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Volumetric differences in the anterior cingulate cortex prospectively predict alcohol-related problems in adolescence
Ali Cheetham1, Nicholas B Allen, Sarah Whittle
1Orygen Youth Health Research Centre, Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
Psychopharmacology
|February 21, 2014
Summary
Structural differences in the left anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) in adolescents predict future alcohol-related problems. Higher negative affectivity was also linked to problem drinking, highlighting brain structure
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Addiction Research
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- Individual brain differences may precede alcohol abuse.
- Affective processing abnormalities may predispose individuals to alcohol dependence.
- Prospective studies are needed to confirm if brain abnormalities predict alcohol problems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if adolescent brain volume and affect predict future alcohol-related problems.
- To examine the prospective relationship between brain structure and alcohol use in adolescence.
Main Methods:
- Recruited 98 adolescent drinkers from a longitudinal study.
- Collected structural MRI data (amygdala, hippocampus, orbitofrontal cortex, ACC) at age 12.
- Assessed affective temperament and alcohol use at ages 12 and 16.
Main Results:
- Left anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) volume predicted problem drinking.
- Higher negative affectivity correlated with alcohol-related problems.
- ACC volumes did not correlate with negative affectivity.
Conclusions:
- Adolescent anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) morphology predicts later alcohol problems.
- The ACC is crucial for affective processes, self-control, and addiction.
- Further research needed to confirm specificity for alcohol use disorders.
