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Kirk-Provencher KT, Sloan ME, Andereas K, Erickson CJ, Hakimi RH, Penner AE, Gowin JL. Neural responses to reward, threat, and emotion regulation and transition to hazardous alcohol use. Alcohol Alcohol 2024; 59:agae043. [PMID: 38953742 PMCID: PMC11217988 DOI: 10.1093/alcalc/agae043] [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: 01/11/2024] [Revised: 05/13/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024] Open
Abstract
AIMS Reward processing and regulation of emotions are thought to impact the development of addictive behaviors. In this study, we aimed to determine whether neural responses during reward anticipation, threat appraisal, emotion reactivity, and cognitive reappraisal predicted the transition from low-level to hazardous alcohol use over a 12-month period. METHODS Seventy-eight individuals aged 18-22 with low-level alcohol use [i.e. Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) score <7] at baseline were enrolled. They completed reward-based and emotion regulation tasks during magnetic resonance imaging to examine reward anticipation, emotional reactivity, cognitive reappraisal, and threat anticipation (in the nucleus accumbens, amygdala, superior frontal gyrus, and insula, respectively). Participants completed self-report measures at 3-, 6-, 9-, and 12-month follow-up time points to determine if they transitioned to hazardous use (as defined by AUDIT scores ≥8). RESULTS Of the 57 participants who completed follow-up, 14 (24.6%) transitioned to hazardous alcohol use. Higher baseline AUDIT scores were associated with greater odds of transitioning to hazardous use (odds ratio = 1.73, 95% confidence interval 1.13-2.66, P = .005). Brain activation to reward, threat, and emotion regulation was not associated with alcohol use. Of the neural variables, the amygdala response to negative imagery was numerically larger in young adults who transitioned to hazardous use (g = 0.31), but this effect was not significant. CONCLUSIONS Baseline drinking levels were significantly associated with the transition to hazardous alcohol use. Studies with larger samples and longer follow-up should test whether the amygdala response to negative emotional imagery can be used to indicate a future transition to hazardous alcohol use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katelyn T Kirk-Provencher
- Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 12700 E. 19th Avenue, Aurora, CO 80045, United States
| | - Matthew E Sloan
- Addictions Division, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 1001 Queen St. W, Toronto, ON, M6J 1H4, Canada
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada
- Division of Neurosciences and Clinical Translation, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, 250 College St. Toronto, ON, M5T 1R8, Canada
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 620 University Ave. Toronto, ON, M5G 2C1, Canada
- Department of Psychological Clinical Science, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle Toronto, ON, M5S 1A8, Canada
- Institute for Mental Health Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 479 Spadina Ave. Toronto, ON, M5S 2S1, Canada
| | - Keinada Andereas
- Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 12700 E. 19th Avenue, Aurora, CO 80045, United States
| | - Cooper J Erickson
- Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 12700 E. 19th Avenue, Aurora, CO 80045, United States
| | - Rosa H Hakimi
- Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 12700 E. 19th Avenue, Aurora, CO 80045, United States
| | - Anne E Penner
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 12700 E. 19th Avenue, Aurora, CO 80045, United States
| | - Joshua L Gowin
- Department of Radiology, School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 12700 E. 19th Avenue, Aurora, CO 80045, United States
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Schmid F, Henry A, Benzerouk F, Barrière S, Gondrexon J, Kaladjian A, Gierski F. Patterns of executive functions and theory of mind in adults with a family history of alcohol use disorder: Combined group and single-case analyses. ALCOHOL, CLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 48:362-374. [PMID: 38243915 DOI: 10.1111/acer.15238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Impairments in executive function and social cognition are highly prevalent in individuals with an alcohol use disorder (AUD). Some studies show that similar difficulties are displayed by individuals with a positive family history of AUD (FH+) compared with individuals with a negative family history (FH-). Yet, no studies have jointly investigated cognitive and affective theory of mind at the behavioral level. Moreover, some studies show preserved executive and socioemotional functioning in FH+ participants. One possible explanation for these divergent results is that FH+ individuals are cognitively heterogeneous. In this study, we examined the frequency and co-occurrence of difficulties in executive function and social cognition among FH+ individuals at the individual level. METHODS Sixty FH+ and 60 FH- participants matched on age, sex, and education level were included. They completed tasks assessing executive functions (Stroop, Trail Making Test) and affective and cognitive theory of mind (Movie for the Assessment of Social Cognition). They also completed self-report questionnaires measuring impulsivity, alexithymia, and empathy. Single-case analyses assessed the proportion of FH+ participants with difficulties in executive function and/or theory of mind. RESULTS FH+ individuals exhibited difficulties in response inhibition and made more errors during theory of mind processing, indicating an absence of mental state representation, compared with FH- individuals. In the FH+ sample, 53.33% had executive function and/or theory of mind difficulties. Those with lower theory of mind scores reported higher alexithymia and lower empathy on self-report measures. CONCLUSIONS FH+ individuals display heterogeneous executive function and theory of mind abilities. Given that they mostly occur independently of one another, executive function and theory of mind difficulties may be distinct vulnerability markers in AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Schmid
- Laboratoire Cognition, Santé, Société (C2S - EA 6291), University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Reims, France
| | - A Henry
- Laboratoire Cognition, Santé, Société (C2S - EA 6291), University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Reims, France
- Psychiatry Department, Marne Public Mental Health Institute & Reims University Hospital, Reims, France
| | - F Benzerouk
- Laboratoire Cognition, Santé, Société (C2S - EA 6291), University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Reims, France
- Psychiatry Department, Marne Public Mental Health Institute & Reims University Hospital, Reims, France
- INSERM U1247, Research Group on Alcohol and Dependences, University of Picardy Jules Verne, Amiens, France
| | - S Barrière
- Psychiatry Department, Marne Public Mental Health Institute & Reims University Hospital, Reims, France
| | - J Gondrexon
- Psychiatry Department, Marne Public Mental Health Institute & Reims University Hospital, Reims, France
| | - A Kaladjian
- Laboratoire Cognition, Santé, Société (C2S - EA 6291), University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Reims, France
- Psychiatry Department, Marne Public Mental Health Institute & Reims University Hospital, Reims, France
| | - F Gierski
- Laboratoire Cognition, Santé, Société (C2S - EA 6291), University of Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Reims, France
- Psychiatry Department, Marne Public Mental Health Institute & Reims University Hospital, Reims, France
- INSERM U1247, Research Group on Alcohol and Dependences, University of Picardy Jules Verne, Amiens, France
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Kirk‐Provencher KT, Hakimi RH, Andereas K, Penner AE, Gowin JL. Neural response to threat and reward among young adults at risk for alcohol use disorder. Addict Biol 2024; 29:e13378. [PMID: 38334006 PMCID: PMC10898840 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13378] [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: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 01/20/2024] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is heritable. Thus, young adults with positive family histories represent an at-risk group relative to those without a family history, and if studied at a time when both groups have similar levels of alcohol use, it provides an opportunity to identify neural processing patterns associated with risk for AUD. Previous studies have shown that diminished response to potential reward is associated with genetic risk for AUD, but it is unclear how threat may modulate this response. We used a modified Monetary Incentive Delay task during fMRI to examine neural correlates of the interaction between threat and reward anticipation in a sample of young adults with (n = 31) and without (n = 44) family histories of harmful alcohol use. We found an interaction (p = 0.048) between cue and group in the right nucleus accumbens where the family history positive group showed less differentiation to the anticipation of gaining $5 and losing $5 relative to gaining $0. The family history-positive group also reported less excitement for trials to gain $5 relative to gaining $0 (p < 0.001). Family history-positive individuals showed less activation in the left insula during both safe and threat blocks compared to family history-negative individuals (p = 0.005), but the groups did not differ as a function of threat (p > 0.70). Young adults with, relative to without, enriched risk for AUD may have diminished reward processing via both neural and behavioural markers to potential rewarding and negative consequences. Neural response to threat may not be a contributing factor to risk at this stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katelyn T. Kirk‐Provencher
- Department of Radiology, School of MedicineUniversity of Colorado Anschutz Medical CampusAuroraColoradoUSA
| | - Rosa H. Hakimi
- Department of Radiology, School of MedicineUniversity of Colorado Anschutz Medical CampusAuroraColoradoUSA
| | - Keinada Andereas
- Department of Radiology, School of MedicineUniversity of Colorado Anschutz Medical CampusAuroraColoradoUSA
| | - Anne E. Penner
- Department of Psychiatry, School of MedicineUniversity of Colorado Anschutz Medical CampusAuroraColoradoUSA
| | - Joshua L. Gowin
- Department of Radiology, School of MedicineUniversity of Colorado Anschutz Medical CampusAuroraColoradoUSA
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