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Ding Z, Li W, Chen C, Yang Z, Wang S, Xu J, Liu X, Zhang M. The effect of choice on memory across development. J Exp Child Psychol 2024; 246:105982. [PMID: 38879930 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2024.105982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Revised: 05/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024]
Abstract
Numerous studies have demonstrated the role of making choices as an internal motivator to improve performance, and recent studies in the domain of memory have focused on adults. To chart the developmental trend of the choice effect on memory, we conducted a series of seven experiments involving children, adolescents, and young adults. Participants (N = 512) aged 5 to 26 years performed a choice encoding task that manipulated the opportunities to choose and then took a memory test. Using different types of experimental materials and corroborated by a mini meta-analysis, we found that the choice effect on memory was significant in childhood and early adolescence but not significant in late adolescence and early adulthood. The developmental changes were statistically significant, particularly evident during the transition from early to late adolescence. These findings suggest that the internal value of choice decreases across development and contributes to our understanding of developmental differences in the role of choice in memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuolei Ding
- Faculty of Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Wenqing Li
- Facuty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Chuansheng Chen
- School of Social Ecology, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92617, USA
| | - Zhong Yang
- Institute of Brain Science and Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 310030, China
| | - Songxue Wang
- Department of Applied Psychology, Faculty of Social and Public Management, Guangdong Baiyun University, Guangdong 510450, China
| | - Juanjuan Xu
- Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Xun Liu
- Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Mingxia Zhang
- Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
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2
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Cheng TW, Mills KL, Pfeifer JH. Revisiting adolescence as a sensitive period for sociocultural processing. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 164:105820. [PMID: 39032845 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 07/05/2024] [Accepted: 07/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024]
Abstract
Waves of research and public discourse have characterized adolescence as periods of developmental risk and opportunity. Underlying this discussion is the recognition that adolescence is a period of major biological and social transition when experience may have an outsized effect on development. This article updates and expands upon prior work suggesting that adolescence may be a sensitive period for sociocultural processing specifically. By integrating evidence from developmental psychology and neuroscience, we identify how trajectories of social and neurobiological development may relate to adolescents' ability to adapt to and learn from their social environments. However, we also highlight gaps in the literature, including challenges in attributing developmental change to adolescent experiences. We discuss the importance of better understanding variability in biology (e.g., pubertal development) and cultural environments, as well as distinguishing between sensitive periods and periods of heightened sensitivity. Finally, we look toward future directions and translational implications of this research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theresa W Cheng
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, 1227 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403-1227, USA; Department of Psychology, Harvard University, 33 Kirkland St., Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
| | - Kathryn L Mills
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, 1227 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403-1227, USA.
| | - Jennifer H Pfeifer
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, 1227 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403-1227, USA.
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3
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Smith LT, Bishop OC, Nusslock R, Alloy LB. The path from mood symptoms to substance use: A longitudinal examination in individuals with and at risk for bipolar spectrum disorders. J Affect Disord 2024; 360:33-41. [PMID: 38815758 PMCID: PMC11185173 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.05.146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2024] [Revised: 05/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adolescent substance use poses a critical public health challenge, intertwined with risk-taking behavior, criminality, functional impairment, and comorbid mental and physical health issues. Adolescents with bipolar spectrum disorders (BSD) exhibit heightened susceptibility to substance use, necessitating a nuanced exploration of the bipolar-substance use relationship. METHODS This study addressed gaps in the literature by employing a prospective, longitudinal design with 443 Philadelphia-area adolescents, tracking BSD symptoms and substance use. We predicted that BSD symptoms would be associated with increases in substance use, and that these effects would be more pronounced for individuals with a BSD and those with high reward sensitivity. RESULTS Hypomanic symptoms predicted subsequent substance use, with a stronger association observed in individuals diagnosed with BSD. Contrary to expectations, depressive symptoms did not exhibit a similar relationship. Although the hypothesized moderating role of reward sensitivity was not supported, higher reward sensitivity predicted increased substance use. LIMITATIONS Symptoms and substance use are only captured for the month prior to each session due to the assessment timeline. This highlights the benefits of frequent assessments over a shorter time frame to monitor real-time changes. Alternative classification methods for reward sensitivity, such as brain or behavior-based assessments, might yield different results. CONCLUSIONS This study's contributions include evaluating substance use broadly, utilizing a longitudinal design for temporal clarity, and shifting the focus from substance use predicting mood symptoms to the inverse. The findings underscore the need for continued exploration of mood symptom predictors of substance use, emphasizing the role of reward sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Logan T Smith
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, United States of America
| | - Olivia C Bishop
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, United States of America
| | - Robin Nusslock
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, United States of America
| | - Lauren B Alloy
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, United States of America.
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4
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Azocar VH, Petersson P, Fuentes R, Fuentealba JA. Differential phase-amplitude coupling in nucleus accumbens and orbitofrontal cortex reflects decision-making during a delay discounting task. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2024; 134:111064. [PMID: 38917880 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2024.111064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Revised: 05/13/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The impulsive choice is characterized by the preference for a small immediate reward over a bigger delayed one. The mechanisms underlying impulsive choices are linked to the activity in the Nucleus Accumbens (NAc), the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), and the dorsolateral striatum (DLS). While the study of functional connectivity between brain areas has been key to understanding a variety of cognitive processes, it remains unclear whether functional connectivity differentiates impulsive-control decisions. METHODS To study the functional connectivity both between and within NAc, OFC, and DLS during a delay discounting task, we concurrently recorded local field potential in NAc, OFC, and DLS in rats. We then quantified the degree of phase-amplitude coupling (PAC), coherence, and Granger Causality between oscillatory activities in animals exhibiting either a high (HI) or low (LI) tendency for impulsive choices. RESULTS Our results showed a differential pattern of PAC during decision-making in OFC and NAc, but not in DLS. While theta-gamma PAC in OFC was associated with self-control decisions, a higher delta-gamma PAC in both OFC and NAc biased decisions toward impulsive choices in both HI and LI groups. Furthermore, during the reward event, Granger Causality analysis indicated a stronger NAc➔OFC gamma contribution in the HI group, while the LI group showed a higher OFC➔NAc gamma contribution. CONCLUSIONS The overactivity in NAc during reward in the HI group suggests that exacerbated contribution of NAcCore can lead to an overvaluation of reward that biases the behavior toward the impulsive choice.
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Affiliation(s)
- V H Azocar
- School of Pharmacy and Interdisciplinary Center of Neuroscience, Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Chile; Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - P Petersson
- Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; Group for Integrative Neurophysiology and Neurotechnology, Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - R Fuentes
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - J A Fuentealba
- School of Pharmacy and Interdisciplinary Center of Neuroscience, Faculty of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Chile.
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Nussenbaum K, Katzman PL, Lu H, Zorowitz S, Hartley CA. Sensitivity to the Instrumental Value of Choice Increases Across Development. Psychol Sci 2024; 35:933-947. [PMID: 38900963 DOI: 10.1177/09567976241256961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Across development, people tend to demonstrate a preference for contexts in which they have the opportunity to make choices. However, it is not clear how children, adolescents, and adults learn to calibrate this preference based on the costs and benefits of agentic choice. Here, in both a primary, in-person, reinforcement-learning experiment (N = 92; age range = 10-25 years) and a preregistered online replication study (N = 150; age range = 8-25 years), we found that participants overvalued agentic choice but also calibrated their agency decisions to the reward structure of the environment, increasingly selecting agentic choice when choice had greater instrumental value. Regression analyses and computational modeling of participant choices revealed that participants' bias toward agentic choice-reflecting its intrinsic value-remained consistent across age, whereas sensitivity to the instrumental value of agentic choice increased from childhood to early adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate Nussenbaum
- Department of Psychology, New York University
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University
| | | | - Hanxiao Lu
- Department of Psychology, New York University
| | | | - Catherine A Hartley
- Department of Psychology, New York University
- Center for Neural Science, New York University
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Parr AC, Sydnor VJ, Calabro FJ, Luna B. Adolescent-to-adult gains in cognitive flexibility are adaptively supported by reward sensitivity, exploration, and neural variability. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2024; 58:101399. [PMID: 38826569 PMCID: PMC11138371 DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2024.101399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
Cognitive flexibility exhibits dynamic changes throughout development, with different forms of flexibility showing dissociable developmental trajectories. In this review, we propose that an adolescent-specific mode of flexibility in the face of changing environmental contingencies supports the emergence of adolescent-to-adult gains in cognitive shifting efficiency. We first describe how cognitive shifting abilities monotonically improve from childhood to adulthood, accompanied by increases in brain state flexibility, neural variability, and excitatory/inhibitory balance. We next summarize evidence supporting the existence of a dopamine-driven, adolescent peak in flexible behavior that results in reward seeking, undirected exploration, and environmental sampling. We propose a neurodevelopmental framework that relates these adolescent behaviors to the refinement of neural phenotypes relevant to mature cognitive flexibility, and thus highlight the importance of the adolescent period in fostering healthy neurocognitive trajectories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley C. Parr
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh PA, 14213, USA
| | - Valerie J. Sydnor
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh PA, 14213, USA
| | - Finnegan J. Calabro
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh PA, 14213, USA
| | - Beatriz Luna
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh PA, 14213, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh PA, 14213, USA
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Sawyers C, Straub LK, Gauntlett J, Bjork JM. Developmental differences in striatal recruitment by reward prospects as a function of attentional demand. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2024; 68:101412. [PMID: 38936253 PMCID: PMC11259946 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2024.101412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2024] [Revised: 05/25/2024] [Accepted: 06/18/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Adolescent risk-taking has been attributed to earlier-developing motivational neurocircuitry that is poorly controlled by immature executive-control neurocircuitry. Functional magnetic resonance imaging findings of increased ventral striatum (VS) recruitment by reward prospects in adolescents compared to adults support this theory. Other studies found blunted VS recruitment by reward-predictive cues in adolescents compared to adults. Task features may explain this discrepancy but have never been systematically explored. Adolescents and adults performed a novel reward task that holds constant the expected value of all rewards but varies whether rewards are dependent on vigilance-intensive responding versus making a lucky choice during a relaxed response window. We examined group by sub-task contrast differences in activation of VS and more motoric regions of striatum in response to anticipatory cues. Reward anticipation in both task conditions activated portions of striatum in both groups. In voxel-wise comparison, adults showed greater anticipatory recruitment of VS in trials involving choice during a relaxed time window, not in the more vigilance-demanding trials as hypothesized. In accord with our hypotheses, however, adults showed greater activation in dorsal striatum and putamen volumes of interest during reward anticipation under vigilance-demanding conditions. Following trial outcome notifications, adolescents showed greater activation of the VS during reward notification but lower activation during loss notification. These data extend findings of cross-sectional age-group differences in incentive-anticipatory recruitment of striatum, by demonstrating in adults relatively greater recruitment of motor effector regions of striatum by attentional and motor demands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chelsea Sawyers
- Institute for Drug and Alcohol Studies, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23219, USA.
| | - Lisa K Straub
- Institute for Drug and Alcohol Studies, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23219, USA
| | - Joseph Gauntlett
- Institute for Drug and Alcohol Studies, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23219, USA
| | - James M Bjork
- Institute for Drug and Alcohol Studies, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23219, USA
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Guan L, Liu R, Wang C, Fan Q, Zhou J, Wang Y, Feng Y, Liu J, Zhou Y, Wang G, Chen X. Abnormal resting-state functional connectivity in subregions of amygdala in adults and adolescents with major depressive disorder. BMC Psychiatry 2024; 24:540. [PMID: 39085839 PMCID: PMC11293025 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-024-05977-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/22/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The different symptoms of major depressive disorder (MDD) in adolescents compared to adults suggested there may be differences in the pathophysiology between adolescents and adults with MDD. However, despite the amygdala being considered critical in the pathophysiology, there was limited knowledge about the commonalities and differences in the resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) of amygdala subregions in MDD patients of different age groups. METHODS In the current study, 65 adolescents (46 with MDD and 19 controls) and 91 adults (35 with MDD and 56 controls) were included. A seed-based functional connectivity analysis was performed for each of the amygdala subregions. A 2 × 2 ANOVA was used to analyze the main effect of age, diagnosis, and their interaction on the rsFC of each subregion. RESULTS A significant main effect of age was revealed in the rsFC of bilateral centromedial (CM) subregions and right laterobasal (LB) subregion with several brain regions in the limbic system and frontoparietal network. The significant main effect of diagnosis showed MDD patients of different ages showed higher connectivity than controls between the right LB and left middle frontal gyrus (MFG). CONCLUSIONS The rsFC of specific amygdala subregions with brain regions in the limbic system and frontoparietal network is affected by age, indicating a distinct amygdala connectivity profile in adolescents. The decreased rsFC between the right LB and the left MFG in adolescents and adults with MDD could serve as a diagnostic biomarker and a target of nonpharmacological treatment for MDD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Guan
- The National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Rui Liu
- The National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Changshuo Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qingchen Fan
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jingjing Zhou
- The National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yun Wang
- The National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yuan Feng
- The National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Jing Liu
- The National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yuan Zhou
- The National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Gang Wang
- The National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
- Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
- Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
| | - Xu Chen
- The National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
- Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
- Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
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Ravindranath O, Perica MI, Parr AC, Ojha A, McKeon SD, Montano G, Ullendorff N, Luna B, Edmiston EK. Adolescent neurocognitive development and decision-making abilities regarding gender-affirming care. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2024; 67:101351. [PMID: 38383174 PMCID: PMC11247355 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2024.101351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Recently, politicians and legislative bodies have cited neurodevelopmental literature to argue that brain immaturity undermines decision-making regarding gender-affirming care (GAC) in youth. Here, we review this literature as it applies to adolescents' ability to make decisions regarding GAC. The research shows that while adolescence is a time of peak risk-taking behavior that may lead to impulsive decisions, neurocognitive systems supporting adult-level decisions are available given deliberative processes that minimize influence of short-term rewards and peers. Since GAC decisions occur over an extended period and with support from adult caregivers and clinicians, adolescents can engage adult-level decision-making in this context. We also weigh the benefits of providing GAC access during adolescence and consider the significant costs of blocking or delaying GAC. Transgender and non-binary (TNB) adolescents face significant mental health challenges, many of which are mitigated by GAC access. Further, initiating the GAC process during adolescence, which we define as beginning at pubertal onset, leads to better long-term mental health outcomes than waiting until adulthood. Taken together, existing research indicates that many adolescents can make informed decisions regarding gender-affirming care, and that this care is critical for the well-being of TNB youth. We highlight relevant considerations for policy makers, researchers, and clinicians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Orma Ravindranath
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Center for Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
| | - Maria I Perica
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Ashley C Parr
- Center for Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Amar Ojha
- Center for Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Shane D McKeon
- Center for Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Gerald Montano
- Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Naomi Ullendorff
- Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Beatriz Luna
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Center for Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - E Kale Edmiston
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Chan School of Medicine, USA
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10
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Liu C, Filbey FM. Unlocking the age-old secrets of reward and substance use. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2024; 239:173766. [PMID: 38604456 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2024.173766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
Although substance use is widespread across the lifespan from early adolescence to older adulthood, the prevalence of substance use disorder (SUD) differs between age groups. These age differences in SUD rates necessitate an investigation into how age moderates reward sensitivity, and consequently influences the risks and consequences related to substance use. This theoretical review integrates evidence from the literature to address the dynamic interplay between age and reward in the context of substance use. Overall, increasing evidence demonstrates that age moderates reward sensitivity and underlying reward system neurobiology. Reward sensitivity undergoes a non-linear trajectory across the lifespan. Low levels of reward sensitivity are associated with childhood and late adulthood. In contrast, high levels are associated with early to late adolescence, followed by a decline in the twenties. These fluctuations in reward sensitivity across the lifespan contribute to complex associations with substance use. This lends support to adolescence and young adulthood as vulnerable periods for the risk of subsequent SUD. More empirical research is needed to investigate reward sensitivity during SUD maintenance and recovery. Future research should also involve larger sample sizes and encompass a broader range of age groups, including older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Che Liu
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, TX 75235, United States of America.
| | - Francesca M Filbey
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, TX 75235, United States of America
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11
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Tielbeek JJ, van der Hooft M, Cohn MD, van de Ven PM, Polderman TJ, Veltman DJ, Posthuma D, Schuengel C, van Domburgh L, Popma A. The association between delinquent peer affiliation and disruptive behavior interacts with functional brain correlates of reward sensitivity: a biosocial interaction study in adolescent delinquents. Psychol Med 2024; 54:1544-1551. [PMID: 38044036 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291723003380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Affiliating with delinquent peers may stimulate the development of antisocial behavior, especially for adolescents who are sensitive to social rewards. The current study examines whether the association between delinquent peer affiliation (DPA) and disruptive behavior interacts with functional brain correlates of reward sensitivity in early onset male adolescents delinquents. METHODS Childhood arrestees (n = 126, mean age = 17.7 [s.d. 1.6]) completed a DPA questionnaire, and participated in an fMRI study in which reward sensitivity was operationalized through responsiveness of the ventral striatum (VS), amygdala, and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) during the monetary incentive delay paradigm (reward anticipation and outcome). Symptoms of disruptive behavior disorders (DBD) were assessed through structured psychiatric interviews (Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children) with adolescents. RESULTS DPA had a main effect on DBD symptoms. Adolescents with high VS reward responses showed a stronger significant positive association between DPA and DBD symptoms compared to low VS responders. No evidence for an interaction effect was found for the amygdala and mPFC. Post-hoc analyses revealed the positive association between DPA and DBD was only present in males, with a diminishing effect as age increased. CONCLUSIONS We found evidence for a biosocial interaction between DPA and reward sensitivity of the VS in relation to DBD symptom severity. This study provides the first evidence of an interaction effect between a brain mechanism and an environmental factor in relation to DBD symptoms, implying that susceptibility to influences of delinquent peers may intertwine with individual biological differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorim J Tielbeek
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychosocial Care, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Complex Trait Genetics, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Maarten van der Hooft
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychosocial Care, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Moran D Cohn
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychosocial Care, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Peter M van de Ven
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, VU University Medical Center, De Boelelaan 1117, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Tinca Jc Polderman
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychosocial Care, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Dick J Veltman
- Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, VU Medical Center Amsterdam, Van der Boechorststraat 7, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Danielle Posthuma
- Department of Complex Trait Genetics, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Carlo Schuengel
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences and Amsterdam Public Health Institute, Van der Boechorststraat 1, 1081 BT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Lieke van Domburgh
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychosocial Care, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Arne Popma
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychosocial Care, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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12
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McDonald M, Kohls G, Henke N, Wahl H, Backhausen LL, Roessner V, Buse J. Altered neural anticipation of reward and loss but not receipt in adolescents with obsessive-compulsive disorder. BMC Psychiatry 2024; 24:362. [PMID: 38745267 PMCID: PMC11094903 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-024-05808-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by persistent, unwanted thoughts and repetitive actions. Such repetitive thoughts and/or behaviors may be reinforced either by reducing anxiety or by avoiding a potential threat or harm, and thus may be rewarding to the individual. The possible involvement of the reward system in the symptomatology of OCD is supported by studies showing altered reward processing in reward-related regions, such as the ventral striatum (VS) and the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), in adults with OCD. However, it is not clear whether this also applies to adolescents with OCD. METHODS Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, two sessions were conducted focusing on the anticipation and receipt of monetary reward (1) or loss (2), each contrasted to a verbal (control) condition. In each session, adolescents with OCD (n1=31/n2=26) were compared with typically developing (TD) controls (n1=33/ n2=31), all aged 10-19 years, during the anticipation and feedback phase of an adapted Monetary Incentive Delay task. RESULTS Data revealed a hyperactivation of the VS, but not the OFC, when anticipating both monetary reward and loss in the OCD compared to the TD group. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that aberrant neural reward and loss processing in OCD is associated with greater motivation to gain or maintain a reward but not with the actual receipt. The greater degree of reward 'wanting' may contribute to adolescents with OCD repeating certain actions more and more frequently, which then become habits (i.e., OCD symptomatology).
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria McDonald
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TUD Dresden University of Technology, Fetscherstraße 74, Dresden, 01307, Germany.
| | - Gregor Kohls
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TUD Dresden University of Technology, Fetscherstraße 74, Dresden, 01307, Germany.
| | - Nathalie Henke
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TUD Dresden University of Technology, Fetscherstraße 74, Dresden, 01307, Germany
| | - Hannes Wahl
- Institute of Neuroradiology, Faculty of Medicine, TUD Dresden University of Technology, Dresden, Germany
| | - Lea L Backhausen
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TUD Dresden University of Technology, Fetscherstraße 74, Dresden, 01307, Germany
| | - Veit Roessner
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TUD Dresden University of Technology, Fetscherstraße 74, Dresden, 01307, Germany
| | - Judith Buse
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, TUD Dresden University of Technology, Fetscherstraße 74, Dresden, 01307, Germany
- Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, TUD Dresden University of Technology, Dresden, Germany
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Wang M, Deng Y, Liu Y, Suo T, Guo B, Eickhoff SB, Xu J, Rao H. The common and distinct brain basis associated with adult and adolescent risk-taking behavior: Evidence from the neuroimaging meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 160:105607. [PMID: 38428473 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 02/25/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
Risk-taking is a common, complex, and multidimensional behavior construct that has significant implications for human health and well-being. Previous research has identified the neural mechanisms underlying risk-taking behavior in both adolescents and adults, yet the differences between adolescents' and adults' risk-taking in the brain remain elusive. This study firstly employs a comprehensive meta-analysis approach that includes 73 adult and 20 adolescent whole-brain experiments, incorporating observations from 1986 adults and 789 adolescents obtained from online databases, including Web of Science, PubMed, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar and Neurosynth. It then combines functional decoding methods to identify common and distinct brain regions and corresponding psychological processes associated with risk-taking behavior in these two cohorts. The results indicated that the neural bases underlying risk-taking behavior in both age groups are situated within the cognitive control, reward, and sensory networks. Subsequent contrast analysis revealed that adolescents and adults risk-taking engaged frontal pole within the fronto-parietal control network (FPN), but the former recruited more ventrolateral area and the latter recruited more dorsolateral area. Moreover, adolescents' risk-taking evoked brain area activity within the ventral attention network (VAN) and the default mode network (DMN) compared with adults, consistent with the functional decoding analyses. These findings provide new insights into the similarities and disparities of risk-taking neural substrates underlying different age cohorts, supporting future neuroimaging research on the dynamic changes of risk-taking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengmeng Wang
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research & Key Laboratory of Brain-Machine Intelligence for Information Behavior (Ministry of Education and Shanghai), School of Business and Management, Shanghai International Studies University, Shanghai, China; Business School, NingboTech University, Ningbo, China
| | - Yao Deng
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research & Key Laboratory of Brain-Machine Intelligence for Information Behavior (Ministry of Education and Shanghai), School of Business and Management, Shanghai International Studies University, Shanghai, China; State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning and IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Yingying Liu
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research & Key Laboratory of Brain-Machine Intelligence for Information Behavior (Ministry of Education and Shanghai), School of Business and Management, Shanghai International Studies University, Shanghai, China
| | | | - Bowen Guo
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research & Key Laboratory of Brain-Machine Intelligence for Information Behavior (Ministry of Education and Shanghai), School of Business and Management, Shanghai International Studies University, Shanghai, China
| | - Simon B Eickhoff
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain and Behavior (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany; Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Jing Xu
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research & Key Laboratory of Brain-Machine Intelligence for Information Behavior (Ministry of Education and Shanghai), School of Business and Management, Shanghai International Studies University, Shanghai, China.
| | - Hengyi Rao
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research & Key Laboratory of Brain-Machine Intelligence for Information Behavior (Ministry of Education and Shanghai), School of Business and Management, Shanghai International Studies University, Shanghai, China; Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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14
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Desai S, Zundel CG, Evanski JM, Gowatch LC, Bhogal A, Ely S, Carpenter C, Shampine M, O'Mara E, Rabinak CA, Marusak HA. Genetic variation in endocannabinoid signaling: Anxiety, depression, and threat- and reward-related brain functioning during the transition into adolescence. Behav Brain Res 2024; 463:114925. [PMID: 38423255 PMCID: PMC10977105 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2024.114925] [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: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The endocannabinoid system modulates neural activity throughout the lifespan. In adults, neuroimaging studies link a common genetic variant in fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH C385A)-an enzyme that regulates endocannabinoid signaling-to reduced risk of anxiety and depression, and altered threat- and reward-related neural activity. However, limited research has investigated these associations during the transition into adolescence, a period of substantial neurodevelopment and increased psychopathology risk. METHODS This study included FAAH genotype and longitudinal neuroimaging and neurobehavioral data from 4811 youth (46% female; 9-11 years at Baseline, 11-13 years at Year 2) from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive DevelopmentSM Study. Linear mixed models examined the effects of FAAH and the FAAH x time interaction on anxiety and depressive symptoms, amygdala reactivity to threatening faces, and nucleus accumbens (NAcc) response to happy faces during the emotional n-back task. RESULTS A significant main effect of FAAH on depressive symptoms was observed, such that depressive symptoms were lower across both timepoints in those with the AA genotype compared to both AC and CC genotypes (p's<0.05). There were no significant FAAH x time interactions for anxiety, depression, or neural responses (p's>0.05). Additionally, there were no main effects of FAAH on anxiety or neural responses (p's>0.05). CONCLUSIONS Our findings add to emerging evidence linking the FAAH C385A variant to lower risk of psychopathology, and extend these findings to a developmental sample. In particular, we found lower depressive symptoms in FAAH AA genotypes compared to AC and CC genotypes. Future research is needed to characterize the role of the FAAH variant and the eCB system more broadly in neurodevelopment and psychiatric risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shreya Desai
- Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, USA
| | - Clara G Zundel
- Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, USA
| | - Julia M Evanski
- Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, USA
| | - Leah C Gowatch
- Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, USA
| | - Amanpreet Bhogal
- Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, USA
| | - Samantha Ely
- Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, USA
| | - Carmen Carpenter
- Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, USA
| | - MacKenna Shampine
- Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, USA
| | - Emilie O'Mara
- Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, USA
| | - Christine A Rabinak
- Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, USA; Dept. of Pharmacy Practice, Wayne State University, USA
| | - Hilary A Marusak
- Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, USA; Dept. of Pharmacology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, USA; Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute for Child and Family Development, Wayne State University, USA.
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15
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LaRocco K, Villiamma P, Hill J, Russell MA, DiLeone RJ, Groman SM. Sex differences in oxycodone-taking behaviors are linked to disruptions in reward-guided, decision-making functions. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.09.587443. [PMID: 38645212 PMCID: PMC11030399 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.09.587443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
Problematic opioid use that emerges in a subset of individuals may be due to pre-existing disruptions in the biobehavioral mechanisms that regulate drug use. The identity of these mechanisms is not known, but emerging evidence suggests that suboptimal decision-making that is observable prior to drug use may contribute to the pathology of addiction and, notably, serve as a powerful phenotype for interrogating biologically based differences in opiate-taking behaviors. The current study investigated the relationship between decision-making phenotypes and opioid-taking behaviors in male and female Long Evans rats. Adaptive decision-making processes were assessed using a probabilistic reversal-learning task and oxycodone- (or vehicle, as a control) taking behaviors assessed for 32 days using a saccharin fading procedure that promoted dynamic intake of oxycodone. Tests of motivation, extinction, and reinstatement were also performed. Computational analyses of decision-making and opioid-taking behaviors revealed that attenuated reward-guided decision-making was associated with greater self-administration of oxycodone and addiction-relevant behaviors. Moreover, pre-existing impairments in reward-guided decision-making observed in female rats was associated with greater oxycodone use and addiction-relevant behaviors when compared to males. These results provide new insights into the biobehavioral mechanisms that regulate opiate-taking behaviors and offer a novel phenotypic approach for interrogating sex differences in addiction susceptibility and opioid use disorders.
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16
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Meredith WJ, Silvers JA. Experience-dependent neurodevelopment of self-regulation in adolescence. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2024; 66:101356. [PMID: 38364507 PMCID: PMC10878838 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2024.101356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Adolescence is a period of rapid biobehavioral change, characterized in part by increased neural maturation and sensitivity to one's environment. In this review, we aim to demonstrate that self-regulation skills are tuned by adolescents' social, cultural, and socioeconomic contexts. We discuss adjacent literatures that demonstrate the importance of experience-dependent learning for adolescent development: environmental contextual influences and training paradigms that aim to improve regulation skills. We first highlight changes in prominent limbic and cortical regions-like the amygdala and medial prefrontal cortex-as well as structural and functional connectivity between these areas that are associated with adolescents' regulation skills. Next, we consider how puberty, the hallmark developmental milestone in adolescence, helps instantiate these biobehavioral adaptations. We then survey the existing literature demonstrating the ways in which cultural, socioeconomic, and interpersonal contexts drive behavioral and neural adaptation for self-regulation. Finally, we highlight promising results from regulation training paradigms that suggest training may be especially efficacious for adolescent samples. In our conclusion, we highlight some exciting frontiers in human self-regulation research as well as recommendations for improving the methodological implementation of developmental neuroimaging studies and training paradigms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wesley J Meredith
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, 1285 Franz Hall, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Jennifer A Silvers
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, 1285 Franz Hall, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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17
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Decker AL, Meisler SL, Hubbard NA, Bauer CCC, Leonard J, Grotzinger H, Giebler MA, Torres YC, Imhof A, Romeo R, Gabrieli JDE. Striatal and Behavioral Responses to Reward Vary by Socioeconomic Status in Adolescents. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e1633232023. [PMID: 38253532 PMCID: PMC10941242 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1633-23.2023] [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: 08/26/2023] [Revised: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Disparities in socioeconomic status (SES) lead to unequal access to financial and social support. These disparities are believed to influence reward sensitivity, which in turn are hypothesized to shape how individuals respond to and pursue rewarding experiences. However, surprisingly little is known about how SES shapes reward sensitivity in adolescence. Here, we investigated how SES influenced adolescent responses to reward, both in behavior and the striatum-a brain region that is highly sensitive to reward. We examined responses to both immediate reward (tracked by phasic dopamine) and average reward rate fluctuations (tracked by tonic dopamine) as these distinct signals independently shape learning and motivation. Adolescents (n = 114; 12-14 years; 58 female) performed a gambling task during functional magnetic resonance imaging. We manipulated trial-by-trial reward and loss outcomes, leading to fluctuations between periods of reward scarcity and abundance. We found that a higher reward rate hastened behavioral responses, and increased guess switching, consistent with the idea that reward abundance increases response vigor and exploration. Moreover, immediate reward reinforced previously rewarding decisions (win-stay, lose-switch) and slowed responses (postreward pausing), particularly when rewards were scarce. Notably, lower-SES adolescents slowed down less after rare rewards than higher-SES adolescents. In the brain, striatal activations covaried with the average reward rate across time and showed greater activations during rewarding blocks. However, these striatal effects were diminished in lower-SES adolescents. These findings show that the striatum tracks reward rate fluctuations, which shape decisions and motivation. Moreover, lower SES appears to attenuate reward-driven behavioral and brain responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra L Decker
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
| | - Steven L Meisler
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
- Program in Speech and Hearing Bioscience and Technology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138
| | - Nicholas A Hubbard
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588
| | - Clemens C C Bauer
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
| | - Julia Leonard
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06511
| | - Hannah Grotzinger
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106
| | | | - Yesi Camacho Torres
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
| | - Andrea Imhof
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403
| | - Rachel Romeo
- Departments of Human Development & Quantitative Methodology and Hearing & Speech Sciences, and Program in Neuroscience & Cognitive Science, University of Maryland College Park, Baltimore, Maryland 20742
| | - John D E Gabrieli
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
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18
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Rodriguez Buritica JM, Eppinger B, Heekeren HR, Crone EA, van Duijvenvoorde ACK. Observational reinforcement learning in children and young adults. NPJ SCIENCE OF LEARNING 2024; 9:18. [PMID: 38480747 PMCID: PMC10937639 DOI: 10.1038/s41539-024-00227-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
Observational learning is essential for the acquisition of new behavior in educational practices and daily life and serves as an important mechanism for human cognitive and social-emotional development. However, we know little about its underlying neurocomputational mechanisms from a developmental perspective. In this study we used model-based fMRI to investigate differences in observational learning and individual learning between children and younger adults. Prediction errors (PE), the difference between experienced and predicted outcomes, related positively to striatal and ventral medial prefrontal cortex activation during individual learning and showed no age-related differences. PE-related activation during observational learning was more pronounced when outcomes were worse than predicted. Particularly, negative PE-coding in the dorsal medial prefrontal cortex was stronger in adults compared to children and was associated with improved observational learning in children and adults. The current findings pave the way to better understand observational learning challenges across development and educational settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia M Rodriguez Buritica
- Department of Psychology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany.
- Berlin School of Mind and Brain & Department of Psychology, Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
- Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Ben Eppinger
- Department of Psychology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
- Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada
- Department of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Hauke R Heekeren
- Department of Psychology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
- Executive University Board, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Eveline A Crone
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Anna C K van Duijvenvoorde
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, The Netherlands.
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19
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Shirazi A, Radgoudarzi N, Brody AL. Adolescent Tobacco/Nicotine Use and the Potential Role of Contingency Management-based Interventions. J Addict Med 2024; 18:97-102. [PMID: 38197859 PMCID: PMC10939979 DOI: 10.1097/adm.0000000000001249] [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] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
ABSTRACT The high prevalence of tobacco/nicotine use among youth, including e-cigarettes, is a public health problem in the United States. Early exposure leads to an increased risk of dependence and health consequences in adulthood. We reviewed the literature on current treatment approaches for nicotine/tobacco use in adolescents/young adults and highlighted underexplored areas of treatment research. There are no current Food and Drug Administration-approved medications for treatment of nicotine/tobacco use disorders in adolescents. However, in research settings and on a case-to-case basis, clinical practice medications (including nicotine replacement therapy, bupropion, and varenicline) have been prescribed to this population with consideration of risk-benefit analysis when behavioral treatments are not sufficient to address dependence. Among the nonpharmacological interventions, there is evidence to support the potential for expanded use of contingency management in youth. Neural differences predisposing adolescents to substance use, along with higher attentiveness to value of options in decision making (flexible reward system) may enhance the effectiveness of reward-based approaches for treatment of substance use disorders in this population. The overall high rates of nonresponders across psychosocial and pharmacological treatments highlight the importance of considering novel strategies to improve existing interventions. We suggest that future research be done that considers unique characteristics of today's adolescents, such as high social activism and engagement with digital rewards to tailor contingency management for this age group and assess its effectiveness. Adolescents could potentially benefit from rewards administered through digital media (eg, video games, computer-based apps, and social media influencers).
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Affiliation(s)
- Anaheed Shirazi
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA
| | | | - Arthur L. Brody
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA
- Department of Research, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA
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20
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Hernandez Mejia M, Courtney KE, Wade NE, Wallace A, Baca RE, Shen Q, Happer JP, Jacobus J. The Combined Effects of Nicotine and Cannabis on Cortical Thickness Estimates in Adolescents and Emerging Adults. Brain Sci 2024; 14:195. [PMID: 38539584 PMCID: PMC10967898 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14030195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2023] [Revised: 02/10/2024] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 08/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Early life substance use, including cannabis and nicotine, may result in deleterious effects on the maturation of brain tissue and gray matter cortical development. The current study employed linear regression models to investigate the main and interactive effects of past-year nicotine and cannabis use on gray matter cortical thickness estimates in 11 bilateral independent frontal cortical regions in 223 16-22-year-olds. As the frontal cortex develops throughout late adolescence and young adulthood, this period becomes crucial for studying the impact of substance use on brain structure. The distinct effects of nicotine and cannabis use status on cortical thickness were found bilaterally, as cannabis and nicotine users both had thinner cortices than non-users. Interactions between nicotine and cannabis were also observed, in which cannabis use was associated with thicker cortices for those with a history of nicotine and tobacco product (NTP) use in three left frontal regions. This study sheds light on the intricate relationship between substance use and brain structure, suggesting a potential modulation of cannabis' impact on cortical thickness by nicotine exposure, and emphasizing the need for further longitudinal research to characterize these interactions and their implications for brain health and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margie Hernandez Mejia
- San Diego State University/University of California San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego, CA 92182, USA
| | - Kelly E. Courtney
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093, USA
| | - Natasha E. Wade
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093, USA
| | - Alexander Wallace
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093, USA
| | - Rachel E. Baca
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093, USA
| | - Qian Shen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093, USA
| | | | - Joanna Jacobus
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093, USA
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21
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Borchers LR, Yuan JP, Leong JK, Jo B, Chahal R, Ryu J, Nam A, Coury SM, Gotlib IH. Sex-Specific Vulnerability to Externalizing Problems: Sensitivity to Early Stress and Nucleus Accumbens Activation Over Adolescence. Biol Psychiatry 2024:S0006-3223(24)00038-6. [PMID: 38272286 PMCID: PMC11266527 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2024.01.011] [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] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Exposure and sensitivity to early-life stress (ELS) are related to increased risk for psychopathology in adolescence. While cross-sectional studies have reported blunted nucleus accumbens (NAcc) activation in the context of these associations, researchers have not yet assessed the effects of ELS on developmental trajectories of activation. We examined whether trajectories are affected by stress and the moderating role of biological sex in predicting vulnerability to symptoms of psychopathology. METHODS Adolescents (n = 173) completed 3 assessments at 2-year intervals across puberty (ages 9-18 years). At baseline, we assessed objective ELS and stress sensitivity using the Traumatic Events Screening Inventory for Children. At all time points, we assessed NAcc activation using the Monetary Incentive Delay task and externalizing, internalizing, and total problems using the Youth Self-Report. We examined correlations between NAcc trajectories (extracted using linear mixed-effects models) with ELS and stress sensitivity and conducted multivariate regression analysis to examine the interaction of NAcc trajectories and biological sex in predicting symptoms of psychopathology. RESULTS Symptoms increased over adolescence. Stress sensitivity, but not objective ELS, was associated with decreasing trajectories of NAcc activation. Biological sex interacted with NAcc trajectories to predict psychopathology; boys, but not girls, with decreasing NAcc activation had more severe externalizing problems in adolescence. These findings were replicated in the putamen and caudate but not in the medial prefrontal cortex or control brain regions. CONCLUSIONS NAcc activation may be a sex-specific marker of externalizing problems in adolescence. Efforts to reduce stress sensitivity may help to decrease symptoms of psychopathology in adolescent boys.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren R Borchers
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, California.
| | - Justin P Yuan
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, California
| | - Josiah K Leong
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas
| | - Booil Jo
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, California
| | - Rajpreet Chahal
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, California
| | - Joshua Ryu
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, California
| | - Andrew Nam
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, California
| | - Saché M Coury
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, California
| | - Ian H Gotlib
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, California
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22
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Amialchuk AA, Buckingham BM. The effect of marijuana use in adolescence on college and graduate degree attainment. ECONOMICS AND HUMAN BIOLOGY 2024; 52:101347. [PMID: 38157593 DOI: 10.1016/j.ehb.2023.101347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
We estimate the long-term effect of using marijuana in adolescence on college and graduate degree attainment measured approximately 20 years later. We rely on the first two waves (1994-1996) and the fifth wave (2016-2018) of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health and estimate instrumental variables models that exploit the network structure at the second degree by using marijuana use status of friends of friends who are not themselves friends of the respondent in order to instrument for the respondent's marijuana use. Our models also include school and grade fixed effects. Marijuana use in adolescence leads to a large reduction in the likelihood of college and graduate degree attainment by the time respondents are aged 33-43 years old.
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Luciana M, Barch D, Herting MM. Adolescent brain cognitive development study: Longitudinal methods, developmental findings, and associations with environmental risk factors. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2023; 64:101311. [PMID: 37827934 PMCID: PMC10757308 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Deanna Barch
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University of St. Louis, USA
| | - Megan M Herting
- Departments of Population and Public Health Sciences and Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine of USC, University of Southern California, USA
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Megías-Robles A, Sánchez-López MT, Gómez-Leal R, Cabello R, Gutiérrez-Cobo MJ, Fernández-Berrocal P. Impulsivity and sensitivity to reward as mediating factors of the negative relationship between emotional intelligence and health-related risk-taking: evidence from a sample of university students. BMC Psychol 2023; 11:386. [PMID: 37946304 PMCID: PMC10636922 DOI: 10.1186/s40359-023-01417-7] [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: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Better abilities in emotional intelligence (EI) have been linked to a decreased tendency to engage in health-related risk behaviour. However, the processes underlying this relationship are still unclear. The aim of this research was to examine the role of impulsivity and sensitivity to reward as mediating factors in the relationship between EI and health risk-taking. METHODS Two hundred and fifty participants (Mage = 23.60, age range = 18-59; SD = 6.67; 71.60% women) were assessed on ability EI levels, risk-taking in health contexts, impulsivity, and sensitivity to reward. Unlike previous studies in the literature, we employed a performance-based ability measure to assess EI (Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test, MSCEIT). RESULTS The results confirmed the negative relationship between EI and health risk-taking and revealed the existence of a significant negative indirect effect of EI on health-risk taking through various dimensions of impulsivity and sensitivity to reward. EI abilities -particularly the ability to manage emotions- were associated with lower levels of impulsivity under positive and negative emotional states, a better management of the tendency towards sensation seeking, and a decreased emotional reactivity to rewards. CONCLUSIONS The present research provides a better understanding of the processes underlying the negative relationship between EI and health risk-taking. Our findings suggest that having higher levels of EI abilities would allow for a more objective evaluation of risk scenarios and a more appropriate and safer decision making through its influence on the levels of impulsivity and emotional reactivity to rewards. Practical implications, limitations, and future lines of research are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Megías-Robles
- Department of Basic Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain
| | - María T Sánchez-López
- Department of Basic Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain.
| | - Raquel Gómez-Leal
- Department of Basic Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain
| | - Rosario Cabello
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain
| | - María José Gutiérrez-Cobo
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain
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25
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Yip SW, Lichenstein SD, Liang Q, Chaarani B, Dager A, Pearlson G, Banaschewski T, Bokde ALW, Desrivières S, Flor H, Grigis A, Gowland P, Heinz A, Brühl R, Martinot JL, Martinot MLP, Artiges E, Nees F, Orfanos DP, Paus T, Poustka L, Hohmann S, Millenet S, Fröhner JH, Smolka MN, Vaidya N, Walter H, Whelan R, Schumann G, Garavan H. Brain Networks and Adolescent Alcohol Use. JAMA Psychiatry 2023; 80:1131-1141. [PMID: 37647053 PMCID: PMC10469292 DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2023.2949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
Importance Alcohol misuse in adolescence is a leading cause of disability and mortality in youth and is associated with higher risk for alcohol use disorder. Brain mechanisms underlying risk of alcohol misuse may inform prevention and intervention efforts. Objective To identify neuromarkers of alcohol misuse using a data-driven approach, with specific consideration of neurodevelopmental sex differences. Design, Setting, and Participants Longitudinal multisite functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data collected at ages 14 and 19 years were used to assess whole-brain patterns of functional organization associated with current and future alcohol use risk as measured by the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT). Primary data were collected by the IMAGEN consortium, a European multisite study of adolescent neurodevelopment. Model generalizability was further tested using data acquired in a single-site study of college alcohol consumption conducted in the US. The primary sample was a developmental cohort of 1359 adolescents with neuroimaging, phenotyping, and alcohol use data. Model generalizability was further assessed in a separate cohort of 114 individuals. Main Outcomes and Measures Brain-behavior model accuracy, as defined by the correspondence between model-predicted and actual AUDIT scores in held-out testing data, Bonferroni corrected across the number of models run at each time point, 2-tailed α < .008, as determined via permutation testing. Results Among 1359 individuals in the study, the mean (SD) age was 14.42 (0.40) years, and 729 individuals (54%) were female. The data-driven, whole-brain connectivity approach identified networks associated with vulnerability for future and current AUDIT-defined alcohol use risk (primary outcome, as specified above, future: ρ, 0.22; P < .001 and present: ρ, 0.27; P < .001). Results further indicated sex divergence in the accuracies of brain-behavior models, such that female-only models consistently outperformed male-only models. Specifically, female-only models identified networks conferring vulnerability for future and current severity using data acquired during both reward and inhibitory fMRI tasks. In contrast, male-only models were successful in accurately identifying networks using data acquired during the inhibitory control-but not reward-task, indicating domain specificity of alcohol use risk networks in male adolescents only. Conclusions and Relevance These data suggest that interventions focusing on inhibitory control processes may be effective in combating alcohol use risk in male adolescents but that both inhibitory and reward-related processes are likely of relevance to alcohol use behaviors in female adolescents. They further identify novel networks of alcohol use risk in youth, which may be used to identify adolescents who are at risk and inform intervention efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah W. Yip
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
- Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Sarah D. Lichenstein
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Qinghao Liang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Bader Chaarani
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont, Burlington
| | - Alecia Dager
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Godfrey Pearlson
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Tobias Banaschewski
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Arun L. W. Bokde
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, United Kingdom
| | - Sylvane Desrivières
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, United Kingdom
| | - Herta Flor
- Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
- Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, University of Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Antoine Grigis
- Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, University of Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Penny Gowland
- Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Andreas Heinz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy Campus Charité Mitte, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Rüdiger Brühl
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Braunschweig and Berlin, Germany
| | - Jean-Luc Martinot
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, INSERM U 1299 Trajectoires développementales & psychiatrie, University Paris-Saclay, University Paris Cité, CNRS, Ecole Normale Supérieure Paris-Saclay, Centre Borelli, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Marie-Laure Paillère Martinot
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, INSERM U 1299 Trajectoires développementales & psychiatrie, University Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Ecole Normale Supérieure Paris-Saclay, Centre Borelli, Gif-sur-Yvette, and AP-HP, Sorbonne University, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, France
| | - Eric Artiges
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, INSERM U 1299 Trajectoires développementales & psychiatrie, University Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Ecole Normale Supérieure Paris-Saclay, Centre Borelli, Gif-sur-Yvette, and Psychiatry Department, EPS Barthélémy Durand, Etampes, France
| | - Frauke Nees
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
- Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | | | - Tomáš Paus
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Luise Poustka
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Centre Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Sarah Hohmann
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Sabina Millenet
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Juliane H. Fröhner
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroimaging Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Michael N. Smolka
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroimaging Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Nilakshi Vaidya
- Centre for Population Neuroscience and Stratified Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany
| | - Henrik Walter
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Braunschweig and Berlin, Germany
| | - Robert Whelan
- School of Psychology and Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Gunter Schumann
- Centre for Population Neuroscience and Stratified Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany
- Centre for Population Neuroscience and Precision Medicine, Institute for Science and Technology of Brain-inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Hugh Garavan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont, Burlington
- Department of Psychology, University of Vermont, Burlington
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Gallyer AJ, Burani K, Mulligan EM, Santopetro N, Dougherty SP, Jeon ME, Nelson BD, Joiner TE, Hajcak G. Examining Blunted Initial Response to Reward and Recent Suicidal Ideation in Children and Adolescents Using Event-Related Potentials: Failure to Conceptually Replicate Across Two Independent Samples. Clin Psychol Sci 2023; 11:1011-1025. [PMID: 38098687 PMCID: PMC10720695 DOI: 10.1177/21677026221120426] [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] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
A recent study by Tsypes and colleagues (2019) found that children with recent suicidal ideation had blunted neural reward processing, as measured by the reward positivity (RewP), compared to matched controls, and that this difference was driven by reduced neural responses to monetary loss, rather than to reward. Here, we aimed to conceptually replicate and extend these findings in two samples (n = 264, 27 with suicidal ideation; and n = 314, 49 with suicidal ideation at baseline) of children and adolescents (11 to 15 years and 8 to 15 years, respectively). Results from both samples showed no evidence that children and adolescents with suicidal ideation have abnormal reward or loss processing, nor that reward processing predicts suicidal ideation two years later. The results highlight the need for greater statistical power, as well as continued research examining the neural underpinnings of suicidal thoughts and behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Min Eun Jeon
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University
| | | | | | - Greg Hajcak
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University
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27
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Lauharatanahirun N, Maciejewski DF, Kim-Spoon J, King-Casas B. Risk-related brain activation is linked to longitudinal changes in adolescent health risk behaviors. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2023; 63:101291. [PMID: 37672817 PMCID: PMC10485595 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Middle adolescence is the period of development during which youth begin to engage in health risk behaviors such as delinquent behavior and substance use. A promising mechanism for guiding adolescents away from risky choices is the extent to which adolescents are sensitive to the likelihood of receiving valued outcomes. Few studies have examined longitudinal change in adolescent risky decision making and its neural correlates. To this end, the present longitudinal three-wave study (Nw1 = 157, Mw1= 13.50 years; Nw2 = 148, Mw2= 14.52 years; Nw3 = 143, Mw3= 15.55 years) investigated the ontogeny of mid-adolescent behavioral and neural risk sensitivity, and their baseline relations to longitudinal self-reported health risk behaviors. Results showed that adolescents became more sensitive to risk both in behavior and the brain during middle adolescence. Across three years, we observed lower risk-taking and greater risk-related activation in the bilateral insular cortex. When examining how baseline levels of risk sensitivity were related to longitudinal changes in real-life health risk behaviors, we found that Wave 1 insular activity was related to increases in self-reported health risk behaviors over the three years. This research highlights the normative maturation of risk-related processes at the behavioral and neural levels during mid-adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina Lauharatanahirun
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, USA; Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, USA.
| | - Dominique F Maciejewski
- Department of Developmental Psychopathology, Radboud University, Behavioural Science Institute, the Netherlands
| | | | - Brooks King-Casas
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, USA; Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, USA.
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28
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Li J, Zhou Y, Ge Y, Qu W. Sensation seeking predicts risky driving behavior: The mediating role of difficulties in emotion regulation. RISK ANALYSIS : AN OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE SOCIETY FOR RISK ANALYSIS 2023; 43:1871-1886. [PMID: 36314116 DOI: 10.1111/risa.14066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Revised: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to explore the mediating effect of difficulties in emotion regulation on the relationship between sensation seeking and driving behavior based on the dual-process model of aberrant driving behavior. A sample of 299 drivers in China completed the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale, the Driver Behavior Questionnaire, and the Sensation Seeking Scale V (SSS). The relationships among sensation seeking, difficulties in emotion regulation, and driving behavior were investigated using pathway analysis. The results showed that (1) disinhibition and boredom susceptibility are positively and significantly related to difficulties in emotion regulation and risky driving behaviors; (2) difficulties in emotion regulation are positively and significantly associated with risky driving behaviors; (3) difficulties in emotion regulation mediate the effect of sensation seeking on driving behaviors, supporting the dual-process model of driving behavior; and (4) professional drivers score higher in terms of difficulties in emotion regulation and risky driving behaviors than nonprofessional drivers. The findings of this study could provide valuable insights into the selection of suitable drivers and the development of certain programs that benefit road safety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ying Zhou
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yan Ge
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Weina Qu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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29
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Klune CB, Goodpaster CM, Gongwer MW, Gabriel CJ, Chen R, Jones NS, Schwarz LA, DeNardo LA. Developmentally distinct architectures in top-down circuits. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.27.555010. [PMID: 37693480 PMCID: PMC10491090 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.27.555010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) plays a key role in learning, mood and decision making, including in how individuals respond to threats 1-6 . mPFC undergoes a uniquely protracted development, with changes in synapse density, cortical thickness, long-range connectivity, and neuronal encoding properties continuing into early adulthood 7-21 . Models suggest that before adulthood, the slow-developing mPFC cannot adequately regulate activity in faster-developing subcortical centers 22,23 . They propose that during development, the enhanced influence of subcortical systems underlies distinctive behavioural strategies of juveniles and adolescents and that increasing mPFC control over subcortical structures eventually allows adult behaviours to emerge. Yet it has remained unclear how a progressive strengthening of top-down control can lead to nonlinear changes in behaviour as individuals mature 24,25 . To address this discrepancy, here we monitored and manipulated activity in the developing brain as animals responded to threats, establishing direct causal links between frontolimbic circuit activity and the behavioural strategies of juvenile, adolescent and adult mice. Rather than a linear strengthening of mPFC synaptic connectivity progressively regulating behaviour, we uncovered multiple developmental switches in the behavioural roles of mPFC circuits targeting the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and nucleus accumbens (NAc). We show these changes are accompanied by axonal pruning coinciding with functional strengthening of synaptic connectivity in the mPFC-BLA and mPFC-NAc pathways, which mature at different rates. Our results reveal how developing mPFC circuits pass through distinct architectures that may make them optimally adapted to the demands of age-specific challenges.
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30
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Alloy LB, Walsh RFL, Smith LT, Maddox MA, Olino TM, Zee PC, Nusslock R. Circadian, Reward, and Emotion Systems in Teens prospective longitudinal study: protocol overview of an integrative reward-circadian rhythm model of first onset of bipolar spectrum disorder in adolescence. BMC Psychiatry 2023; 23:602. [PMID: 37592214 PMCID: PMC10436678 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-023-05094-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bipolar spectrum disorders (BSDs) are associated with a heightened sensitivity to rewards and elevated reward-related brain function in cortico-striatal circuitry. A separate literature documents social and circadian rhythm disruption in BSDs. Recently, integrated reward-circadian models of BSDs have been proposed. These models draw on work indicating that the two systems influence each other and interact to affect mood functioning. When dysregulated, reward and circadian system signaling may combine to form a positive feedback loop, whereby dysregulation in one system exacerbates dysregulation in the other. Project CREST (Circadian, Reward, and Emotion Systems in Teens) provides a first systematic test of reward-circadian dysregulation as a synergistic and dynamic vulnerability for first onset of BSD and increases in bipolar symptoms during adolescence. METHODS This NIMH-funded R01 study is a 3-year prospective, longitudinal investigation of approximately 320 community adolescents from the broader Philadelphia area, United States of America. Eligible participants must be 13-16 years old, fluent in English, and without a prior BSD or hypomanic episode. They are being selected along the entire dimension of self-reported reward responsiveness, with oversampling at the high tail of the dimension in order to increase the likelihood of BSD onsets. At Times 1-6, every 6 months, participants will complete assessments of reward-relevant and social rhythm disruption life events and self-report and diagnostic assessments of bipolar symptoms and episodes. Yearly, at Times 1, 3, and 5, participants also will complete self-report measures of circadian chronotype (morningness-eveningness) and social rhythm regularity, a salivary dim light melatonin onset (DLMO) procedure to assess circadian phase, self-report, behavioral, and neural (fMRI) assessments of monetary and social reward responsiveness, and a 7-day ecological momentary assessment (EMA) period. During each EMA period, participants will complete continuous measures of sleep/wake and activity (actigraphy), a daily sleep diary, and three within-day (morning, afternoon, evening) measures of life events coded for reward-relevance and social rhythm disruption, monetary and social reward responsiveness, positive and negative affect, and hypo/manic and depressive symptoms. The fMRI scan will occur on the day before and the DLMO procedure will occur on the first evening of the 7-day EMA period. DISCUSSION This study is an innovative integration of research on multi-organ systems involved in reward and circadian signaling in understanding first onset of BSD in adolescence. It has the potential to facilitate novel pharmacological, neural, and behavioral interventions to treat, and ideally prevent, bipolar conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren B Alloy
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, USA.
| | - Rachel F L Walsh
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Logan T Smith
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Mackenzie A Maddox
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Thomas M Olino
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Phyllis C Zee
- Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Evanston, USA
| | - Robin Nusslock
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, USA
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Yang B, Anderson Z, Zhou Z, Liu S, Haase CM, Qu Y. The longitudinal role of family conflict and neural reward sensitivity in youth's internalizing symptoms. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2023; 18:nsad037. [PMID: 37531585 PMCID: PMC10396325 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsad037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Revised: 05/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Adolescence is often associated with an increase in psychopathology. Although previous studies have examined how family environments and neural reward sensitivity separately play a role in youth's emotional development, it remains unknown how they interact with each other in predicting youth's internalizing symptoms. Therefore, the current research took a biopsychosocial approach to examine this question using two-wave longitudinal data of 9353 preadolescents (mean age = 9.93 years at T1; 51% boys) from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study. Using mixed-effects models, results showed that higher family conflict predicted youth's increased internalizing symptoms 1 year later, whereas greater ventral striatum (VS) activity during reward receipt predicted reduced internalizing symptoms over time. Importantly, there was an interaction effect between family conflict and VS activity. For youth who showed greater VS activation during reward receipt, high family conflict was more likely to predict increased internalizing symptoms. In contrast, youth with low VS activation during reward receipt showed high levels of internalizing symptoms regardless of family conflict. The findings suggest that youth's neural reward sensitivity is a marker of susceptibility to adverse family environments and highlight the importance of cultivating supportive family environments where youth experience less general conflict within the family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beiming Yang
- School of Education and Social Policy, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Zachary Anderson
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Zexi Zhou
- Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Sihong Liu
- Stanford Center on Early Childhood, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Claudia M Haase
- School of Education and Social Policy, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Yang Qu
- School of Education and Social Policy, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
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32
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Chaplin TM, Curby TW, Gonçalves SF, Kisner MA, Niehaus CE, Thompson JC. Sex differences in emotion- and reward-related neural responses predicting increases in substance use in adolescence. Behav Brain Res 2023; 450:114499. [PMID: 37201893 PMCID: PMC10330612 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Adolescent substance use is a significant public health problem and there is a need for effective substance use preventions. To develop effective preventions, it is important to identify neurobiological risk factors that predict increases in substance use in adolescence and to understand potential sex differences in risk mechanisms. The present study used functional magnetic resonance imaging and hierarchical linear modeling to examine negative emotion- and reward-related neural responses in early adolescence predicting growth in substance use to middle adolescence in 81 youth, by sex. Adolescent neural responses to negative emotional stimuli and monetary reward receipt were assessed at age 12-14. Adolescents reported on substance use at age 12-14 and at 6 month, and 1, 2, and 3 year follow-ups. Adolescent neural responses did not predict initiation of substance use (yes/no), but, among users, neural responses predicted growth in substance use frequency. For girls, heightened right amygdala responses to negative emotional stimuli in early adolescence predicted growth in substance use frequency through middle adolescence. For boys, blunted left nucleus accumbens and bilateral ventromedial prefrontal cortex responses to monetary reward predicted growth in substance use frequency. Findings suggest different emotion and reward-related predictors of the development of substance use for adolescent girls versus boys.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tara M Chaplin
- Department of Psychology, George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, MSN 3F5, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA.
| | - Timothy W Curby
- Department of Psychology, George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, MSN 3F5, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA
| | - Stefanie F Gonçalves
- Department of Psychology, George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, MSN 3F5, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA
| | - Mallory A Kisner
- Department of Psychology, George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, MSN 3F5, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA
| | - Claire E Niehaus
- Department of Psychology, George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, MSN 3F5, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Louisville, 571 S Floyd Street, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
| | - James C Thompson
- Department of Psychology, George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, MSN 3F5, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA
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Gadassi Polack R, Mollick JA, Keren H, Joormann J, Watts R. Neural responses to reward valence and magnitude from pre- to early adolescence. Neuroimage 2023; 275:120166. [PMID: 37178821 PMCID: PMC10311119 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120166] [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: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neural activation during reward processing is thought to underlie critical behavioral changes that take place during the transition to adolescence (e.g., learning, risk-taking). Though literature on the neural basis of reward processing in adolescence is booming, important gaps remain. First, more information is needed regarding changes in functional neuroanatomy in early adolescence. Another gap is understanding whether sensitivity to different aspects of the incentive (e.g., magnitude and valence) changes during the transition into adolescence. We used fMRI from a large sample of preadolescent children to characterize neural responses to incentive valence vs. magnitude during anticipation and feedback, and their change over a period of two years. METHODS Data were taken from the Adolescent Cognitive and Brain DevelopmentSM (ABCD®) study release 3.0. Children completed the Monetary Incentive Delay task at baseline (ages 9-10) and year 2 follow-up (ages 11-12). Based on data from two sites (N = 491), we identified activation-based Regions of Interest (ROIs; e.g., striatum, prefrontal regions, etc.) that were sensitive to trial type (win $5, win $0.20, neutral, lose $0.20, lose $5) during anticipation and feedback phases. Then, in an independent subsample (N = 1470), we examined whether these ROIs were sensitive to valence and magnitude and whether that sensitivity changed over two years. RESULTS Our results show that most ROIs involved in reward processing (including the striatum, prefrontal cortex, and insula) are specialized, i.e., mainly sensitive to either incentive valence or magnitude, and this sensitivity was consistent over a 2-year period. The effect sizes of time and its interactions were significantly smaller (0.002≤η2≤0.02) than the effect size of trial type (0.06≤η2≤0.30). Interestingly, specialization was moderated by reward processing phase but was stable across development. Biological sex and pubertal status differences were few and inconsistent. Developmental changes were mostly evident during success feedback, where neural reactivity increased over time. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest sub-specialization to valence vs. magnitude within many ROIs of the reward circuitry. Additionally, in line with theoretical models of adolescent development, our results suggest that the ability to benefit from success increases from pre- to early adolescence. These findings can inform educators and clinicians and facilitate empirical research of typical and atypical motivational behaviors during a critical time of development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reuma Gadassi Polack
- Psychology Department, Yale University, United States; Psychiatry Department, Yale University, United States; School of Behavioral Sciences, Tel Aviv-Yaffo Academic College, Israel.
| | | | - Hanna Keren
- Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University, Israel
| | | | - Richard Watts
- Psychology Department, Yale University, United States
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Alloy LB, Chat IKY, Grehl MM, Stephenson AR, Adogli ZV, Olino TM, Ellman LM, Miller GE, Nusslock R. Reward and Immune Systems in Emotion (RISE) prospective longitudinal study: Protocol overview of an integrative reward-inflammation model of first onset of major depression in adolescence. Brain Behav Immun Health 2023; 30:100643. [PMID: 37304334 PMCID: PMC10250584 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2023.100643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Depression is associated with a reduced sensitivity to rewards and low reward-related brain function in cortico-striatal circuitry. A separate literature documents elevated peripheral inflammation in depression. Recently, integrated reward-inflammation models of depression have been proposed. These models draw on work indicating that peripheral inflammatory proteins access the brain, where they lower reward responsiveness. This blunted reward responsiveness is proposed to initiate unhealthy behaviors (substance use, poor diet), as well as sleep disruption and stress generation, which further heighten inflammation. Over time, dysregulation in reward responsiveness and immune signaling may synergize in a positive feedback loop, whereby dysregulation in each system exacerbates dysregulation in the other. Project RISE (Reward and Immune Systems in Emotion) provides a first systematic test of reward-immune dysregulation as a synergistic and dynamic vulnerability for first onset of major depressive disorder and increases in depressive symptoms during adolescence. Methods This NIMH-funded R01 study is a 3-year prospective, longitudinal investigation of approximately 300 community adolescents from the broader Philadelphia area, United States of America. Eligible participants must be 13-16 years old, fluent in English, and without a prior major depressive disorder. They are being selected along the entire dimension of self-reported reward responsiveness, with oversampling at the low tail of the dimension in order to increase the likelihood of major depression onsets. At Time 1 (T1), T3, and T5, each a year apart, participants complete blood draws to quantify biomarkers of low-grade inflammation, self-report and behavioral measures of reward responsiveness, and fMRI scans of reward neural activity and functional connectivity. At T1-T5 (with T2 and T4 six months between the yearly sessions), participants also complete diagnostic interviews and measures of depressive symptoms, reward-relevant life events, and behaviors that increase inflammation. Adversity history is assessed at T1 only. Discussion This study is an innovative integration of research on multi-organ systems involved in reward and inflammatory signaling in understanding first onset of major depression in adolescence. It has the potential to facilitate novel neuroimmune and behavioral interventions to treat, and ideally prevent, depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren B. Alloy
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, USA
| | - Iris K.-Y. Chat
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, USA
| | - Mora M. Grehl
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, USA
| | | | - Zoe V. Adogli
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, USA
| | - Thomas M. Olino
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, USA
| | - Lauren M. Ellman
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, USA
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Plachti A, Latzman RD, Balajoo SM, Hoffstaedter F, Madsen KS, Baare W, Siebner HR, Eickhoff SB, Genon S. Hippocampal anterior- posterior shift in childhood and adolescence. Prog Neurobiol 2023; 225:102447. [PMID: 36967075 PMCID: PMC10185869 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2023.102447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023]
Abstract
Hippocampal-cortical networks play an important role in neurocognitive development. Applying the method of Connectivity-Based Parcellation (CBP) on hippocampal-cortical structural covariance (SC) networks computed from T1-weighted magnetic resonance images, we examined how the hippocampus differentiates into subregions during childhood and adolescence (N = 1105, 6-18 years). In late childhood, the hippocampus mainly differentiated along the anterior-posterior axis similar to previous reported functional differentiation patterns of the hippocampus. In contrast, in adolescence a differentiation along the medial-lateral axis was evident, reminiscent of the cytoarchitectonic division into cornu ammonis and subiculum. Further meta-analytical characterization of hippocampal subregions in terms of related structural co-maturation networks, behavioural and gene profiling suggested that the hippocampal head is related to higher order functions (e.g. language, theory of mind, autobiographical memory) in late childhood morphologically co-varying with almost the whole brain. In early adolescence but not in childhood, posterior subicular SC networks were associated with action-oriented and reward systems. The findings point to late childhood as an important developmental period for hippocampal head morphology and to early adolescence as a crucial period for hippocampal integration into action- and reward-oriented cognition. The latter may constitute a developmental feature that conveys increased propensity for addictive disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Plachti
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany; Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital -Amager and Hvidovre, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Robert D Latzman
- Data Sciences Institute, Takeda Pharmaceutical, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Felix Hoffstaedter
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Kathrine Skak Madsen
- Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital -Amager and Hvidovre, Copenhagen, Denmark; Radiography, Department of Technology, University College Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - William Baare
- Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital -Amager and Hvidovre, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Hartwig R Siebner
- Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital -Amager and Hvidovre, Copenhagen, Denmark; Department of Neurology, Copenhagen University Hospital Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg, Copenhagen, Denmark; Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Simon B Eickhoff
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany; Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Sarah Genon
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany; Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany; GIGA-CRC In vivo Imaging, University of Liege, Liege, Belgium.
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Ross JA, Levy S. The Impact of Cannabis Use on Adolescent Neurodevelopment and Clinical Outcomes Amidst Changing State Policies. Clin Ther 2023; 45:535-540. [PMID: 37414504 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinthera.2023.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
Cannabis is the most common illicit substance used by adolescents and the third most common psychoactive substance after alcohol and nicotine. Cannabis use during adolescence interrupts a critical period of brain development and leads to inappropriate activation of the reward pathway. Because the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for impulse control and other executive functions, is not fully mature until the mid-twenties, the adolescent brain is especially vulnerable to damage from substance use. Although cannabis remains illegal at the federal level, recent changes in state policies have been associated with increased availability of a wide variety of cannabis products. As new products, formulations, and delivery devices that can deliver higher and faster peak doses of tetrahydrocannabinol enter the market, there is an even greater potential for cannabis to have negative clinical impacts on adolescent health. This article reviews the current literature on the impact of cannabis on adolescent health, including the neurobiology of the adolescent brain, potential clinical outcomes in adolescents who use cannabis, and the effects of changing state policies regarding cannabis on the increased availability of unregulated products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer A Ross
- Adolescent Substance Use and Addiction Program, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
| | - Sharon Levy
- Adolescent Substance Use and Addiction Program, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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Pinar-Martí A, Gignac F, Fernández-Barrés S, Romaguera D, Sala-Vila A, Lázaro I, Ranzani OT, Persavento C, Delgado A, Carol A, Torrent J, Gonzalez J, Roso E, Barrera-Gómez J, López-Vicente M, Boucher O, Nieuwenhuijsen M, Turner MC, Burgaleta M, Canals J, Arija V, Basagaña X, Ros E, Salas-Salvadó J, Sunyer J, Julvez J. Effect of walnut consumption on neuropsychological development in healthy adolescents: a multi-school randomised controlled trial. EClinicalMedicine 2023; 59:101954. [PMID: 37096186 PMCID: PMC10121389 DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2023.101954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Omega-3 fatty acids are critical for neuropsychological functioning. Adolescence is increasingly believed to entail brain vulnerability to dietary intake. The potential benefit on adolescent neurodevelopment of consuming walnuts, a source of omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), remains unclear. Methods We conducted a 6-month multi-school-based randomised controlled nutrition intervention trial to assess whether walnut consumption has beneficial effects on the neuropsychological and behavioural development of adolescents. The study took place between 04/01/2016 and 06/30/2017 in twelve different high schools in Barcelona, Spain (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02590848). A total of 771 healthy teenagers aged 11-16 years were randomised into two equal groups (intervention or control). The intervention group received 30 g/day of raw walnut kernels to be incorporated into their diet for 6 months. Multiple primary endpoints concerning neuropsychological (working memory, attention, fluid intelligence, and executive function) and behavioural (socio-emotional and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder [ADHD] symptoms) development were assessed at baseline and after intervention. Red blood cell (RBC) ALA status was determined at baseline and 6 months as a measure of compliance. Main analyses were based on intention-to-treat using a linear mixed-effects model. A per-protocol effect of the intervention was analysed using inverse-probability weighting to account for post-randomisation prognostic factors (including adherence) using generalised estimating equations. Findings In intention-to-treat analyses, at 6 months there were no statistically significant changes between the intervention and control groups for all primary endpoints. RBC ALA (%) significantly increased only in the intervention group, coefficient = 0.04 (95% Confidence Interval (CI) = 0.03, 0.06; p < 0.0001). The per-protocol (adherence-adjusted) effect on improvement in attention score (hit reaction time variability) was -11.26 ms (95% CI = -19.92, -2.60; p = 0.011) for the intervention group as compared to the control group, improvement in fluid intelligence score was 1.78 (95% CI = 0.90, 2.67; p < 0.0001), and reduction of ADHD symptom score was -2.18 (95% CI = -3.70, -0.67; p = 0.0050). Interpretation Our study suggested that being prescribed eating walnuts for 6 months did not improve the neuropsychological function of healthy adolescents. However, improved sustained attention, fluid intelligence, and ADHD symptoms were observed in participants who better complied with the walnut intervention. This study provides a foundation for further clinical and epidemiological research on the effect of walnuts and ALA on neurodevelopment in adolescents. Funding This study was supported by Instituto de Salud Carlos III through the projects 'CP14/00108, PI16/00261, PI21/00266' (co-funded by European Union Regional Development Fund 'A way to make Europe'). The California Walnut Commission (CWC) has given support by supplying the walnuts for free for the Walnuts Smart Snack Dietary Intervention Trial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariadna Pinar-Martí
- Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili (IISPV), Clinical and Epidemiological Neuroscience Group (NeuroÈpia), 43204 Reus (Tarragona), Catalonia, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Florence Gignac
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Silvia Fernández-Barrés
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain
- Agència de Salut Pública de Barcelona, Pl. Lesseps 1, 08023, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Dora Romaguera
- Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili (IISPV), Clinical and Epidemiological Neuroscience Group (NeuroÈpia), 43204 Reus (Tarragona), Catalonia, Spain
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Illes Balears (IdISBa), Hospital Universitari Son Espases, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
- Consorcio CIBER, M.P. Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBERObn), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain
| | - Aleix Sala-Vila
- The Fatty Acid Research Institute, Sioux Falls, SD, USA
- Cardiovascular Risk and Nutrition, IMIM-Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Iolanda Lázaro
- Cardiovascular Risk and Nutrition, IMIM-Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Olivier Boucher
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montreal (CHUM), Montreal, QC, Canada
| | | | - Michelle C. Turner
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Josefina Canals
- Nutrition and Public Health Unit, Research Group on Nutrition and Mental Health (NUTRISAM), Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Universitat Rovira I Virgili, 43201 Reus, Spain
| | - Victoria Arija
- Nutrition and Public Health Unit, Research Group on Nutrition and Mental Health (NUTRISAM), Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Universitat Rovira I Virgili, 43201 Reus, Spain
| | - Xavier Basagaña
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain
| | - Emilio Ros
- Lipid Clinic, Endocrinology and Nutrition Service, Hospital Clínic, Biomedical Research Institute August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Jordi Salas-Salvadó
- Consorcio CIBER, M.P. Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBERObn), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain
- Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili (IISPV), Hospital Universitari Sant Joan de Reus, 43204 Reus, Catalonia, Spain
- Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Departament de Bioquímica i Biotecnologia, Unitat de Nutrició Humana, Reus, Spain
| | - Jordi Sunyer
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain
| | - Jordi Julvez
- Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili (IISPV), Clinical and Epidemiological Neuroscience Group (NeuroÈpia), 43204 Reus (Tarragona), Catalonia, Spain
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Corresponding author. Institut d'Investigació Sanitària Pere Virgili (IISPV), NeuroÈpia Group, Hospital Universitari Sant Joan de Reus, 43204 Reus (Tarragona), Catalonia, Spain.
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Chat IKY, Mac Giollabhui N, Bart CP, Graham AA, Coe CL, Abramson LY, Olino TM, Alloy LB. Concurrent and prospective associations of inflammatory signaling, specific depressive symptoms, and substance use in adolescence. Brain Behav Immun 2023; 110:85-94. [PMID: 36822378 PMCID: PMC10106427 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2023.02.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Revised: 01/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Substance use and depression frequently co-occur. Adolescence appears to be a vulnerable developmental period for increases in both substance use and depressive symptoms, often attributed to rapid maturation of reward and motivation systems. Another contributing factor could be inflammatory signaling, which has been associated with both substance use disorder and depression. Prior research indicates that an increase in inflammatory activity can cause physical and emotional malaise, which resembles depression, and the anhedonia and somatic symptoms could lead to substance use. This perspective that substance use is a type of self-medication in response to anhedonia and subjective experiencing of increased inflammatory physiology has not been investigated previously. To test these associations, we used path analysis to examine concurrent and prospective associations between three pro-inflammatory markers, specific depressive symptoms, and substance use frequency in a diverse sample of older adolescents. Participants completed repeated self-report measures of specific depressive symptoms (i.e., dysphoria, anhedonia, somatic concerns, negative cognitions, and functional difficulties) and substance use frequency. Blood was collected to quantify circulating levels of interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and C-reactive protein (CRP). This analysis showed an indirect effect of IL-6 and TNF-α levels on future substance use, but only via functional difficulties. Substance use also predicted future functional difficulties. Only anhedonia directly predicted future substance use frequency. These findings help to more precisely identify pathways through which inflammatory physiology and specific depressive symptoms synergistically confer risk for substance use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Ka-Yi Chat
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Naoise Mac Giollabhui
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Corinne P Bart
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Amber A Graham
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Christopher L Coe
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, United States
| | - Lyn Y Abramson
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, United States
| | - Thomas M Olino
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Lauren B Alloy
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States.
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de Jesus Salgado V, de Abreu Oliveira CMP, da Silva ÁMB, de Brito HIL, de Medeiros DS, Soares F, Magno L, Dourado I, Campos GB, Marques LM. Prevalence of Mollicutes among men who have sex with men and transgender women aged 15 to 19 years in Salvador, North-eastern Brazil. BMC Infect Dis 2023; 23:244. [PMID: 37072756 PMCID: PMC10114492 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-023-08213-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 04/20/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Some species of Mollicutes have been associated with different pathologies of the urogenital tract in humans, with a high prevalence among adult men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women (TGW). However, few studies have been performed to investigate its prevalence among adolescents. In this study, we estimated the initial prevalence of Mycoplasma genitalium (MG), Mycoplasma hominis (MH), Ureaplasma urealyticum (UU), and Ureaplasma parvum (UP); the rate of misdiagnosis at different anatomical sites; and the associated factors with positive tests for Mollicutes among MSM and TGW aged 15 to 19 years enrolled in the PrEP1519 study. METHODS PrEP-1519 is the first study to investigate the effectiveness of pre-exposure prophylaxis for human immunodeficiency virus among adolescent MSM and TGW aged 15 to 19 in Latin America. Oral, anal, and urethral swabs were taken from 246 adolescents upon enrolment in the study to detect MG, MH, UU, and UP by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted by Poisson regression and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were estimated. RESULTS The prevalence of Mollicutes was 32.1%. UU was the most prevalent species (20.7%), followed by MH (13.4%), MG (5.7%), and UP (3.2%); 67.3% of the positive samples would have been missed if only urethral samples had been taken. Receptive anal sex (prevalence ratio [PR] = 1.79; 95% CI = 1.07-3.01) and clinical suspicion of sexually transmitted infection (PR = 1.62; 95% CI = 1.01-2.61) were factors associated with the detection of Mollicutes in general. Group sex (PR = 1.98; 95% CI = 1.12-3.50) and receptive anal sex (PR = 2.36; 95% CI = 0.95-5.86) were associated with the detection of Mycoplasma spp. No sociodemographic, clinical, or behavioural variable was significantly associated with the detection of Ureaplasma spp. CONCLUSIONS A high prevalence of Mollicutes was observed among adolescent MSM and TGW, especially at extragenital sites. Further research is required to understand the epidemiological profile of high-risk adolescents in different regions and contexts, and to investigate the pathogenesis of Mollicutes in the oral and anal mucosa before routine screening can be recommended in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valdiele de Jesus Salgado
- State University of Santa Cruz, Rod. Jorge Amado, Km 16, Salobrinho, Ilhéus, Bahia, 45662-900, Brazil
| | | | - Ágatha Morgana Bertoti da Silva
- Multidisciplinary Health Institute, Federal University of Bahia, Rua Hormindo Barros, 58, Candeias, Vitória da Conquista, Bahia, 45029-094, Brazil
| | - Henrique Inácio Lima de Brito
- Multidisciplinary Health Institute, Federal University of Bahia, Rua Hormindo Barros, 58, Candeias, Vitória da Conquista, Bahia, 45029-094, Brazil
| | - Danielle Souto de Medeiros
- Multidisciplinary Health Institute, Federal University of Bahia, Rua Hormindo Barros, 58, Candeias, Vitória da Conquista, Bahia, 45029-094, Brazil
| | - Fabiane Soares
- Institute of Collective Health, Federal University of Bahia, Av. Adhemar de Barros, S/nº, Ondina, Salvador, Bahia, 40170-110, Brazil
| | - Laio Magno
- Institute of Collective Health, Federal University of Bahia, Av. Adhemar de Barros, S/nº, Ondina, Salvador, Bahia, 40170-110, Brazil
- Department of Life Sciences, State University of Bahia, Rua Silveira Martins, 2555, Salvador, Bahia, 41000-150, Brazil
| | - Inês Dourado
- Institute of Collective Health, Federal University of Bahia, Av. Adhemar de Barros, S/nº, Ondina, Salvador, Bahia, 40170-110, Brazil
| | - Guilherme Barreto Campos
- Multidisciplinary Health Institute, Federal University of Bahia, Rua Hormindo Barros, 58, Candeias, Vitória da Conquista, Bahia, 45029-094, Brazil
| | - Lucas Miranda Marques
- State University of Santa Cruz, Rod. Jorge Amado, Km 16, Salobrinho, Ilhéus, Bahia, 45662-900, Brazil.
- Multidisciplinary Health Institute, Federal University of Bahia, Rua Hormindo Barros, 58, Candeias, Vitória da Conquista, Bahia, 45029-094, Brazil.
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Meyer HC, Fields A, Vannucci A, Gerhard DM, Bloom PA, Heleniak C, Opendak M, Sullivan R, Tottenham N, Callaghan BL, Lee FS. The Added Value of Crosstalk Between Developmental Circuit Neuroscience and Clinical Practice to Inform the Treatment of Adolescent Anxiety. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 3:169-178. [PMID: 37124361 PMCID: PMC10140450 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2022.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Revised: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Significant advances have been made in recent years regarding the developmental trajectories of brain circuits and networks, revealing links between brain structure and function. Emerging evidence highlights the importance of developmental trajectories in determining early psychiatric outcomes. However, efforts to encourage crosstalk between basic developmental neuroscience and clinical practice are limited. Here, we focus on the potential advantage of considering features of neural circuit development when optimizing treatments for adolescent patient populations. Drawing on characteristics of adolescent neurodevelopment, we highlight two examples, safety cues and incentives, that leverage insights from neural circuit development and may have great promise for augmenting existing behavioral treatments for anxiety disorders during adolescence. This commentary seeks to serve as a framework to maximize the translational potential of basic research in developmental populations for strengthening psychiatric treatments. In turn, input from clinical practice including the identification of age-specific clinically relevant phenotypes will continue to guide future basic research in the same neural circuits to better reflect clinical practices. Encouraging reciprocal communication to bridge the gap between basic developmental neuroscience research and clinical implementation is an important step toward advancing both research and practice in this domain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heidi C. Meyer
- Department of Psychiatry, Joan & Sanford I. Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Andrea Fields
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - Anna Vannucci
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - Danielle M. Gerhard
- Department of Psychiatry, Joan & Sanford I. Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York
| | - Paul A. Bloom
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | | | - Maya Opendak
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, New York
- Department of Neuroscience, Kennedy Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Regina Sullivan
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, New York
| | - Nim Tottenham
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - Bridget L. Callaghan
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Francis S. Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, Joan & Sanford I. Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York
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Buelow MT, Wirth JH, Kowalsky JM. Poorer decision making among college students during the COVID-19 pandemic: Evidence for "pandemic-brain". JOURNAL OF AMERICAN COLLEGE HEALTH : J OF ACH 2023:1-11. [PMID: 36977338 DOI: 10.1080/07448481.2023.2186129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Revised: 06/19/2022] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Did living through the COVID-19 pandemic cause healthy college students to experience "pandemic-brain," a phenomenon characterized by difficulties with various cognitive abilities? Did students shift from deliberative to more impulsive decision making? PARTICIPANTS We compared a pre-pandemic sample of 722 undergraduate students to 161 undergraduate students recruited in Fall 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHOD We compared scores on the Adult Decision Making Competence scale among participants who completed the task pre-pandemic or across two time points in Fall 2020, during the pandemic. RESULTS Decision making was less consistent and more reliant on gain/loss framing during the pandemic compared to pre-pandemic, but college students were no less confident in their decisions. No significant changes in decision making occurred during the pandemic. CONCLUSIONS These decision making changes could increase the risk of making an impulsive choice with negative health consequences affecting demands on student health centers and imperiling learning environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa T Buelow
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Newark, Ohio, USA
| | - James H Wirth
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Newark, Ohio, USA
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Long X, Li L, Wang X, Cao Y, Wu B, Roberts N, Gong Q, Kemp GJ, Jia Z. Gray matter alterations in adolescent major depressive disorder and adolescent bipolar disorder. J Affect Disord 2023; 325:550-563. [PMID: 36669567 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.01.049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Revised: 12/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Gray matter volume (GMV) alterations in several emotion-related brain areas are implicated in mood disorders, but findings have been inconsistent in adolescents with major depressive disorder (MDD) or bipolar disorder (BD). METHODS We conducted a comprehensive meta-analysis of 35 region-of-interest (ROI) and 18 whole-brain voxel-based morphometry (VBM) MRI studies in adolescent MDD and adolescent BD, and indirectly compared the results in the two groups. The effects of age, sex, and other demographic and clinical scale scores were explored using meta-regression analysis. RESULTS In the ROI meta-analysis, right putamen volume was decreased in adolescents with MDD, while bilateral amygdala volume was decreased in adolescents with BD compared to healthy controls (HC). In the whole-brain VBM meta-analysis, GMV was increased in right middle frontal gyrus and decreased in left caudate in adolescents with MDD compared to HC, while in adolescents with BD, GMV was increased in left superior frontal gyrus and decreased in limbic regions compared with HC. MDD vs BD comparison revealed volume alteration in the prefrontal-limbic system. LIMITATION Different clinical features limit the comparability of the samples, and small sample size and insufficient clinical details precluded subgroup analysis or meta-regression analyses of these variables. CONCLUSIONS Distinct patterns of GMV alterations in adolescent MDD and adolescent BD could help to differentiate these two populations and provide potential diagnostic biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xipeng Long
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, No. 37 GuoXue Xiang, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, PR China; Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, PR China
| | - Lei Li
- Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, PR China; Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, PR China
| | - Xiuli Wang
- Department of Clinical Psychiatry, the Fourth People's Hospital of Chengdu, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, PR China
| | - Yuan Cao
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, No. 37 GuoXue Xiang, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, PR China
| | - Baolin Wu
- Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, PR China; Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, PR China
| | - Neil Roberts
- The Queens Medical Research Institute (QMRI), School of Clinical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Qiyong Gong
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, PR China; Department of Radiology, West China Xiamen Hospital of Sichuan University, 699Jinyuan Xi Road, Jimei District, 361021 Xiamen, Fujian, PR China
| | - Graham J Kemp
- Liverpool Magnetic Resonance Imaging Center (LiMRIC) and Institute of Life Course and Medical Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Zhiyun Jia
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, No. 37 GuoXue Xiang, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, PR China; Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Functional and Molecular Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, PR China.
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Waltmann M, Herzog N, Reiter AMF, Villringer A, Horstmann A, Deserno L. Diminished reinforcement sensitivity in adolescence is associated with enhanced response switching and reduced coding of choice probability in the medial frontal pole. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2023; 60:101226. [PMID: 36905874 PMCID: PMC10005907 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Revised: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Precisely charting the maturation of core neurocognitive functions such as reinforcement learning (RL) and flexible adaptation to changing action-outcome contingencies is key for developmental neuroscience and adjacent fields like developmental psychiatry. However, research in this area is both sparse and conflicted, especially regarding potentially asymmetric development of learning for different motives (obtain wins vs avoid losses) and learning from valenced feedback (positive vs negative). In the current study, we investigated the development of RL from adolescence to adulthood, using a probabilistic reversal learning task modified to experimentally separate motivational context and feedback valence, in a sample of 95 healthy participants between 12 and 45. We show that adolescence is characterized by enhanced novelty seeking and response shifting especially after negative feedback, which leads to poorer returns when reward contingencies are stable. Computationally, this is accounted for by reduced impact of positive feedback on behavior. We also show, using fMRI, that activity of the medial frontopolar cortex reflecting choice probability is attenuated in adolescence. We argue that this can be interpreted as reflecting diminished confidence in upcoming choices. Interestingly, we find no age-related differences between learning in win and loss contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Waltmann
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Centre of Mental Health, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Nadine Herzog
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Andrea M F Reiter
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Centre of Mental Health, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany; CRC-940 Volition and Cognitive Control, Faculty of Psychology, Technical University of Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Arno Villringer
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany; MindBrainBody Institute, Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Annette Horstmann
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany; Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Lorenz Deserno
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Centre of Mental Health, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany; Neuroimaging Center, Technical University of Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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44
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Herbert LJ, Cooke F, Ramos A, Miller E, Padgett S, Green TD. A Qualitative Study to Inform Development of a Behavioral Intervention to Promote Food Allergy Self-Management and Adjustment among Early Adolescents. CLINICAL PRACTICE IN PEDIATRIC PSYCHOLOGY 2023; 11:6-16. [PMID: 37007844 PMCID: PMC10065466 DOI: 10.1037/cpp0000433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Objective Adolescence is a high-risk period for patients with food allergy (FA) as management responsibilities shift to the youth. This study used qualitative methods to explore FA experiences among a diverse pediatric FA population and inform behavioral intervention development. Methods A total of 26 adolescents ages 9-14 years with IgE-mediated FA (M age = 11.92 years; 62% male; 42% Black, 31% White, 12% Hispanic/Latinx) and 25 primary caregivers (M age = 42.57 years; 32% annual income > $100,000) were recruited from FA clinics to complete separate qualitative interviews about FA-related experiences. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and entered into Dedoose, a qualitative software program. A grounded theory qualitative analytic approach was used to analyze data. Results Emergent themes include: 1) FA is a chronic burden that affects daily life, 2) Families experience anxiety about FA, 3) Families find it challenging to transition FA management from parent to child, 4) FA families feel the need to be prepared, 5) FA families frequently advocate for their needs, and 6) Social experiences affect the FA experience. Conclusions Adolescents with FA and their caregivers experience daily stress related to their chronic illness. A behavioral intervention that provides FA education, bolsters stress/anxiety management, assists parents in transitioning FA management responsibility to the youth, teaches executive functioning and advocacy skills, and fosters peer support could help adolescents successfully cope with and manage FA in their daily lives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Jones Herbert
- Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC
- George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, DC
| | | | - Ashley Ramos
- Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC
- George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, DC
| | | | - Shaylar Padgett
- Allergy and Asthma Center of NC, Cone Health Medical Group, Greensboro, NC
| | - Todd D Green
- DBV Technologies, Montrouge, France
- UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA
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45
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Loh MK, Rosenkranz JA. The medial orbitofrontal cortex governs reward-related circuits in an age-dependent manner. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:1913-1924. [PMID: 35551358 PMCID: PMC9977359 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Revised: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Nucleus accumbens (NAc) neurons integrate excitatory inputs from cortical and limbic structures, contributing to critical cognitive functions, including decision-making. As these afferents mature from adolescence through adulthood, incoming signals to the NAc may summate differently between age groups. Decision-making evaluates both reward and risk before action selection, suggesting an interplay between reward- and risk-related circuits. Medial orbitofrontal cortex (MO)-NAc circuits permit risk assessment behaviors and likely underlie risk information incorporation. As adolescents make reward-centric choices regardless of risk, we hypothesized the impact of MO activity alters reward-related NAc circuits in an age-dependent manner. To test this hypothesis, we used single-unit electrophysiology to measure MO train stimulation's effect on reward-related pathways, specifically the basolateral amygdala (BLA)-NAc circuit, in adult and adolescent rats. MO train stimulation altered the strength but not the timing of BLA-NAc interactions in a frequency-dependent manner. In adults, MO train stimulation produced a frequency-dependent, bidirectional effect on BLA-evoked NAc AP probability. Contrastingly, MO train stimulation uniformly attenuated BLA-NAc interactions in adolescents. While the mature MO can govern reward-related circuits in an activity-dependent manner, perhaps to adapt to positive or negative decision-making outcomes, the adolescent MO may be less able to bidirectionally impact reward-related pathways resulting in biased decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxine K Loh
- Department of Foundational Sciences and Humanities, Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL 60064, USA.,Center for Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL 60064, USA
| | - J Amiel Rosenkranz
- Department of Foundational Sciences and Humanities, Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Chicago Medical School, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL 60064, USA.,Center for Neurobiology of Stress Resilience and Psychiatric Disorders, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, North Chicago, IL 60064, USA
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Maza MT, Fox KA, Kwon SJ, Flannery JE, Lindquist KA, Prinstein MJ, Telzer EH. Association of Habitual Checking Behaviors on Social Media With Longitudinal Functional Brain Development. JAMA Pediatr 2023; 177:160-167. [PMID: 36595277 PMCID: PMC9857400 DOI: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2022.4924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Importance Social media platforms provide adolescents with unprecedented opportunities for social interactions during a critical developmental period when the brain is especially sensitive to social feedback. Objective To explore how adolescents' frequency of checking behaviors on social media platforms is associated with longitudinal changes in functional brain development across adolescence. Design, Setting, and Participants A 3-year longitudinal cohort study of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) among sixth- and seventh-grade students recruited from 3 public middle schools in rural North Carolina. Exposures At wave 1, participants reported the frequency at which they checked Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat. Main Outcome or Measure Neural responses to the Social Incentive Delay task when anticipating receiving social feedback, measured annually using fMRI for 3 years. Participants saw a cue that indicated whether the social feedback (adolescent faces with emotional expressions) would be a reward, punishment, or neutral; after a delay, a target appeared and students responded by pressing a button as quickly as possible; a display of social feedback depended on trial type and reaction time. Results Of 178 participants recruited at age 12 years, 169 participants (mean [SD] age, 12.89 [0.58] years; range, 11.93-14.52 years; 91 [53.8%] female; 38 [22.5%] Black, 60 [35.5%] Latinx, 50 [29.6%] White, 15 [8.9%] multiracial) met the inclusion criteria. Participants with habitual social media checking behaviors showed lower neural sensitivity to social anticipation at age 12 years compared with those with nonhabitual checking behaviors in the left amygdala, posterior insula (PI), and ventral striatum (VS; β, -0.22; 95% CI, -0.33 to -0.11), right amygdala (β, -0.19; 95% CI, -0.30 to -0.08), right anterior insula (AI; β, -0.23; 95% CI, -0.37 to -0.09), and left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC; β, -0.29; 95% CI, -0.44 to -0.14). Among those with habitual checking behaviors, there were longitudinal increases in the left amygdala/PI/VS (β, 0.11; 95% CI, 0.04 to 0.18), right amygdala (β, 0.09; 95% CI, 0.02 to 0.16), right AI (β, 0.15; 95% CI, 0.02 to 0.20), and left DLPFC (β, 0.19; 95% CI, 0.05 to 0.25) during social anticipation, whereas among those with nonhabitual checking behaviors, longitudinal decreases were seen in the left amygdala/PI/VS (β, -0.12; 95% CI, -0.19 to -0.06), right amygdala (β, -0.10; 95% CI, -0.17 to -0.03), right AI (β, -0.13; 95% CI, -0.22 to -0.04), and left DLPFC (β, -0.10, 95% CI, -0.22 to -0.03). Conclusions and Relevance The results of this cohort study suggest that social media checking behaviors in early adolescence may be associated with changes in the brain's sensitivity to social rewards and punishments. Further research examining long-term associations between social media use, adolescent neural development, and psychological adjustment is needed to understand the effects of a ubiquitous influence on development for today's adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria T. Maza
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill
| | - Kara A. Fox
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill
| | - Seh-Joo Kwon
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill
| | - Jessica E. Flannery
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill
| | - Kristen A. Lindquist
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill
| | - Mitchell J. Prinstein
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill
| | - Eva H. Telzer
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill
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Laricchiuta D, Panuccio A, Picerni E, Biondo D, Genovesi B, Petrosini L. The body keeps the score: The neurobiological profile of traumatized adolescents. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 145:105033. [PMID: 36610696 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2022] [Revised: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Trauma-related disorders are debilitating psychiatric conditions that affect people who have directly or indirectly witnessed adversities. Experiencing multiple types of traumas appears to be common during childhood, and even more so during adolescence. Dramatic brain/body transformations occurring during adolescence may provide a highly responsive substrate to external stimuli and lead to trauma-related vulnerability conditions, such as internalizing (anxiety, depression, anhedonia, withdrawal) and externalizing (aggression, delinquency, conduct disorders) problems. Analyzing relations among neuronal, endocrine, immune, and biochemical signatures of trauma and internalizing and externalizing behaviors, including the role of personality traits in shaping these conducts, this review highlights that the marked effects of traumatic experience on the brain/body involve changes at nearly every level of analysis, from brain structure, function and connectivity to endocrine and immune systems, from gene expression (including in the gut) to the development of personality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Laricchiuta
- Department of Philosophy, Social Sciences & Education, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy.
| | - Anna Panuccio
- Laboratory of Experimental and Behavioral Neurophysiology, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy; Department of Psychology, University Sapienza of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Eleonora Picerni
- Laboratory of Experimental and Behavioral Neurophysiology, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy; Department of Neuroscience Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University "G. d'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | | | | | - Laura Petrosini
- Laboratory of Experimental and Behavioral Neurophysiology, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
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Skumlien M, Freeman TP, Hall D, Mokrysz C, Wall MB, Ofori S, Petrilli K, Trinci K, Borissova A, Fernandez-Vinson N, Langley C, Sahakian BJ, Curran HV, Lawn W. The Effects of Acute Cannabis With and Without Cannabidiol on Neural Reward Anticipation in Adults and Adolescents. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2023; 8:219-229. [PMID: 36642667 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2022.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Revised: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adolescents may respond differently to cannabis than adults, yet no previous functional magnetic resonance imaging study has examined acute cannabis effects in this age group. In this study, we investigated the neural correlates of reward anticipation after acute exposure to cannabis in adolescents and adults. METHODS This was a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, crossover experiment. Forty-seven adolescents (n = 24, 12 females, ages 16-17 years) and adults (n = 23, 11 females, ages 26-29 years) matched on cannabis use frequency (0.5-3 days/week) completed the Monetary Incentive Delay task during functional magnetic resonance imaging after inhaling cannabis with 0.107 mg/kg Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol ("THC") (8 mg THC for a 75-kg person) or with THC plus 0.320 mg/kg cannabidiol ("THC+CBD") (24 mg CBD for a 75-kg person), or placebo cannabis. We investigated reward anticipation activity with whole-brain analyses and region of interest analyses in the right and left ventral striatum, right and left anterior cingulate cortex, and right insula. RESULTS THC reduced anticipation activity compared with placebo in the right (p = .005, d= 0.49) and left (p = .003, d = 0.50) ventral striatum and the right insula (p = .01, d = 0.42). THC+CBD reduced activity compared with placebo in the right ventral striatum (p = .01, d = 0.41) and right insula (p = .002, d = 0.49). There were no differences between "THC" and "THC+CBD" conditions and no significant drug by age group interaction effect, supported by Bayesian analyses. There were no significant effects in the whole-brain analyses. CONCLUSIONS In weekly cannabis users, cannabis suppresses the brain's anticipatory reward response to money, and CBD does not modulate this effect. Furthermore, the adolescent reward circuitry is not differentially sensitive to acute effects of cannabis on reward anticipation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martine Skumlien
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, Clinical Educational and Health Psychology Department, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
| | - Tom P Freeman
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, Clinical Educational and Health Psychology Department, University College London, London, United Kingdom; Addiction and Mental Health Group, Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel Hall
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, Clinical Educational and Health Psychology Department, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Claire Mokrysz
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, Clinical Educational and Health Psychology Department, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Matthew B Wall
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, Clinical Educational and Health Psychology Department, University College London, London, United Kingdom; Invicro, London, United Kingdom; Faculty of Medicine, Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Shelan Ofori
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, Clinical Educational and Health Psychology Department, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Kat Petrilli
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, Clinical Educational and Health Psychology Department, University College London, London, United Kingdom; Addiction and Mental Health Group, Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
| | - Katie Trinci
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, Clinical Educational and Health Psychology Department, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Anna Borissova
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, Clinical Educational and Health Psychology Department, University College London, London, United Kingdom; Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Natalia Fernandez-Vinson
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, Clinical Educational and Health Psychology Department, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Christelle Langley
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Barbara J Sahakian
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - H Valerie Curran
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, Clinical Educational and Health Psychology Department, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Will Lawn
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, Clinical Educational and Health Psychology Department, University College London, London, United Kingdom; Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; Department of Addictions, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
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49
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Skumlien M, Mokrysz C, Freeman TP, Valton V, Wall MB, Bloomfield M, Lees R, Borissova A, Petrilli K, Giugliano M, Clisu D, Langley C, Sahakian BJ, Curran HV, Lawn W. Anhedonia, Apathy, Pleasure, and Effort-Based Decision-Making in Adult and Adolescent Cannabis Users and Controls. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2023; 26:9-19. [PMID: 35999024 PMCID: PMC9850660 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyac056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cannabis use may be linked with anhedonia and apathy. However, previous studies have shown mixed results, and few have examined the association between cannabis use and specific reward sub-processes. Adolescents may be more vulnerable than adults to harmful effects of cannabis. This study investigated (1) the association between non-acute cannabis use and apathy, anhedonia, pleasure, and effort-based decision-making for reward; and (2) whether these relationships were moderated by age group. METHODS We used data from the "CannTeen" study. Participants were 274 adult (26-29 years) and adolescent (16-17 years) cannabis users (1-7 d/wk use in the past 3 months) and gender- and age-matched controls. Anhedonia was measured with the Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale (n = 274), and apathy was measured with the Apathy Evaluation Scale (n = 215). Effort-based decision-making for reward was measured with the Physical Effort task (n = 139), and subjective wanting and liking of rewards was measured with the novel Real Reward Pleasure task (n = 137). RESULTS Controls had higher levels of anhedonia than cannabis users (F1,258 = 5.35, P = .02, η p2 = .02). There were no other significant effects of user-group and no significant user-group*age-group interactions. Null findings were supported by post hoc Bayesian analyses. CONCLUSION Our results suggest that cannabis use at a frequency of 3 to 4 d/wk is not associated with apathy, effort-based decision-making for reward, reward wanting, or reward liking in adults or adolescents. Cannabis users had lower anhedonia than controls, albeit at a small effect size. These findings are not consistent with the hypothesis that non-acute cannabis use is associated with amotivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martine Skumlien
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, Clinical Educational and Health Psychology Department, University College London, London, UK
| | - Claire Mokrysz
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, Clinical Educational and Health Psychology Department, University College London, London, UK
| | - Tom P Freeman
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, Clinical Educational and Health Psychology Department, University College London, London, UK
| | - Vincent Valton
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, UK
| | - Matthew B Wall
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, Clinical Educational and Health Psychology Department, University College London, London, UK
| | | | - Rachel Lees
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, Clinical Educational and Health Psychology Department, University College London, London, UK
- Addiction and Mental Health Group (AIM), Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - Anna Borissova
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, Clinical Educational and Health Psychology Department, University College London, London, UK
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Kat Petrilli
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, Clinical Educational and Health Psychology Department, University College London, London, UK
- Addiction and Mental Health Group (AIM), Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - Manuela Giugliano
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, Clinical Educational and Health Psychology Department, University College London, London, UK
| | - Denisa Clisu
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, Clinical Educational and Health Psychology Department, University College London, London, UK
| | - Christelle Langley
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Barbara J Sahakian
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - H Valerie Curran
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, Clinical Educational and Health Psychology Department, University College London, London, UK
| | - Will Lawn
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, Clinical Educational and Health Psychology Department, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Addictions, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
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Novick AM, Stoddard J, Johnson RL, Duffy KA, Berkowitz L, Costa VD, Sammel MD, Epperson CN. Adverse childhood experiences and hormonal contraception: Interactive impact on sexual reward function. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0279764. [PMID: 36649369 PMCID: PMC9844925 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0279764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The current literature suggests that some women are uniquely vulnerable to negative effects of hormonal contraception (HC) on affective processes. However, little data exists as to which factors contribute to such vulnerability. The present study evaluated the impact of prepubertal adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on reward processing in women taking HC (N = 541) compared to naturally cycling women (N = 488). Participants completed an online survey assessing current and past HC use and exposure to 10 different adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) before puberty (ACE Questionnaire), with participants categorized into groups of low (0-1) versus high (≥2) prepubertal ACE exposure. Participants then completed a reward task rating their expected and experienced valence for images that were either erotic, pleasant (non-erotic), or neutral. Significant interactions emerged between prepubertal ACE exposure and HC use on expected (p = 0.028) and experienced (p = 0.025) valence ratings of erotic images but not pleasant or neutral images. Importantly, follow-up analyses considering whether women experienced HC-induced decreases in sexual desire informed the significant interaction for expected valence ratings of erotic images. For current HC users, prepubertal ACEs interacted with HC-induced decreased sexual desire (p = 0.008), such that high ACE women reporting decreased sexual desire on HC showed substantially decreased ratings for anticipated erotic images compared to both high prepubertal ACE women without decreased sexual desire (p < 0.001) and low prepubertal ACE women also reporting decreased sexual desire (p = 0.010). The interaction was not significant in naturally cycling women reporting previous HC use, suggesting that current HC use could be impacting anticipatory reward processing of sexual stimuli among certain women (e.g., high prepubertal ACE women reporting HC-induced decreases in sexual desire). The study provides rationale for future randomized, controlled trials to account for prepubertal ACE exposure to promote contraceptive selection informed by behavioral evidence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew M. Novick
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Joel Stoddard
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Rachel L. Johnson
- Department of Biostatistics and Informatics, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Korrina A. Duffy
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Lily Berkowitz
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Vincent D. Costa
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Mary D. Sammel
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
- Department of Biostatistics and Informatics, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
| | - C. Neill Epperson
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
- Department of Family Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, United States of America
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