Evangelisches Krankenhaus Castrop-Rauxel, Academic Teaching Hospital of the University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Indira Tendolkar
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Medical Neuroscience, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Anke Hinney
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Norbert Scherbaum
- Department of Addictive Behaviour and Addiction Medicine, LVR-Hospital Essen, Hospital of the University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, LVR-Hospital Essen, Hospital of the University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
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9
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Blair RJR, Bashford-Largo J, Zhang R, Mathur A, Schwartz A, Elowsky J, Tyler P, Hammond CJ, Filbey FM, Dobbertin M, Bajaj S, Blair KS. Alcohol and Cannabis Use Disorder Symptom Severity, Conduct Disorder, and Callous-Unemotional Traits and Impairment in Expression Recognition. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:714189. [PMID: 34616316 PMCID: PMC8488132 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.714189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Alcohol and cannabis are commonly used by adolescents in the United States. Both alcohol use disorder (AUD) and cannabis use disorder (CUD) have been associated with reduced emotion expression recognition ability. However, this work has primarily occurred in adults and has not considered neuro-cognitive risk factors associated with conduct problems that commonly co-occur with, and precede, substance use. Yet, conduct problems are also associated with reduced emotion expression recognition ability. The current study investigated the extent of negative association between AUD and CUD symptom severity and expression recognition ability over and above any association of expression recognition ability with conduct problems [conduct disorder (CD) diagnostic status]. Methods: In this study, 152 youths aged 12.5-18 years (56 female; 60 diagnosed with CD) completed a rapid presentation morphed intensity facial expression task to investigate the association between relative severity of AUD/CUD and expression recognition ability. Results: Cannabis use disorder identification test (CUDIT) scores were negatively associated with recognition accuracy for higher intensity (particularly sad and fearful) expressions while CD diagnostic status was independently negatively associated with recognition of sad expressions. Alcohol use disorder identification test (AUDIT) scores were not significantly associated with expression recognition ability. Conclusions: These data indicate that relative severity of CUD and CD diagnostic status are statistically independently associated with reduced expression recognition ability. On the basis of these data, we speculate that increased cannabis use during adolescence may exacerbate a neuro-cognitive risk factor for the emergence of aggression and antisocial behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert James R. Blair
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, United States
| | - Johannah Bashford-Largo
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, United States
| | - Ru Zhang
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, United States
| | - Avantika Mathur
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, United States
| | - Amanda Schwartz
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, United States
| | - Jaimie Elowsky
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, United States
| | - Patrick Tyler
- Child and Family Translational Research Center, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, United States
| | | | - Francesca M. Filbey
- Center for BrainHealth, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Matthew Dobbertin
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, United States
| | - Sahil Bajaj
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, United States
| | - Karina S. Blair
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, United States
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10
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Gonçalves SF, Turpyn CC, Niehaus CE, Mauro KL, Hinagpis CL, Thompson JC, Chaplin TM. Neural activation to loss and reward among alcohol naive adolescents who later initiate alcohol use. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2021; 50:100978. [PMID: 34167021 PMCID: PMC8227823 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2021.100978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 05/13/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Adolescent alcohol use is associated with adverse psychosocial outcomes, including an increased risk of alcohol use disorder in adulthood. It is therefore important to identify risk factors of alcohol initiation in adolescence. Research to date has shown that altered neural activation to reward is associated with alcohol use in adolescence; however, few studies have focused on neural activation to loss and alcohol use. The current study examined neural activation to loss and reward among 64 alcohol naive 12−14 year olds that did (n = 20) and did not initiate alcohol use by a three year follow-up period. Results showed that compared to adolescents that did not initiate alcohol use, adolescents that did initiate alcohol use by the three year follow-up period had increased activation to loss in the left striatum (i.e., putamen), right precuneus, and the brainstem/pons when they were alcohol naive at baseline. By contrast, alcohol initiation was not associated with neural activation to winning a reward. These results suggest that increased activation in brain regions implicated in salience, error detection/self-referential processing, and sensorimotor function, especially to negative outcomes, may represent an initial vulnerability factor for alcohol use in adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie F Gonçalves
- Department of Psychology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, 22030, United States.
| | - Caitlin C Turpyn
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, United States.
| | - Claire E Niehaus
- Department of Psychology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, 22030, United States.
| | - Kelsey L Mauro
- Department of Psychology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, 22030, United States.
| | - Cristopher L Hinagpis
- Department of Psychology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, 22030, United States.
| | - James C Thompson
- Department of Psychology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, 22030, United States.
| | - Tara M Chaplin
- Department of Psychology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, 22030, United States.
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11
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Demidenko MI, Weigard AS, Ganesan K, Jang H, Jahn A, Huntley ED, Keating DP. Interactions between methodological and interindividual variability: How Monetary Incentive Delay (MID) task contrast maps vary and impact associations with behavior. Brain Behav 2021; 11:e02093. [PMID: 33750042 PMCID: PMC8119872 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.2093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Phenomena related to reward responsiveness have been extensively studied in their associations with substance use and socioemotional functioning. One important task in this literature is the Monetary Incentive Delay (MID) task. By cueing and delivering performance-contingent reward, the MID task has been demonstrated to elicit robust activation of neural circuits involved in different phases of reward responsiveness. However, systematic evaluations of common MID task contrasts have been limited to between-study comparisons of group-level activation maps, limiting their ability to directly evaluate how researchers' choice of contrasts impacts conclusions about individual differences in reward responsiveness or brain-behavior associations. METHODS In a sample of 104 participants (Age Mean = 19.3, SD = 1.3), we evaluate similarities and differences between contrasts in: group- and individual-level activation maps using Jaccard's similarity index, region of interest (ROI) mean signal intensities using Pearson's r, and associations between ROI mean signal intensity and psychological measures using Bayesian correlation. RESULTS Our findings demonstrate more similarities than differences between win and loss cues during the anticipation contrast, dissimilarity between some win anticipation contrasts, an apparent deactivation effect in the outcome phase, likely stemming from the blood oxygen level-dependent undershoot, and behavioral associations that are less robust than previously reported. CONCLUSION Consistent with recent empirical findings, this work has practical implications for helping researchers interpret prior MID studies and make more informed a priori decisions about how their contrast choices may modify results.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alexander S Weigard
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.,Addiction Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | | | - Hyesue Jang
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Andrew Jahn
- The Functional MRI Laboratory, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Edward D Huntley
- Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Daniel P Keating
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.,Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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12
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Aloi J, Crum KI, Blair KS, Zhang R, Bashford-Largo J, Bajaj S, Schwartz A, Carollo E, Hwang S, Leiker E, Filbey FM, Averbeck BB, Dobbertin M, Blair RJR. Individual associations of adolescent alcohol use disorder versus cannabis use disorder symptoms in neural prediction error signaling and the response to novelty. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2021; 48:100944. [PMID: 33773241 PMCID: PMC8024914 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2021.100944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2020] [Revised: 03/13/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Two of the most commonly used illegal substances by adolescents are alcohol and cannabis. Alcohol use disorder (AUD) and cannabis use disorder (CUD) are associated with poorer decision-making in adolescents. In adolescents, level of AUD symptomatology has been negatively associated with striatal reward responsivity. However, little work has explored the relationship with striatal reward prediction error (RPE) representation and the extent to which any augmentation of RPE by novel stimuli is impacted. One-hundred fifty-one adolescents participated in the Novelty Task while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). In this task, participants learn to choose novel or non-novel stimuli to gain monetary reward. Level of AUD symptomatology was negatively associated with both optimal decision-making and BOLD response modulation by RPE within striatum and regions of prefrontal cortex. The neural alterations in RPE representation were particularly pronounced when participants were exploring novel stimuli. Level of CUD symptomatology moderated the relationship between novelty propensity and RPE representation within inferior parietal lobule and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex. These data expand on an emerging literature investigating individual associations of AUD symptomatology levels versus CUD symptomatology levels and RPE representation during reinforcement processing and provide insight on the role of neuro-computational processes underlying reinforcement learning/decision-making in adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Aloi
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research in Children, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, United States; College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States.
| | - Kathleen I Crum
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States; Adolescent Behavioral Health Research Program, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States; Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, United States
| | - Karina S Blair
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research in Children, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, United States
| | - Ru Zhang
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research in Children, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, United States
| | - Johannah Bashford-Largo
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research in Children, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, United States
| | - Sahil Bajaj
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research in Children, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, United States
| | - Amanda Schwartz
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research in Children, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, United States
| | - Erin Carollo
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research in Children, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, United States
| | - Soonjo Hwang
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, United States
| | - Emily Leiker
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Francesca M Filbey
- Center for BrainHealth, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Bruno B Averbeck
- Section on Learning and Decision Making, Laboratory of Neuropsychology, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Matthew Dobbertin
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research in Children, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, United States
| | - R James R Blair
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research in Children, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, United States
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13
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Coronado C, Wade NE, Aguinaldo LD, Mejia MH, Jacobus J. Neurocognitive Correlates of Adolescent Cannabis Use: An Overview of Neural Activation Patterns in Task-Based Functional MRI Studies. JOURNAL OF PEDIATRIC NEUROPSYCHOLOGY 2021; 6:1-13. [PMID: 33425663 DOI: 10.1007/s40817-020-00076-5] [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] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Adolescence is dynamic and comprises physiological, psychological, and neurocognitive changes. Notably, many developmentally associated neurobiological changes (e.g., synaptic pruning, myelination) coincide with peak substances use prevalence rates, particularly for cannabis use. Cannabis remains the most commonly used illicit drug among adolescents with 23.9% reporting cannabis use in the last year (Johnston et al., 2019). Adolescents who engage in cannabis use often show poorer neurocognitive performance and alterations in structural and functional brain development as compared to their non-using peers (Jacobus & Tapert, 2014). Over the past several decades, the cognitive domains most consistently associated with cannabis use among adolescents are learning and memory and several facets of executive functioning (e.g., inhibitory control, decision-making). Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a non-invasive method for probing the neural substrates underlying possible cannabis-related changes in cognition. This brief review aims to synthesize recent findings on the relationship between adolescent (≤25 years old) cannabis use and neural response during task-based functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Findings thus far suggest aberrant, often hyperactive, response to task-based stimuli in youth cannabis users. When considering the future directions of fMRI research with cannabis-using youth, review of existing studies also highlights the need for more prospective research with diverse samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clarisa Coronado
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Natasha E Wade
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Laika D Aguinaldo
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, California, USA
| | | | - Joanna Jacobus
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, California, USA
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14
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Aloi J, Blair KS, Meffert H, White SF, Hwang S, Tyler PM, Crum KI, Thornton LC, Mobley A, Killanin AD, Filbey FM, Pope K, Blair RJ. Alcohol use disorder and cannabis use disorder symptomatology in adolescents is associated with dysfunction in neural processing of future events. Addict Biol 2021; 26:e12885. [PMID: 32135572 PMCID: PMC7483381 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2019] [Revised: 12/26/2019] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Two of the most commonly used substances by adolescents in the United States are cannabis and alcohol. Cannabis use disorder (CUD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD) are associated with impairments in decision-making processes. One mechanism for impaired decision-making in these individuals is thought to be an inability to adequately represent future events during decision-making. In the current study involving 112 adolescents, we used a comparative optimism task to examine the relationship between relative severity of CUD/AUD (as indexed by the CUD/AUD Identification Tests [CUDIT/AUDIT]) and atypical function within neural systems underlying affect-based neural represenation future events. Greater CUDIT scores were negatively related to responses within subgenual anterior and posterior cingulate cortex when processing high-intensity potential future positive and negative events. There was also a particularly marked negative relationship between CUD symptoms and blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) responses within visual and premotor cortices to high-intensity, negatively valenced potential future events. However, AUD symptom severity was not associated with dysfunction within these brain regions. These data indicate that relative risk/severity of CUD is associated with reduced responsiveness to future high-intensity events. This may impair decision-making where future significant consequences should guide response choice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Aloi
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE
- Department of Pharmacology and Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE
| | - Karina S. Blair
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE
| | - Harma Meffert
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE
| | - Stuart F. White
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE
| | - Soonjo Hwang
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE
| | - Patrick M. Tyler
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE
| | - Kathleen I. Crum
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
| | | | - Alita Mobley
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE
| | - Abraham D. Killanin
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE
| | - Francesca M. Filbey
- Center for BrainHealth, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, TX
| | - Kayla Pope
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE
- Department of Psychiatry, Creighton University, Omaha, NE
| | - R. James Blair
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE
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15
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Blair RJR, Bajaj S, Sherer N, Bashford-Largo J, Zhang R, Aloi J, Hammond C, Lukoff J, Schwartz A, Elowsky J, Tyler P, Filbey FM, Dobbertin M, Blair KS. Alcohol Use Disorder and Cannabis Use Disorder Symptomatology in Adolescents and Aggression: Associations With Recruitment of Neural Regions Implicated in Retaliation. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2020; 6:536-544. [PMID: 33712378 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2020.11.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2020] [Revised: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alcohol and cannabis are commonly used by adolescents in the United States. Both alcohol use disorder (AUD) and cannabis use disorder (CUD) have been associated with an increased risk of aggression. One form of aggression seen during retaliation is reactive aggression to social provocation. This study investigated the association between AUD and CUD symptom severity and recruitment of neural regions implicated in retaliation. METHODS In this study, 102 youths aged 13-18 years (67 male; 84 in residential care) completed self-report measures of aggression-related constructs and participated in a retaliation task during functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate the association between relative severity of AUD/CUD and atypical recruitment of regions implicated in retaliation. RESULTS AUD Identification Test scores were positively associated with irritability and reactive aggression scores. CUD Identification Test scores were positively associated with callous-unemotional traits and both proactive and reactive aggression scores. In functional magnetic resonance imaging analyses, only AUD Identification Test (not CUD Identification Test) scores were associated with an exaggerated recruitment of regions implicated in retaliation (dorsomedial frontal, anterior insula cortices, caudate, and, to a lesser extent, periaqueductal gray). CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that relative severity of AUD is associated with a disinhibited, exaggerated retaliation response that relates to an increased risk for reactive aggression. Similar findings were not related to severity of CUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- R James R Blair
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, Nebraska.
| | - Sahil Bajaj
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, Nebraska
| | - Noah Sherer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Fordham University, New York City, New York
| | - Johannah Bashford-Largo
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, Nebraska
| | - Ru Zhang
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, Nebraska
| | - Joseph Aloi
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana
| | - Chris Hammond
- Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Jennie Lukoff
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, Nebraska
| | - Amanda Schwartz
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, Nebraska
| | - Jaimie Elowsky
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, Nebraska
| | - Patrick Tyler
- Child and Family Translational Research Center, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, Nebraska
| | - Francesca M Filbey
- Center for BrainHealth, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, Texas
| | - Matthew Dobbertin
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, Nebraska
| | - Karina S Blair
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, Nebraska
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16
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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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17
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Aloi J, Blair KS, Crum KI, Bashford-Largo J, Zhang R, Lukoff J, Carollo E, White SF, Hwang S, Filbey FM, Dobbertin M, Blair RJR. Alcohol Use Disorder, But Not Cannabis Use Disorder, Symptomatology in Adolescents Is Associated With Reduced Differential Responsiveness to Reward Versus Punishment Feedback During Instrumental Learning. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2020; 5:610-618. [PMID: 32299790 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2020.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2019] [Revised: 02/11/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The two most commonly used illegal substances by adolescents in the United States are alcohol and cannabis. Alcohol use disorder (AUD) and cannabis use disorder (CUD) have been associated with dysfunction in decision-making processes in adolescents. One potential mechanism for these impairments is thought to be related to abnormalities in reward and punishment processing. However, very little work has directly examined potential differential relationships between AUD and CUD symptom severity and neural dysfunction during decision making in adolescents. METHODS In the current study, 154 youths participated in a passive avoidance learning task during functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate the relationship between relative severity of AUD/CUD and dysfunction in processing reward and punishment feedback. RESULTS Increasing Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test scores were associated with reduced neural differentiation between reward and punishment feedback within regions of striatum, posterior cingulate cortex, and parietal cortex. However, increasing Cannabis Use Disorder Identification Test scores were not associated with any neural dysfunction during the passive avoidance task. CONCLUSIONS These data expand on emerging literature that relative severity of AUD is associated with reduced responsivity to rewards in adolescents and that there are differential associations between AUD and CUD symptoms and neurocircuitry dysfunction in the developing adolescent brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Aloi
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, Nebraska; MD/PhD Scholars Program, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska.
| | - Karina S Blair
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, Nebraska
| | - Kathleen I Crum
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Johannah Bashford-Largo
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, Nebraska
| | - Ru Zhang
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, Nebraska
| | - Jennie Lukoff
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, Nebraska
| | - Erin Carollo
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, Nebraska
| | - Stuart F White
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, Nebraska
| | - Soonjo Hwang
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska
| | - Francesca M Filbey
- Center for BrainHealth, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, Texas
| | - Matthew Dobbertin
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, Nebraska
| | - R James R Blair
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, Nebraska
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18
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Blair RJ. Modeling the Comorbidity of Cannabis Abuse and Conduct Disorder/Conduct Problems from a Cognitive Neuroscience Perspective. J Dual Diagn 2020; 16:3-21. [PMID: 31608811 DOI: 10.1080/15504263.2019.1668099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Objective: A cognitive neuroscience perspective seeks to understand behavior, in this case the comorbidity of cannabis abuse and conduct disorder/conduct problems, in terms of dysfunction in cognitive processes underpinned by neural processes. The goal of this review is to articulate a cognitive neuroscience account of this comorbidity. Methods: Literature on the following issues will be reviewed: (i) the longitudinal relationship between cannabis abuse and conduct disorder/conduct problems (CD/CP); (ii) the extent to which there are genetic and environmental (specifically maltreatment) factors that underpin this relationship; (iii) forms of neurocognitive function that are reported dysfunctional in CD/CP and also, when dysfunctional, appear to be risk factors for future cannabis abuse; and (iv) the extent to which cannabis abuse may further compromise these systems leading to increased future abuse and greater conduct problems. Results: CD/CP typically predate cannabis abuse. There appear to be shared genetic factors that contribute to the relationship between CD/CP and cannabis abuse. Moreover, trauma exposure increases risk for both cannabis abuse and CP/CD. One form of neurocognitive dysfunction, response disinhibition, that likely exacerbates the symptomatology of many individuals with CD also appears to increase the risk for cannabis abuse. The literature with respect to other forms of neurocognitive dysfunction remains inconclusive. Conclusions: Based on the literature, a causal model of the comorbidity of cannabis abuse and CD/CP is developed.
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Affiliation(s)
- R James Blair
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA
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19
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Müller-Oehring EM, Le Berre AP, Serventi M, Kalon E, Haas AL, Padula CB, Schulte T. Brain activation to cannabis- and alcohol-related words in alcohol use disorder. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2019; 294:111005. [PMID: 31715379 PMCID: PMC6886708 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2019.111005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2019] [Revised: 10/29/2019] [Accepted: 10/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Cannabis abuse commonly co-occurs with alcohol use disorder (AUD). With increased acceptance and accessibility to cannabis in the US, it is imperative to understand the psychological and neural mechanisms of concurrent alcohol and cannabis use. We hypothesized that neural alcohol-cue conditioning may extent to other drug-related stimuli, such as cannabis, and underwrite the loss of control over reward-driven behavior. Task-activated fMRI examined the neural correlates of alcohol- and cannabis-related word cues in 21 abstinent AUD and 18 control subjects. Relative to controls, AUD showed behavioral attentional biases and frontal hypoactivation to both alcohol- and cannabis-related words. This cue-elicited prefrontal hypoactivation was related to higher lifetime alcohol consumption (pcorrected < 0.02) and modulated by past cannabis use histories (p ≦ 0.001). In particular, frontal hypoactivation to both alcohol and cannabis cues was pronounced in AUD without prior cannabis exposure. Overall, frontal control mechanisms in abstinent AUD were not sufficiently engaged to override automatic alcohol and cannabis-related intrusions, enhancing the risk for relapse and potentially for alcohol and cannabis co-use with the increased social acceptance and accessibility in the US.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva M Müller-Oehring
- Neuroscience Program, SRI International, Menlo Park, CA, United States; Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, United States
| | - Anne-Pascale Le Berre
- Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, United States
| | - Matthew Serventi
- Neuroscience Program, SRI International, Menlo Park, CA, United States; Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, United States
| | - Ember Kalon
- Neuroscience Program, SRI International, Menlo Park, CA, United States; Dept. of Psychology, Palo Alto University, Palo Alto, CA, United States
| | - Amie L Haas
- Dept. of Psychology, Palo Alto University, Palo Alto, CA, United States
| | - Claudia B Padula
- Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, United States; VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA, United States
| | - Tilman Schulte
- Neuroscience Program, SRI International, Menlo Park, CA, United States; Dept. of Psychology, Palo Alto University, Palo Alto, CA, United States.
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20
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Fatima H, Howlett AC, Whitlow CT. Reward, Control & Decision-Making in Cannabis Use Disorder: Insights from Functional MRI. Br J Radiol 2019; 92:20190165. [PMID: 31364398 PMCID: PMC6732906 DOI: 10.1259/bjr.20190165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2019] [Revised: 07/19/2019] [Accepted: 07/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The recreational consumption of cannabis has increased significantly across the world with an estimated 180 million people currently using. In the United States, 4.1 million are currently diagnosed with cannabis use disorder. Cannabis dependence and abuse was combined into a single entity as a behavioral disorder with a problematic pattern of cannabis use and termed cannabis use disorder by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Chronic use of cannabis has been linked with region-specific effects across the brain mediating reward processing, cognitive control and decision-making that are central to understanding addictive behaviors. This review presents a snapshot of the current literature assessing the effects of chronic cannabis use on human brain function via functional MRI. Studies employing various paradigms and contrasting cognitive activation amongst cannabis users and non-users were incorporated. The effects of trans-del-ta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) in marijuana and other preparations of cannabis are mediated by the endocannabinoid system, which is also briefly introduced.Much variation exists in the current literature regarding the functional changes associated with chronic cannabis use. One possible explanation for this variation is the heterogeneity in study designs, with little implementation of standardized diagnostic criteria when selecting chronic users, distinct time points of participant assessment, differing cognitive paradigms and imaging protocols. As such, there is an urgent requirement for future investigations that further characterize functional changes associated with chronic cannabis use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hudaisa Fatima
- Department of Radiology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Section of Neuroradiology, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States
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