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The Sex-Dependent Relationship Between Amygdala Activation and Depressive Symptoms With Problematic Drinking
Annika Rosenthal1, Marcus Rothkirch2, Samanda Krasniqi3
1Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité -Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany; Department of Psychology, Medical School Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Biological Psychiatry
|February 21, 2026
Summary
Adolescent males with greater amygdala activation showed increased hazardous drinking linked to depressive symptoms. In contrast, females with higher amygdala reactivity exhibited decreased risky alcohol consumption, highlighting sex-specific neural pathways.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Adolescent Development
Background:
- Adolescent alcohol consumption, particularly binge drinking, poses risks for developing alcohol use disorder.
- Depressive symptoms and harmful alcohol use show a sex-dependent relationship.
- Amygdala activation to negative stimuli may influence alcohol consumption driven by mood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the sex-dependent relationship between amygdala activation, depressive symptoms, and risky drinking in adolescents.
- To explore the neural mechanisms underlying sex differences in alcohol risk behaviors.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from 958 19-year-old participants in the IMAGEN study.
- Analyzed amygdala activation during an emotional faces task.
- Employed sex-moderated mediation models including Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test and Adolescent Depression Rating Scale scores.
Main Results:
- In males, amygdala activation was associated with hazardous drinking mediated by depressive symptoms.
- In females, amygdala reactivity was linked to decreased risky drinking.
- Demonstrated a sex-specific association between neural emotional processing and adolescent alcohol consumption.
Conclusions:
- Findings reveal significant sex differences in how adolescents process negative emotions and their relation to alcohol risk.
- Identified potential early neuronal risk factors for alcohol use disorder.
- Suggests the need for sex-specific strategies to detect and prevent adolescent alcohol risk behaviors.
Keywords:
AdolescenceAmygdalaDepressive symptomsEmotional processingProblematic drinkingSex differencesMore Related Videos
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