Abstract
BackgroundBrain abnormalities in adolescent heavy drinkers may result from alcohol exposure, or stem from pre-existing neural features. MethodsThis longitudinal morphometric study investigated 40 healthy adolescents, ages 12–17 at study entry, half of whom (n = 20) initiated heavy drinking over the 3-year follow-up. Both assessments included high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging. FreeSurfer was used to segment brain volumes, which were measured longitudinally using the newly developed quantitative anatomic regional change analysis (QUARC) tool. ResultsAt baseline, participants who later transitioned into heavy drinking showed smaller left cingulate, pars triangularis, and rostral anterior cingulate volume, and less right cerebellar white matter volumes (p < .05), compared to continuous non-using teens. Over time, participants who initiated heavy drinking showed significantly greater volume reduction in the left ventral diencephalon, left inferior and middle temporal gyrus, and left caudate and brain stem, compared to substance-naïve youth (p < .05). ConclusionFindings suggest pre-existing volume differences in frontal brain regions in future drinkers and greater brain volume reduction in subcortical and temporal regions after alcohol use was initiated. This is consistent with literature showing pre-existing cognitive deficits on tasks recruited by frontal regions, as well as post-drinking consequences on brain regions involved in language and spatial tasks.
Highlights
Participants were recruited through flyers sent to households of students attending local middle schools, describing the study as a project looking at adolescent brain development in youth who do or do not use alcohol, and included major eligibility criteria, financial compensation ($170 for youth, $20 for parents), and contact information
At baseline, subjects who transitioned into heavy drinking by the three year follow-up had smaller brain volumes in the right rostral anterior cingulate, right caudal anterior cingulate, right pars triangularis, and left isthmus cingulate, and had less right cerebellar white matter (p < .05), as compared to youth who remained continuous controls over the follow-up period
Cortical pruning is a key component of adolescent neural development (Giedd, 2004; Jernigan and Gamst, 2005; Ostby et al, 2009); the heavy drinking group showed exaggerated volume reductions in these areas when compared to controls, consistent with findings from adolescent (Luciana et al, 2013) and adult populations (Fortier et al, 2011; Pfefferbaum et al, 1997)
Summary
Almost a quarter of US 18 year olds report heavy episodic drinking, defined as consuming five or more drinks on one occasion, during the past two weeks (Johnston et al, 2013) These high rates of heavy alcohol use are concerning, as the adolescent brain undergoes extensive morphometric and functional maturation, including decreases in gray matter and increases in white matter volume (Giedd, 2004; Giedd et al, 1999; Gogtay et al, 2004; Luna and Sweeney, L.M. Squeglia et al / Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience 9 (2014) 117–125. This is consistent with literature showing pre-existing cognitive deficits on tasks recruited by frontal regions, as well as post-drinking consequences on brain regions involved in language and spatial tasks
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
