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Structural Covariance Network Properties Predictive of Early Adolescent Alcohol Initiation.
H Byrne1, R Visontay1, E K Devine1
1The Matilda Centre for Research in Substance Use and Mental Health, The University of Sydney.
Biorxiv : the Preprint Server for Biology
|July 14, 2025
Summary
Brain network differences in children aged 9-10 predict early alcohol initiation before age 15. These findings suggest brain structure may indicate a risk for adolescent alcohol use.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Public Health
Background:
- Early alcohol initiation (before age 15) is linked to negative health outcomes.
- Understanding the mechanisms of early alcohol use is crucial for developing effective prevention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if structural covariance network properties in 9-10-year-olds can predict subsequent early alcohol initiation.
- To identify potential neuroanatomical markers associated with early alcohol use.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study using data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study.
- Structural brain imaging (cortical thickness and volume) was used to generate and analyze structural covariance networks in 3,878 participants (ages 9-10).
- Network properties (segregation, integration, resilience) were compared between participants who initiated alcohol before age 15 and those who did not.
Main Results:
- Alcohol initiators showed significantly lower network segregation and higher network integration in cortical thickness networks compared to non-initiators.
- These differences in network integration and segregation were observed even after propensity score matching.
- No significant differences were found in cortical volume structural covariance networks between the groups.
Conclusions:
- Structural covariance network properties, particularly those related to cortical thickness, at ages 9-10 can predict alcohol initiation before age 15.
- These findings suggest that brain network organization may serve as a neuroanatomical risk marker for early alcohol initiation.
- This research provides valuable insights for early identification and intervention efforts to prevent adolescent alcohol misuse.
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