Earlier adolescent substance use onset predicts stronger connectivity between reward and cognitive control brain networks.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Early adolescent onset of substance use is a robust predictor of future substance use disorders. We examined the relation between age of substance use initiation and resting state functional connectivity (RSFC) of the core reward processing (nucleus accumbens; NAcc) to cognitive control (prefrontal cortex; PFC) brain networks.

Method

Adolescents in a longitudinal study of Mexican-origin youth reported their substance use annually from ages 10 to 16 years. At age 16, 69 adolescents participated in a resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging scan. Seed-based correlational analyses were conducted using regions of interest in bilateral NAcc.

Results

The earlier that adolescents initiated substance use, the stronger the connectivity between bilateral N

SUBMITTER: Weissman DG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4691372 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature