Adolescent risk-taking and resting state functional connectivity

The existing literature on the role of emotion regulation circuits (amygdala-prefrontal cortex) in the adolescent brain yields mixed results, particularly on the role of these regions in the context of reward sensitivity and risk-taking behavior sensitivity and risk-taking behavior. Here, we examined functional connectivity in the resting state in 18 risk-taking (RT) adolescents compared with 18 non-risk-taking (NRT) adolescents as defined by the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey. Separate seed-based correlations with bilateral amygdala and bilateral nucleus accumbens used as the seed were performed to determine functional connectivity using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The results showed greater connectivity between the amygdala (seed region) and the right middle frontal gyrus, left cingulate gyrus, left precuneus and right inferior parietal lobule in RT adolescents than in NRT adolescents. Likewise, there was greater connectivity between the nucleus accumbens (seed region) and the right middle frontal gyrus in RT adolescents compared with NRT adolescents. These findings suggest that risk-taking behavior in adolescents is associated with hyperconnectivity during the resting state in networks associated with emotion regulation, reward sensitivity, executive control, and the default mode.