The role of the salience network in adolescent impulsivity using memory tasks and neuroimaging

This study investigated potential behavioral and neural biomarkers of adolescent impulsivity by analyzing adolescent responses in a memory test and examining task-independent brain connectivity.

This research utilized immediate and delayed memory tasks, together with a similar distractor memory task (SMT), to examine adolescent impulsivity and its correlation with neural cognitive control strategies. Ninety-five healthy, right-handed teenagers (27 females, average age 14.9 years) participated in the functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) sessions.

Elevated impulsivity correlates with an increased number of errors during target trials and a higher incidence of false alarms during catch trials. Neural activity and connectivity involving the insula and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) are significantly associated with behavioral responses and individual impulsivity. Notably, both task-modulated and resting-state (intrinsic) coupling between the insula and locus coeruleus (LC), as well as between the dACC and LC, demonstrate significant positive correlation with impulsivity. These findings indicate that insula-LC and dACC-LC connectivity strength serve as reliable indicators of impulsivity.

The results indicate that the connection between the salience network and the noradrenergic locus coeruleus may function as a consistent neural indicator of impulsivity. Our findings indicate that this method can discern reliable brain biomarkers for impulsivity and can guide interventions aimed at enhancing self-control during adolescence.