Abnormal affective decision making revealed in adolescent binge drinkers using a functional magnetic resonance imaging study.

Abstract

The goal of this study was to investigate the neural correlates of affective decision making, as measured by the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT), which are associated with adolescent binge drinking. Fourteen adolescent binge drinkers (16-18 years of age) and 14 age-matched adolescents who had never consumed alcohol--never drinkers--were recruited from local high schools in Chengdu, China. Questionnaires were used to assess academic performance, drinking experience, and urgency. Brain regions activated by the IGT performance were identified with functional magnetic resonance imaging. Results showed that, compared to never drinkers, binge drinkers performed worse on the IGT and showed higher activity in the subcomponents of the decision-making neural circuitry implicated in the execution of emotional and incentive-related behaviors, namely, the left amygdala and insula bilaterally. Moreover, measures of the severity of drinking problems in real life, as well as high urgency scores, were associated with increased activity within the insula, combined with decreased activity within the orbitofrontal cortex. These results suggest that hyperreactivity of a neural system implicated in the execution of emotional and incentive-related behaviors can be associated with socially undesirable behaviors, such as binge drinking, among adolescents. These findings have social implications because they potentially reveal underlying neural mechanisms for making poor decisions, which may increase an individual's risk and vulnerability for alcoholism.

The National Consortium on Alcohol and NeuroDevelopment in Adolescence (NCANDA): A Multisite Study of Adolescent Development and Substance Use

“…Gaining a better understanding of alcohol use effects during this crucial developmental stage has been positioned in national scientific consciousness and federal funding initiatives over the past two decades (Brown et al, 2008;Windle et al, 2008). Cross-sectional studies have identified brain structural and functional abnormalities (Cservenka et al, 2014;De Bellis et al, 2005McQueeny et al, 2009;Nagel et al, 2005;Petit et al, 2014;Schweinsburg et al, 2010;Tapert et al, 2004), neurocognitive deficits (Brown et al, 2000;Silveri, 2014;Whelan et al, 2014;Xiao et al, 2013), and poorer psychosocial functioning (Anderson et al, 2010;Brown et al, 2008;Fergusson & Lynskey, 1996;Zucker et al, 2008) in heavydrinking adolescents relative to non-/low (NON) drinking counterparts. Deleterious effects of alcohol consumption have been associated with heavy drinking episodes (Chassin et al, 2002;McQueeny et al, 2009), defined as consuming four or more drinks on a single occasion for females and five or more drinks for males (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism [NIAAA], 2004;Wechsler et al, 1995).…”

Diferencias en el funcionamiento neurocognitivo e impulsividad rasgo según el patrón de consumo de alcohol en jóvenes de 18 a 30 años

“…En estudios locales previos tampoco se reportaron diferencias en función del sexo cuando se consideraron las puntuaciones de esa prueba (Bosch et al, 2016). Por otro lado, en relación al PCA de los participantes, los estudios que reportan diferencias en el rendimiento en la IGT son aquellos que compararon participantes abstemios con bebedores, principalmente bebedores intensivos (Johnson et al, 2008;Xiao et al, 2013). En estudios locales, por otro lado, solo se compararon bebedores con distinto PCA, sin un grupo de abstemios.…”

“…Al respecto, algunos estudios señalan que individuos con problemas en su capacidad de TD, la mayoría de las veces, no pueden resistirse al acceso a las sustancias de abuso disponibles en su entorno (Bechara, 2005;Goldstein & Volkow, 2002). De esta manera, es posible que los adolescentes y jóvenes con un consumo de alcohol que en principio es casual y no problemático avancen hacia un consumo compulsivo y descontrolado (Xiao et al, 2013 (Crews, He, & Hodge, 2007;Mota et al, 2013;Parada et al, 2012).…”

Exploring Normative Trends of Positive Youth Development: An Examination of Adolescent Social and Emotional Skills

“…The reward system is also impacted by the hormones associated with puberty, indicating a link between decision-making abilities and puberty. Variation between individual development of decisionmaking skills and between the genders has been demonstrated (Xiao et al, 2012;. This study can help determine if self-management skills are likely to be linked or needed for profiles of high decision-making skills around the time of puberty.…”

“…Relationship skills in adolescence are predictive of positive adjustment (Laible, Carlo, & Raffaelli, 2000) and poor relationship skills are linked to social exclusion, which has long lasting and detrimental effects . Decision-making during adolescence is studied extensively, as adolescents are given more autonomy on making their own decisions and are known for making risky decisions (Wray-Lake, Crouter, & McHale, 2011;Xiao et al, 2012).…”