Pubertal status, sensation-seeking, impulsivity, and substance use in high school-aged boys and girls

Strongly Adhesive, Self-Healing, Hemostatic Hydrogel for the Repair of Traumatic Brain Injury

With wide clinical demands, therapies for traumatic brain injury (TBI) are a major problem in surgical procedures and after major trauma. Due to the difficulty in regeneration of neurons or axons after injury, as well as the inhibition of blood vessel growth by the formation of neural scars, existing treatment measures have limited effectiveness in repairing brain tissue. Herein, the biomultifunctional hydrogels are developed for TBI treatment based on the Schiff base reaction of calcium ion (Ca2+)-cross-linked oxidized sodium alginate (OSA) and carboxymethyl chitosan (CMCS). The obtained COCS hydrogel exhibits excellent adhesion to wet tissues, self-repair capability, and antimicrobial properties. What's particularly interesting is that the addition of Ca2+ increases the hydrogel's extensibility, enhancing its hemostatic capabilities. Biological assessments indicate that the COCS hydrogel demonstrates excellent biocompatibility, hemostatic properties, and the ability to promote arterial vessel repair. Importantly, the COCS hydrogel promotes the growth of cerebral microvessels by upregulating CD31, accelerates the proliferation of astrocytes, enhances the expression of GFAP, and stimulates the expression of neuron-specific markers such as NEUN and β-tubulin. All of these findings highlight that the strongly adhesive, self-healing, hemostatic hydrogel shows great potential for the repair of traumatic brain injury and other tissue repair therapy.

Relationships Between Prenatal Cocaine Exposure, Cannabis-Use Onset and Emotional and Related Characteristics in Young/Emerging Adults

Background: Exposure to substances in utero may have significant early-life consequences. Less is known about the effects in emerging adulthood, particularly regarding patterns of substance use and related characteristics.Objectives: In this study, we recruited emerging adults, followed since birth, who had been prenatally exposed, or not, to cocaine. Individuals reported on their cannabis, alcohol, and tobacco use, and measures of impulsivity, anhedonia, emotional regulation, and mental health were obtained. Comparisons were made between emerging adults with prenatal cocaine exposure and those without. Correlations were performed between psychological measures and substance use, and regression analyses were conducted to determine potential pathways by which such measures may relate to prenatal exposure or substance use.Results: Individuals with prenatal cocaine exposure (vs. those without) used cannabis at younger ages, reported greater cannabis-use severity, and demonstrated higher impulsivity, state anxiety, and alexithymia. Earlier age of onset of cannabis use was associated with higher impulsivity, state anxiety, alexithymia, and social and physical anhedonia. Cannabis-use age-of-onset mediated the relationship between prenatal cocaine-exposure status and state anxiety and between prenatal cocaine-exposure status and cannabis-use severity in emerging adulthood but not relationships between prenatal cocaine-exposure status and impulsivity or alexithymia in emerging adulthood. Findings suggest that adults with prenatal cocaine exposure may use cannabis at younger ages, which may relate to increased anxiety and more severe use.Conclusions: These findings suggest both mechanisms and possible intervention targets to improve mental health in emerging adults with prenatal cocaine exposure.

Chronotypes and their association with sleep quality among Chinese college students of Anhui Province: a cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVES

To describe the prevalence of chronotype and sleep quality among Chinese college students and explore the relationship between chronotype and sleep quality.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional study.

SETTING

Four colleges and universities in Anhui, China, between November and December 2020.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 4768 college students were recruited using a stratified, multistage, cluster sampling survey.

OUTCOME MEASURES

Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire 19 was used to determine the chronotype of the students and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to measure their sleep quality. The multiple logistic regression model was used to explore the potential association between chronotype and sleep quality.

RESULTS

The self-reported proportions of evening-type (E-type), neutral-type and morning-type among college students were 51.17%, 45.14% and 3.69%, respectively. The mean PSQI score was 4.97±2.82 and the prevalence of poor sleep quality was 18.2%. After adjusting the covariates by multiple logistic regression analysis, E-type was positively associated with subjective sleep quality (OR=1.671, 95% CI 1.414 to 1.975), sleep latency (OR=1.436, 95% CI 1.252 to 1.647), sleep duration (OR=2.149, 95% CI 1.506 to 3.067), habitual sleep efficiency (OR=1.702, 95% CI 1.329 to 2.180), daytime dysfunction (OR=1.602, 95% CI 1.412 to 1.818) and overall poor sleep quality (OR=1.866, 95% CI 1.586 to 2.196).

CONCLUSIONS

College students mainly exhibited E-type, and an elevated prevalence of poor sleep quality existed among these students. The E-type was positively associated with poor sleep quality.

The general psychopathology factor (p) from adolescence to adulthood: Exploring the developmental trajectories of p using a multi-method approach

Considerable attention has been directed towards studying co-occurring psychopathology through the lens of a general factor (p-factor). However, the developmental trajectory and stability of the p-factor have yet to be fully understood. The present study examined the explanatory power of dynamic mutualism theory - an alternative framework that suggests the p-factor is a product of lower-level symptom interactions that strengthen throughout development. Data were drawn from a population-based sample of girls (N = 2450) who reported on the severity of internalizing and externalizing problems each year from age 14 to age 21. Predictions of dynamic mutualism were tested using three distinct complementary statistical approaches including: longitudinal bifactor models, random-intercept cross-lagged panel models (RI-CLPMs), and network models. Across methods, study results document preliminary support for mutualistic processes in the development of co-occurring psychopathology (that is captured in p). Findings emphasize the importance of exploring alternative frameworks and methods for better understanding the p-factor and its development.

The age-varying effects of adolescent stress on impulsivity and sensation seeking

Adolescence is defined in part by heightened exposure and sensitivity to stressors. In a longitudinal cohort of youth at risk for substance use problems, we examined the age-varying relationship between stress exposure and traits that are central to the dual systems model. The positive associations between stress exposure, impulsivity, sensation seeking varied as function of age. Specifically, the influence of stress exposure on impulsivity strengthened during early adolescence and remained stable into early adulthood, while the influence of stress exposure on sensation seeking strengthened from early- to mid-adolescence and weakened thereafter. These findings suggest that the maturational imbalance between the capacity to regulate impulsive tendencies and sensation seeking may be exaggerated for youth who are exposed to a high number of stressors.

Parenting, Adolescent Sensation Seeking, and Subsequent Substance Use: Moderation by Adolescent Temperament

Although previous research has identified links between parenting and adolescent substance use, little is known about the role of adolescent individual processes, such as sensation seeking, and temperamental tendencies for such links. To test tenets from biopsychosocial models of adolescent risk behavior and differential susceptibility theory, this study investigated longitudinal associations among positive and harsh parenting, adolescent sensation seeking, and substance use and tested whether the indirect associations were moderated by adolescent temperament, including activation control, frustration, sadness, and positive emotions. Longitudinal data reported by adolescents (n = 892; 49.66% girls) and their mothers from eight cultural groups when adolescents were ages 12, 13, and 14 were used. A moderated mediation model showed that parenting was related to adolescent substance use, both directly and indirectly, through sensation seeking. Indirect associations were moderated by adolescent temperament. This study advances understanding of the developmental paths between the contextual and individual factors critical for adolescent substance use across a wide range of cultural contexts.

Sex differences in addiction-relevant behavioral outcomes in rodents following early life stress

In humans, exposure to early life stress (ELS) is an established risk factor for the development of substance use disorders (SUDs) during later life. Similarly, rodents exposed to ELS involving disrupted mother-infant interactions, such as maternal separation (MS) or adverse caregiving due to scarcity-adversity induced by limited bedding and nesting (LBN) conditions, also exhibit long-term alterations in alcohol and drug consumption. In both humans and rodents, there is a range of addiction-related behaviors that are associated with drug use and even predictive of subsequent SUDs. In rodents, these include increased anxiety-like behavior, impulsivity, and novelty-seeking, altered alcohol and drug intake patterns, as well as disrupted reward-related processes involving consummatory and social behaviors. Importantly, the expression of these behaviors often varies throughout the lifespan. Moreover, preclinical studies suggest that sex differences play a role in how exposure to ELS impacts reward and addiction-related phenotypes as well as underlying brain reward circuitry. Here, addiction-relevant behavioral outcomes and mesolimbic dopamine (DA) dysfunction resulting from ELS in the form of MS and LBN are discussed with a focus on age- and sex-dependent effects. Overall, these findings suggest that ELS may increase susceptibility for later life drug use and SUDs by interfering with the normal maturation of reward-related brain and behavioral function.

Gender differences in susceptibility to smoking among high school students

AIMS

To analyse the degree of susceptibility to smoking according to gender in students between 12 and 16 years of age and study the role of factors associated with gender and the extended index of susceptibility to smoking.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

METHODS

Between November 2019 and March 2020, 12- to 16-year-old students were recruited from three educational centres in western Spain. Sociodemographic, environmental, social and personal variables were analysed. The value of the extended index of susceptibility to smoking was calculated, and the associations between the students' genders and smoking susceptibility were studied. Multinomial logistic regression was used to study associations between the independent variables and Expanded Susceptibility Index (ESSI) results. The roles of factors in this association were explored through mediation analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 364 students participated in the study (53% females). A total of 79.3% of females and 61.4% of males presented a medium-high level of the extended index of susceptibility. Females reported greater cigarette use (28% vs. 12.3%), hookah (19.9% vs 9.9%) and alcohol consumption (20.7% risk alcohol consumption). They obtained higher scores on the impulsivity scale in the urgency domain and the negative affect scale. Regardless of other factors, females showed more than double the smoking susceptibility (aOR: 2.05, 95% CI: 1.03-4.07, p = .041). Mediation analysis showed that gender had a total effect on the extended susceptibility index β = .023 (95% CI: 0.07-0.38, p = .01). The effect appeared to be mediated only by having smoking friends (0.08; 95% CI: 0.03-0.15, p = .001).

CONCLUSIONS

The greater susceptibility to smoking found in females may be related to a greater influence of smoking among friends.

IMPACT

These results show that smoking friends have a strong influence among adolescent females; therefore, developing preventive programmes with gender approaches aimed at reducing the influence of these environmental factors would be of interest.

The moderating role of positive peers in reducing substance use in college students

ObjectiveYoung adulthood (18-25) is the peak age for substance use, but friends who engage in positive behaviors may be protective. The present study examined the direct relation between positive peer affiliation and substance use, and whether positive peer affiliation moderated the relation between self-reported sensation-seeking, future orientation, self-regulation and substance use. Participants: Participants were 382 college students (M_age = 19.25, SD = 1.33). Method: Participants completed questionnaires assessing substance use, peer affiliation, sensation-seeking, future orientation, and self-regulation. Results: In structural equation models, positive peer affiliation was negatively associated with drunk driving, cigarette use, and marijuana use; and moderated relations between sensation-seeking and substance use, but not cognitive control in the predicted direction. Conclusions: Substance use remains a salient public health concern for college students, but the current study found that having friends who generally engage in positive activities is an important buffer against socioemotional risk factors.

Relationships Among Extreme Sports Participation, Sensation Seeking, and Negative Risky Behaviors of Middle-School Students

Objective: The aim was to investigate the relationships among extreme sports participation, sensation seeking, and negative risky behaviors (smoking, drinking alcohol, and gambling) for middle-school students. Methods: Using a convenience sampling procedure, all students from a middle school in a district of Chongqing were selected to participate in the survey, which included questions on their extreme sports participation rate, and smoking, drinking alcohol, and gambling behavior. Results: A sample of 2,987 middle-school students participated in this study. The results showed that the proportions of students participating in extreme sports, smoking, drinking alcohol, and gambling were 19.9, 4.8, 18.4, and 3.0%, respectively. There were significant differences between different genders, schools, place of residence, smoking, drinking, gambling, and sensation seeking of the participation rate of students of extreme sports, the rate of boys, junior middle-school students, urban students, smokers, alcohol drinkers, gamblers, and high-sensation-seeking students were relatively higher than that of girls, senior middle-school students, rural students, no-smokers, no-alcohol drinkers, no-gamblers, and low-sensation-seeking students. Alcohol drinking, gambling, and sensation seeking were associated with extreme sports participation, and the students who drank alcohol, who gambled, and who were high sensation seeking were more likely to participate in extreme sports than those who did not drink alcohol, who did not gamble, and who were low sensation seeking. Conclusion: Middle schools should integrate extreme sports education into physical education and risky-behavior education, strengthen relevant knowledge and safety training, and guide students to meet their sensation-seeking needs through participation in extreme sports instead of risky behaviors.

The Role of Behavioral and Neurocognitive Functioning in Substance Use Among Youth with Perinatally Acquired HIV Infection and Perinatal HIV Exposure Without Infection

This study examined associations of self-regulatory behavior and cognitive functioning with substance use (SU) to inform interventions for youth with perinatal HIV infection (YPHIV) or exposure but uninfected (YPHEU). Youth aged 7-15 years (YPHIV, n = 390; YPHEU, n = 211) were followed longitudinally with cognitive testing and behavioral questionnaires including self-report of alcohol, marijuana, tobacco, and other SU. Cox proportional hazards analyses were used to examine correlates of initiating each substance for those without prior use at baseline and generalized estimating equation analyses were used to address associations of cognitive/behavioral measurements with SU prevalence for the entire sample. Lower self-reported self-regulation skills, but higher cognitive functioning abilities, were associated with initiation and prevalent use of alcohol and marijuana regardless of HIV status. Our findings suggest SU screening tools and self-regulation interventions developed for general adolescent populations should be implemented for those with PHIV, who may be at heightened risk for SU-related health consequences.

Comparing Risk Factors for Past 30-day E-cigarette and Combustible Tobacco Use: A Longitudinal Analysis of the Texas Adolescent Tobacco and Marketing Surveillance Study (2014-2017)

SIGNIFICANCE

Youth use of e-cigarettes is reaching 'epidemic proportions,' even as combustible tobacco use is declining. Comparison of risk factors that are uniquely associated with e-cigarette and combustible tobacco use among adolescents is warranted.

METHODS

Six waves of data from the Texas Adolescent Tobacco and Marketing Surveillance (TATAMS) study (n=3907; N=461,069; 2014-2017) were used in this analysis. A random intercept logistic regression model was used to compare intrapersonal, interpersonal, and environmental risk factors for use of both products based on the Social Ecological Model.

RESULTS

Risk factors that were significantly associated with both past 30-day use of e-cigarette and combustible tobacco products over time included past 30-day use of marijuana and alcohol, social acceptability of product use, having friends and family members who used the products, and male gender. Increasing age, worse academic performance, higher sensation seeking score, higher recall of social media promotion in the past 30 days, and lower positive affect score were associated with past 30-day use of combustible tobacco only. White race was associated with past-30 day use of e-cigarettes only.

CONCLUSION

Involving peers and parents in preventive interventions designed to reduce uptake of these products is paramount, as is the need to address other substance use, like alcohol and marijuana. Efforts should also be made to create a social climate that makes tobacco use (e-cigarettes and combustible products) less acceptable and desirable.

The Development of Impulsivity and Sensation Seeking: Associations with Substance Use among At-Risk Adolescents

We investigated if the dual systems model could explain the increased rates of substance use among at-risk youth. This study sampled 365 adolescents, 289 of which had a family history of substance use disorder, assessed biannually between the ages 13-16 years old. Growth curve analyses revealed that higher levels of impulsivity were related to higher levels of sensation seeking and a slower rate of decline in impulsivity was related to a faster rate of increase in sensation seeking. Only family history status and sensation seeking were directly associated with substance use (marijuana, alcohol) at age 16, though family history status was also indirectly related to substance use through higher levels of impulsivity to higher levels of sensation seeking.

Pubertal Synchrony and Depressive Symptoms: Differences by Race and Sex

Individual differences in the timing and tempo of pubertal development have been shown to be related to depressive symptoms during adolescence, particularly among girls. Another measure of variability in pubertal development is pubertal synchrony, the degree to which the development of pubertal indicators (e.g., breast growth and ancillary hair growth) are synchronized within the individual. Pubertal synchrony also has been hypothesized to be related to depressive symptoms, but, to date, only one study has tested this hypothesis. However, it remains unclear whether pubertal synchrony confers risk for depressive symptoms more proximally in time or differentially among boys or non-White youth. The current study examined the relation between pubertal synchrony and depressive symptoms concurrently and six months later as a function of race and sex in a community sample of 215 youth (53% female, 44.7% African American; mean age = 12.90 years (SD = 0.86)). Girls with asynchronous development at Time 1 reported significantly higher depressive symptoms at Time 2 than girls with synchronous development and boys with asynchronous development. In addition, boys with asynchronous development at Time 1 had lower depressive symptoms at Time 2 than boys with synchronous development. Race did not moderate pubertal synchrony-depression relations. These results suggest that pubertal asynchrony is a risk factor for girls, but a protective factor for boys, and lend support for pubertal synchrony as a potential contributor to the gender gap in depression that emerges during adolescence.

A preliminary risk prediction model for cannabis use disorder

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Substance use disorders are currently a major public health crisis in the US.

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The prevalence of cannabis use disorder is rising due to legalization of cannabis.

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This study built models to predict the risk of cannabis use disorder for a user.

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Risk factors include personality traits, impulsivity and initial smoking enjoyment.

The ongoing trend toward legalization of cannabis for medicinal/recreational purposes is expected to increase the prevalence of cannabis use disorder (CUD). Thus, it is imperative to be able to predict the quantitative risk of developing CUD for a cannabis user based on their personal risk factors. Yet no such model currently exists. In this study, we perform preliminary analysis toward building such a model. The data come from n = 94 regular cannabis users recruited from Albuquerque, New Mexico during 2007–2010. As the data are cross-sectional, we only consider risk factors that remain relatively stable over time. We apply statistical and machine learning classification techniques that allow n to be small relative to the number of predictors. We use predictive accuracy estimated using leave-one-out-cross-validation to evaluate model performance. The final model is a LASSO logistic regression model consisting of the following seven risk factors: age; level of enjoyment from initial cigarette smoking; total score on Impulsive Sensation-Seeking Scale questionnaire; score on cognitive instability factor of Barratt Impulsivity Scale questionnaire; and scores on neuroticism, openness, and conscientiousness personality traits of Neuroticism, Extraversion, and Openness inventory. This model has an overall accuracy of 0.66 and the area under its receiver operating characteristic curve is 0.65. In summary, a preliminary relative risk model for predicting the quantitative risk of CUD is developed. It can be employed to identify users at high risk of CUD who may be provided with early intervention.

Pubertal Status and Age are Differentially Associated with Inflammatory Biomarkers in Female and Male Adolescents

A better understanding of the maturational correlates of inflammatory activity during adolescence is needed to more appropriately study both normal and abnormal development. Inflammation is the immune system's first response to infection, injury, or psychological stress, and it has been shown to be elevated in individuals with both physical and psychological conditions. This study examined unique associations between (1) pubertal status and inflammatory biomarkers, and (2) age and inflammatory biomarkers, and whether these relationships differed by sex in a diverse sample of 155 adolescents (54.2% female, 45.8% male; M_age = 16.22) from a northeastern city in the US. A more advanced pubertal status was uniquely associated with lower levels of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-8 (IL-8). Chronological age was uniquely associated with lower IL-8 levels. The association between pubertal status and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels differed by sex: more mature females had higher CRP, whereas pubertal status and CRP were not significantly associated in males. These findings highlight an important relation between pubertal development and inflammatory activity during adolescence.

UPPS-P impulsive personality traits and adolescent cigarette smoking: A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Adolescence is a critical developmental period in the trajectory of nicotine dependence, highlighting the need for a greater understanding of the modifiable risk factors. An extensive body of research has found that trait impulsivity is associated with higher levels of adolescent smoking; however, findings have been mixed. The present study aimed to synthesise existing literature to determine the strength and nature of the relationship between the UPPS-P impulsive traits and both adolescent cigarette consumption and nicotine dependence.

METHODS

Fifty-one studies were meta-analysed using a random effects model to determine the association between each UPPS-P impulsive trait and both adolescent cigarette consumption and nicotine dependence. Age, gender, ethnicity and sample type were examined as potential moderators.

RESULTS

Cigarette consumption was positively associated with each UPPS-P impulsive trait (r's ranging from 0.17-0.20). There were an insufficient number of studies to meta-analyse the association between nicotine dependence and the UPPS-P impulsive traits. There were no significant moderation effects of age, gender, ethnicity or sample type.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings suggest that each UPPS-P impulsive trait shares similar associations with adolescent cigarette consumption. Additional studies are needed to determine the relationship between adolescent nicotine dependence and impulsivity. As most adult smokers initiate during adolescence, targeting these impulsive traits via novel prevention and intervention strategies may assist in reducing the prevalence of smoking.

Adolescent Substance Use and Sensation-Seeking on Sexual Behaviors Among Young Adults from Continuation High Schools

BACKGROUND

Youth from continuation high schools report greater substance use and sensation-seeking than youth from regular high schools, yet their long-term consequences on age at sexual onset and the number of sexual partners are unknown.

OBJECTIVE

To examine substance use, sensation-seeking and sexual behaviors by gender and race/ethnicity and the effects of substance use and sensation-seeking in adolescence on age at sexual initiation and numbers of sexual partners by young adulthood.

METHODS

Baseline and 4-year follow-up data on youth from 14 continuation high schools in Southern California who participated in a drug abuse prevention intervention were analyzed. Structural equation modeling assessed whether or not substance use or sensation-seeking in adolescence predicted age at sexual onset and numbers of sexual partners by young adulthood.

RESULTS

Latinos had lower sensation-seeking and frequency of substance use and a later age at sexual onset than non-Latinos. Males were more likely than females to have multiple lifetime and recent sexual partners. The effects of adolescent substance use on the number of sexual partners by young adulthood were mediated fully by their age at sexual initiation. Sensation-seeking had no direct or indirect effects on sexual behaviors. Conclusions/Importance: Factors leading to and actual sexual risk behaviors among youth from continuation high schools vary by race/ethnicity and gender. Targeting these antecedent factors by race/ethnicity and gender may improve prevention efforts.

[Alcohol use in adolescents and its association with sensation seeking and impulsivity: A survey in the city of Sfax, Tunisia]

BACKGROUND

Although the increase of media interest for psychoactive substances use, especially alcohol, among young people, since the revolution, Tunisia has few epidemiological studies on this subject, which does not allow having a clear idea of the importance of the problem and its different determinants.

AIMS

To assess the prevalence of alcohol consumption among adolescents in the region of Sfax (Tunisia) and to determine its relations to the two personality dimensions: sensation seeking and impulsivity.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional study involving 317 middle and high school students in Sfax (Tunisia). We used the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) to assess risky alcohol-consumption, the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11) to assess the degree of impulsivity and the Sensation Seeking Scale (SSS-V) to assess the level of sensation seeking.

RESULTS

The average age of students was 15.79±1.5 years with a sex-ratio of 1.07. The prevalence of experimenters (who had drunk alcohol at least once in their lifetime) was 19.6% while that of current consumers (who had drunk alcohol more than one time during the past 12 months before the survey) was 8.8%. Among those who reported alcohol use during the last year, 42.8% were alcohol-dependent, according to the AUDIT. The analysis of personality dimensions showed a significant association between current alcohol consumption and sensation seeking (P<0.001) in particular on the dimensions of disinhibition (DIS), experience seeking (ES) and boredom susceptibility (BS) (P respectively: <0.001; 0.002 and 0.001). Total impulsivity and motor and attention impulsivity were associated with current alcohol consumption (respective P: 0.001, 0.005 and 0.015).

CONCLUSION

Our study of schooled Tunisian adolescents shows that sensation seeking and impulsivity are associated with the development of alcohol use. Such a behavior is worrisome because it appears to be quite frequent and often problematic.

Associations of personality traits with marijuana use in a nationally representative sample of adolescents in the United States

INTRODUCTION

Identifying adolescents at risk for marijuana use who can be targeted for intervention efforts is critical. Certain personality traits are strongly associated with substance use, including marijuana use. We investigated the associations of impulsivity (and its subscales sensation seeking and lack of planning), aggression, and neuroticism with marijuana use (lifetime and frequency of past 12-month use) in a national sample of adolescents.

METHODS

We used data from the National Comorbidity Survey: Adolescent Supplement, a nationally representative, cross-sectional study of 8495 U.S. adolescents aged 14 to 18 years. We calculated adjusted prevalence ratios and odds ratios to assess associations of the five personality scales with lifetime use and frequency of past 12-month use and examined gender as a potential moderator of these associations.

RESULTS

Each of the personality traits was positively associated with lifetime use (all p < 0.001). Impulsivity (the total scale and both subscales) and aggression (all p < 0.05) were positively associated with frequency of past 12-month use. The neuroticism-lifetime use association was stronger among girls (p < 0.001) than boys (p < 0.05), and the associations of impulsivity and lack of planning with frequency of use were significant only among girls, with moderate female users reporting higher levels of the personality scales than infrequent users (both p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Our study highlights the potential importance of identifying personality traits, specifically disinhibition-related traits such as impulsivity and aggression, to reduce and prevent adolescent marijuana use.

Effects of adolescent alcohol consumption on the brain and behaviour

Per occasion, alcohol consumption is higher in adolescents than in adults in both humans and laboratory animals, with changes in the adolescent brain probably contributing to this elevated drinking. This Review examines the contributors to and consequences of the use of alcohol in adolescents. Human adolescents with a history of alcohol use differ neurally and cognitively from other adolescents; some of these differences predate the commencement of alcohol consumption and serve as potential risk factors for later alcohol use, whereas others emerge from its use. The consequences of alcohol use in human adolescents include alterations in attention, verbal learning, visuospatial processing and memory, along with altered development of grey and white matter volumes and disrupted white matter integrity. The functional consequences of adolescent alcohol use emerging from studies of rodent models of adolescence include decreased cognitive flexibility, behavioural inefficiencies and elevations in anxiety, disinhibition, impulsivity and risk-taking. Rodent studies have also showed that adolescent alcohol use can impair neurogenesis, induce neuroinflammation and epigenetic alterations, and lead to the persistence of adolescent-like neurobehavioural phenotypes into adulthood. Although only a limited number of studies have examined comparable measures in humans and laboratory animals, the available data provide evidence for notable across-species similarities in the neural consequences of adolescent alcohol exposure, providing support for further translational efforts in this context.

The relationships between sensation seeking and a spectrum of e-cigarette use behaviors: Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses specific to Texas adolescents

INTRODUCTION

Sensation seeking is strongly associated with cigarette use in adolescents. However, few studies have investigated its relationship with adolescent e-cigarette use. This study examined cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between sensation seeking and a variety of e-cigarette use behaviors among Texas adolescents.

METHODS

This study utilized two waves of data collected 6months apart through the Texas Adolescent Tobacco and Marketing Surveillance System (TATAMS) in 2014-2015 (n=2,488/N=461,069). TATAMS employs a complex probability-sampling design and is representative of students in 6th, 8th and 10th grades from five counties surrounding the four largest cities in Texas (Houston, Dallas/Ft. Worth, San Antonio, Austin). Weighted multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between sensation seeking and susceptibility to e-cigarette use, ever e-cigarette use, and current (past 30day) e-cigarette use.

RESULTS

In the cross-sectional analyses, higher mean sensation seeking scores were associated with higher odds of both susceptibility to e-cigarette use and ever e-cigarette use (AOR=1.25, 95% CI=1.07, 1.47; AOR=1.24, 95% CI=1.08, 1.43, respectively). For the longitudinal analyses, only the association between higher mean sensation seeking scores and transition to ever e-cigarette use remained statistically significant (AOR=1.45, 95% CI=1.01, 2.08). There were no significant associations between sensation seeking and current e-cigarette use in either the cross-sectional or longitudinal analyses.

CONCLUSIONS

Higher sensation seeking scores were consistently and significantly related to experimentation with e-cigarette use among Texas adolescents. Future interventions (e.g., communication campaigns) should target high sensation seeking adolescents to reduce initiation of e-cigarette use among this population.

Impulsivity and Sensation-Seeking Personality Traits as Predictors of Substance Use Among University Students

The purpose of the current study was to investigate the relationship between substance use and impulsivity and sensation-seeking personality traits among 655 university students using a cross-sectional, descriptive, correlational design. A significant correlation was found between students' impulsivity level scores and frequency of substance use (r = 0.11, p < 0.05). A positive correlation was found between frequency of substance use and sensation-seeking levels (r = 0.2, p < 0.05), as well as impulsivity levels (r = 0.31, p < 0.01). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that the two predictors model was able to account for 12.4% of variation in substance use. Impulsivity and sensation-seeking personality traits are significant predictors of substance use among university students. [Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 56(1), 57-63.].

Longitudinal Effects of Self-Report Pubertal Timing and Menarcheal Age on Adolescent Psychological and Behavioral Outcomes in Female Youths from Northern Taiwan

BACKGROUND

Early puberty is linked to adverse developmental outcomes in adolescents in Western societies. However, little is known about this relationship in an East Asian context. In addition, whether the impact of subjective pubertal timing (PT) and menarcheal age (MA) on adolescent psychosocial development persists into early adulthood remains unclear and is worthy of investigation.

METHODS

A subset of data was retrieved from the Taiwan Youth Project, which recruited and followed a longitudinal cohort of 7^th- and 9^th-grade female Taiwanese students from 2000 to 2007. Subjective PT was defined using the Pubertal Developmental Scale (PDS), which mainly measures pubertal changes. MA was recalled by participants themselves. Various psychological and behavioral factors were recorded and measured until the age of 20, including the use of alcohol and cigarettes, psychological well-being, sexual activity, and socially problematic behaviors. A χ² test for linear-by-linear association and one-way analysis of variance followed by multivariate regression models were used to dissect the differential effects of PT and MA in the association with the outcome variables.

RESULTS

In total, 1545 female participants with an average age of 14.5 (±1.1) years were deemed valid for analysis. Among them, 257 (16.6%) participants perceived themselves as having early PT, defined as more than 1 standard deviation above the mean PDS score, and 82 (5.3%) had early MA (occurring before the 4^th grade). In univariate analysis, participants with early PT had higher rates of smoking and sexual activity, and MA was not related to their psychobehavioral outcomes. After multivariate adjustment, only late PT was significantly correlated with lower amounts of cigarette smoking and sexual activity before the age of 20.

CONCLUSION

Conceptual and actual pubertal developments may be differentially associated with psychobehavioral outcomes among young Taiwanese girls. Clinical attention should be given to adolescent self-perception of sexual maturation and developmental guidance provided accordingly.

UPPS-P model impulsivity and marijuana use behaviors in adolescents: A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Impulsivity is often included as a risk factor in models of adolescent marijuana use behaviors; however, the magnitude of the association between impulsivity and marijuana use behaviors is variable across studies. The present study reviewed existent literature to 1) quantify the relationship between separable impulsivity-related traits and both marijuana use and negative marijuana consequences and 2) quantify the size of the effect of gender on these relationships.

METHOD

Thirty-eight studies (41 independent samples) were meta-analyzed using a random effects model to examine the relationship between impulsivity traits and marijuana use behaviors.

RESULTS

Marijuana use was significantly related to all impulsivity-related traits except lack of perseverance (r's ranging from 0.13-0.23, p's<0.01). Negative marijuana consequences were only significantly related to sensation seeking, lack of planning, and positive urgency (r's ranging from 0.37-0.39, p's<0.01). Effects were small for marijuana use, but medium for negative marijuana consequences. Gender was not a significant moderator of any relationships.

CONCLUSIONS

Impulsivity-related traits had more robust relationships with negative marijuana consequences than marijuana use, suggesting impulsivity-related traits are important in differentiating adolescents most likely to experience negative consequences from marijuana use. Few relationships examined gender and many of the impulsivity-related traits, other than sensation seeking. Data and trends suggest a more multi-dimensional approach to marijuana use and consequences is warranted.

White matter development and tobacco smoking in young adults: A systematic review with recommendations for future research

BACKGROUND

Adolescence and young adulthood are critical vulnerability periods for initiation of tobacco smoking. White matter development is ongoing during this time and may be influenced by exposure to nicotine. Synthesis of findings from diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) studies of adolescent and young adult smokers may be helpful in understanding the relationship between neurodevelopment and initiation and progression of tobacco-use behaviors and in guiding further research.

METHODS

A systematic literature review was conducted to identify DTI studies comparing adolescent and young adult (mean age <30 years) smokers versus nonsmokers. A total of 5 studies meeting inclusion criteria were identified. Primary study findings are reviewed and discussed within the context of neurodevelopment and in relation to findings from adult studies. Directions for further research are also discussed.

RESULTS

All identified studies reported increases in fractional anisotropy (FA) among adolescent/young adult smokers in comparison to non-smokers. Increased FA was most frequently reported in regions of the corpus callosum (genu, body and spenium), internal capsule and superior longitudinal fasciculus.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings of increased FA among adolescent/young adult smokers are contrary to those from most adult studies and thus raise the possibility of differential effects of nicotine on white matter across the lifespan. Further research including multiple time points is needed to test this hypothesis. Other areas warranting further research include DTI studies of e-cigarette use and studies incorporating measures of pubertal stage.

The dual systems model: Review, reappraisal, and reaffirmation

According to the dual systems perspective, risk taking peaks during adolescence because activation of an early-maturing socioemotional-incentive processing system amplifies adolescents' affinity for exciting, pleasurable, and novel activities at a time when a still immature cognitive control system is not yet strong enough to consistently restrain potentially hazardous impulses. We review evidence from both the psychological and neuroimaging literatures that has emerged since 2008, when this perspective was originally articulated. Although there are occasional exceptions to the general trends, studies show that, as predicted, psychological and neural manifestations of reward sensitivity increase between childhood and adolescence, peak sometime during the late teen years, and decline thereafter, whereas psychological and neural reflections of better cognitive control increase gradually and linearly throughout adolescence and into the early 20s. While some forms of real-world risky behavior peak at a later age than predicted, this likely reflects differential opportunities for risk-taking in late adolescence and young adulthood, rather than neurobiological differences that make this age group more reckless. Although it is admittedly an oversimplification, as a heuristic device, the dual systems model provides a far more accurate account of adolescent risk taking than prior models that have attributed adolescent recklessness to cognitive deficiencies.

Gambling and Problem Behavior Among 14- to 16-Year-Old Boys and Girls in Finland

The aim of this study is to examine the associations between problem behavior and gambling frequency among eighth- and ninth-grade boys and girls (N = 101,167). Data were obtained from the cross-sectional School Health Promotion Study. Outcome measures were adolescents' truancy, bullying, delinquency, and substance use. Polychotomous logistic regression analyses were used to study the relationship between gambling frequency and risk behaviors in a total sample, as well as separately for boys and girls. In 2010, 62% of the adolescents had gambled during the previous year, and in 2011, 61% of the adolescents had done so. Engaging in different levels of truancy, bullying, delinquency, and substance abuse were associated with higher risks for frequent gambling. Similar patterns of associations were found among boys and girls. Adolescents who engaged in gambling on a daily or weekly basis were the most vulnerable group for problem behavior. However, even infrequent gambling was associated with different problem behaviors.

Functional activation during the Stroop is associated with recent alcohol but not marijuana use among high-risk youth

Despite studies showing the relevance of different decision-making abilities, including response inhibition, to likelihood of using substances during adolescence, few have examined these neural processes among high-risk, substance-using youth. The current study explored associations between alcohol and marijuana use and functional activation differences during Stroop performance among a large sample (N=80) of ethnically-diverse, high-risk youth in an fMRI-based task. In the absence of associations between substance use and task behavioral performance, adolescents with greater alcohol use showed less activation during the more cognitively difficult portion of the task across clusters in bilateral cuneus and precuneus, and right and left superior temporal gyrus. No associations were observed with marijuana use. The current results may suggest neural patterns of deactivation in regions important for cognitive control, such that alcohol use may confer additional risk for future decreased inhibition among these high-risk adolescents. The ability to inhibit prepotent responses has been shown to predict later response to treatment, and early interventions to encourage further development of cognitive control could represent promising options for treatment.

National multi-cohort time trends in adolescent risk preference and the relation with substance use and problem behavior from 1976 to 2011

AIMS

Preference for risky activities is an important developmentally graded predictor of substance use. Population-level trends in adolescent risk preference, as well as the way in which risk preference may be a conduit to risk behavior, have never been documented. The present study examines population-level trends in risk preference among U.S. high school seniors for the 36 years from 1976 to 2011, as well as trends in the association between risk preference and substance use and other problem behaviors.

METHODS

Data were drawn from yearly nationally representative cross-sectional surveys of US high school seniors (N=91,860). Risk preference was measured consistently with two items. Marijuana and cocaine use, binge drinking, and conduct problems were assessed. Trends were tested using JoinPoint software.

RESULTS

The mean level of reported risk preference among US 12th graders has increased over time, especially in the 1980s. For example, the proportion of high school females who reported enjoying activities that were "a little dangerous" more than doubled, from 4.9% in 1976 to 10.8% in 1988. While risk preference reports among adolescent males leveled off in 1992, risk preference reports among females show a continued positive overall slope through 2011. The magnitude of the association between risk preference and marijuana use has increased over time.

CONCLUSIONS

Reported preference for risky activities has increased among adolescents in the US, especially among young women. Reported risk preference is increasingly associated with a higher use of marijuana. Our findings argue for the importance of placing risk preference within a multi-level framework that attends to historical variation.

Emergence of sex differences in the development of substance use and abuse during adolescence

Substance use and abuse begin during adolescence. Male and female adolescent humans initiate use at comparable rates, but males increase use faster. In adulthood, more men than women use and abuse addictive drugs. However, some women progress more rapidly from initiation of use to entry into treatment. In animal models, adolescent males and females consume addictive drugs similarly. However, reproductively mature females acquire self-administration faster, and in some models, escalate use more. Sex/gender differences exist in neurobiologic factors mediating both reinforcement (dopamine, opioids) and aversiveness (CRF, dynorphin), as well as intrinsic factors (personality, psychiatric co-morbidities) and extrinsic factors (history of abuse, environment especially peers and family) which influence the progression from initial use to abuse. Many of these important differences emerge during adolescence, and are moderated by sexual differentiation of the brain. Estradiol effects which enhance both dopaminergic and CRF-mediated processes contribute to the female vulnerability to substance use and abuse. Testosterone enhances impulsivity and sensation seeking in both males and females. Several protective factors in females also influence initiation and progression of substance use including hormonal changes of pregnancy as well as greater capacity for self-regulation and lower peak levels of impulsivity/sensation seeking. Same sex peers represent a risk factor more for males than females during adolescence, while romantic partners increase risk for women during this developmental epoch. In summary, biologic factors, psychiatric co-morbidities as well as personality and environment present sex/gender-specific risks as adolescents begin to initiate substance use.

Sensation seeking predicting growth in adolescent problem behaviors

There is limited literature on the relationship between sensation seeking and adolescent risk behaviors, particularly among African Americans. We tested the association between psychometrically-derived subscales of the Zuckerman Sensation Seeking Scale and the intercepts and slopes of individual growth curves of conduct problems, sexual risk taking, and substance use from ages 13 to 18 years by sex. Boys and girls had different associations between sensation seeking and baseline levels and growth of risk behaviors. The Pleasure Seeking scale was associated with baseline levels of conduct problems in boys and girls, baseline substance use in boys, and growth in sexual risk taking and substance use by girls. Girls had the same pattern of associations with the Danger/Novelty scale as the Pleasure Seeking scale. Knowledge about the relationships between adolescent risk taking and sensation seeking can help in the targeted design of prevention and intervention programs for the understudied population of very low-income, African American adolescents.

Effects of pubertal timing on deviant behaviors in Taiwan: A longitudinal analysis of 7th- to 12th-grade adolescents

We investigated the relationship between pubertal timing and deviant behaviors in Taiwan using Taiwan Youth Project (TYP) data. The TYP used multistage-stratified and class-clustered methods in 40 randomly selected schools. We analyzed 1541 adolescents (770 boys; 50.0%) who self-reported their deviant behaviors in 7th, 8th, 10th, and 12th grades. Participants were assigned to early- (n = 244; 15.8%), on-time- (n = 992; 64.4%), and late- (n = 305; 19.8%) puberty groups, and one-way analysis of variance and latent growth modeling were used to examine the frequency of deviant behaviors between them. Early-puberty adolescents had more deviant behaviors (mean = 0.43, SD = 0.74) than did late-puberty adolescents during 7th grade (mean = 0.27, SD = 0.59; p = 0.004), but not after 8th grade. There were no significant differences in the deviance level between on-time-puberty and early- and late-puberty adolescents. Moreover, puberty was not correlated with the growth of deviant behaviors, which decreased with age. However, boys seemed to engage in more deviant behaviors at the beginning, but their engagement seemed to decline faster than it did for girls. In sum, the deviance of early-puberty adolescents seemed to diminish as they got older.

Startle-response based tasks and laboratory measures of impulsivity in abstinent alcoholic patients

AIMS

It is well known that impulsivity is a risk factor for the development of Addictive Disorders, and more specifically Alcohol Use Disorders (AUD). Recently, the Startle-Response Based Tasks (SRBT) and its different forms of plasticity have been found to be impaired in the alcoholic population. This is the first study to explore the correlation between impulsivity laboratory tasks and the SRBT test, in order to determine whether impulsivity and startle response (SR) could be related and in turn, explain their association with Alcohol Dependence (AD).

METHODS

SUBJECTS

40 men, who met DSM-IV criteria for AD and had been abstinent for at least one month. Impulsivity was assessed using three laboratory tests: Continuous Performance Test (CPT), Stop-Signal Task (SST) and Differential Reinforcement for Low-Rate Responding (DRL6). Patients also underwent the SR test. They were compared to 40 matched controls.

RESULTS

Impulsivity laboratory measures tasks (SST and commissions of the CPT) correlated positively with the magnitude of SR (P < 0.05) and with habituation (P < 0.05). Scores on DRL6 correlated negatively with the magnitude of SR (P < 0.05). This was not found in the control group.

CONCLUSIONS

The fact that impulsivity laboratory measures and the SR are correlated in patients but not in controls, could imply the existence of a common link for these two measures in alcoholic patients. Our findings support the hypothesis of the existence of two different vulnerability pathways for the development of AUD: anxiety and disinhibitory behaviour.

Effects of pubertal timing on alcohol and tobacco use in the early adulthood: A longitudinal cohort study in Taiwan

We aimed to examine the effects of pubertal timing on adolescents' alcohol and tobacco use from late adolescence to young adulthood. In addition, we separately explored associative factors of the use of these substances stratified by pubertal timings. A longitudinal cohort of 7th- and 9th-grade students was recruited in Taiwan. Pubertal timing was classified according to the Pubertal Developmental Scale. Effects of pubertal timing on self-reported drinking and smoking at age 20 were evaluated using generalized estimating equation analysis. Furthermore, we assessed the predictive roles of parental monitoring, parent-child relationships, peer influence, and school adhesion among participants, stratified by pubertal timing using multiple logistic regression analysis. A survey of 2290 participants was analyzed, with 51.2% being female. The smoking rate is 19.2% (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.43, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03-2.00) and the alcohol drinking rate is 41.6% (adjusted OR 1.34, 95% CI 1.07-1.69) for early maturing adolescents as compared to 12.3% and 41.6% respectively for on-time peers. A satisfactory parent-child relationship is a protective factor and strict parental monitoring is a risk factor for future tobacco and alcohol use in logistic regression analyses. Early maturation confers risk for cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption in young adulthood. Health professionals and parents should be advised of the potential associative factors with future substance use among adolescents with different maturation tempo. Emphasis could be placed on promoting positive parenting strategies and intra-familial interactions.

The influence of assets and environmental factors on gender differences in adolescent drug use

For adolescents, illicit drug use remains a significant public health problem. This study explored prospectively the differential effects of 17 youth assets and 5 environmental factors on drug use in adolescent males and females (Youth Asset Study - a 5-wave longitudinal study of 1117 youth/parent pairs). Baseline analyses included 1093 youth (53% female). Mean age was 14.3 years (SD = 1.6) and the youth were 40% Non-Hispanic White, 28% Hispanic, 24% Non-Hispanic Black, and 9% Non-Hispanic other. Analyses revealed that 16 assets for males and 15 for females as well as the total asset score were prospectively associated with no drug use. No environmental factors were prospectively associated with any drug use for males, and for a subset of females, only Neighborhood Support was significant. This study confirms and extends previous work regarding youth drug use by recognizing the importance of the protective effect of assets for both males and females.

Impulsivity, sensation-seeking, and part-time job status in relation to substance use and gambling in adolescents

PURPOSE

Although impulsivity, sensation-seeking, and part-time employment have each been linked to risky behaviors in adolescents, their inter-relationships are less well-understood. We examined data from adolescents to assess the following predictions: (1) sensation-seeking would relate closely to substance use and gambling; (2) impulsivity would relate closely to alcohol, drug, and gambling problems; and (3) these relationships would be particularly strong among those holding part-time jobs.

METHOD

High-school students (N = 3,106) were surveyed to provide data on impulsivity, sensation-seeking, and part-time job status. Bivariate and logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine relationships with gambling, substance use (i.e., alcohol, cigarettes, and marijuana) and related problems.

RESULTS

Both impulsivity and sensation-seeking related significantly to substance use and impulsivity to gambling. Impulsivity had stronger associations with drug and gambling problems than sensation-seeking did. Students with paid part-time jobs were more likely to drink alcohol, binge drink, and use marijuana. Sensation-seeking had a particularly strong relationship to heavy cigarette smoking among students with part-time jobs. Conversely, there was little relationship between part-time job status and smoking among low sensation-seekers.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings further support the relevance of sensation-seeking, impulsivity, and part-time job status to risky behaviors among adolescents. Sensation-seeking and impulsivity had unique relationships to risky behaviors, in accordance with theory and prior evidence. Impulsive adolescents may be in particular need for interventions to reduce drug use and gambling. Although part-time jobs can be beneficial, parents and caregivers should be mindful of potential negative ramifications of paid work outside the home.

The impact of youth, family, peer and neighborhood risk factors on developmental trajectories of risk involvement from early through middle adolescence

Few studies have analyzed the development course beginning in pre-/early adolescence of overall engagement in health-risk behaviors and associated social risk factors that place individuals in different health-risk trajectories through mid-adolescence. The current longitudinal study identified 1276 adolescents in grade six and followed them for three years to investigate their developmental trajectories of risk behaviors and to examine the association of personal and social risk factors with each trajectory. Group-based trajectory modeling was applied to identify distinctive trajectory patterns of risk behaviors. Multivariate multinomial logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the effects of the personal and social risk factors on adolescents' trajectories. Three gender-specific behavioral trajectories were identified for males (55.3% low-risk, 37.6% moderate-risk, increasing, and 7.1% high-risk, increasing) and females (41.4% no-risk, 53.4% low-risk, increasing and 5.2% moderate to high-risk, increasing). Sensation-seeking, family, peer, and neighborhood factors at baseline predicted following the moderate-risk, increasing trajectory and the high-risk, increasing trajectory in males; these risk factors predicted following the moderate to high-risk, increasing trajectory in females. The presence of all three social risk factors (high-risk neighborhood, high-risk peers and low parental monitoring) had a dramatic impact on increased probability of being in a high-risk trajectory group. These findings highlight the developmental significance of early personal and social risk factors on subsequent risk behaviors in early to middle adolescence. Future adolescent health behavior promotion interventions might consider offering additional prevention resources to pre- and early adolescent youth who are exposed to multiple contextual risk factors (even in the absence of risk behaviors) or youth who are early-starters of delinquency and substance use behaviors in early adolescence.