Early adolescent substance use is associated with differences in brain structure

Press release

Monday, December 30, 2024

An NIH-supported study suggests that many differences were observed before drug addiction, highlighting the possible role of brain structure in drug addiction risk.

Help is available for anyone in need. You can call or text at 988Chat on 988lifeline.org. Visit this page to learn more about how you can get help for mental health or drug and alcohol issues.FindSupport.gov . You can use the direct link to find a provider or treatment center.FindTreatment.govCall800-662-HELP (4357) .

Read moreEmergencies: representatives of healthcare workers denounce the government's "bad faith"

The National Institutes of Health funded a study of nearly 10,000 adolescents.The researchers found clear differences between the brains of people who used drugs before age 15 and those who did not. These structural differences in brain structure were present in children before drug abuse. This suggests that they may play an important role in determining the likelihood of substance abuse later in life.

Nora Volkow, NIDA's chief medical officer, said, "This study adds new evidence to the growing body of research that suggests an individual's unique brain structure and genetics can influence their risk for substance abuse and dependence. Understanding the interplay of factors that can contribute to and protect against substance abuse is important for developing effective prevention strategies and supporting those most at risk."

The majority (90.2 %) of the 3,460 adolescents who initiated substance use before age 15 reported drinking alcohol. There was also significant overlap between alcohol and nicotine, cannabis, and/or marijuana. 61.5 %, 52.4 %, and 61.5 %, respectively, reported trying alcohol. The researchers found that substance use initiation is associated with structural brain changes, both global (overall) and more regional changes centered on the cortex. Some of these differences were substance-specific. These data may one day be useful for developing clinical prevention strategies. However, the researchers emphasize that brain structure alone cannot predict substance use during adolescence.

This study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of our current research.Published in JAMA Network OpenThe data used by The study of cognitive development of the adolescent brain The NIH's National Institute on Drug Abuse and nine other institutes, centers, and offices support the ABCD study, which is the largest longitudinal study in the United States of brain development and mental health in children and adolescents.

Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis used data from the ABCD study to evaluate MRI scans of 9,804 U.S. children ages 9 to 11 — the “baseline” — and then followed the participants for three years to see if certain brain structures captured by the baseline MRI scans were associated with early initiation of substance use. The researchers monitored use of alcohol, cannabis, and nicotine, the three most commonly used substances in early adolescence. They also looked at other illicit drugs. The researchers compared MRI scans of 3,460 participants ages 15 and younger who reported using substances before that age to those of 6,344 who reported using substances before that age.

The researchers assessed global and regional variations in brain structure by looking at measures such as volume, thickness of cortex folds, surface area, and depth. The cortex, the outermost part of the brain that is densely packed with neurons, controls many high-level functions, such as learning, sensing, memory, emotion, language, and decision-making. These structures have specific characteristics, measured in terms of thickness, volume, and surface area. They are also linked to cognitive abilities and neurological disorders.

The researchers found five overall differences in brain structure between people who began using substances before age 15 and those who did not. The researchers found that people who reported using substances before age 15 had larger total brain volume and larger subcortical size. Another 39 differences in brain structure were observed at the local level. About 56% of this variation was due to cortical thickening. Some differences in brain structure were also specific to the type of substance used.

The researchers conducted a post-hoc study and found that these differences in brain function persisted even when participants who had reported substance use initiation before baseline MRI scans were removed. This comparison involved participants who had not reported substance use initiation with a subgroup of 1,203 members of the substance use initiation group who were not using substances at the time of their first MRI scan. This secondary analysis suggests that these structural brain differences may exist before substance use. It challenges the assumption that substance-related differences only emerge after exposure to a substance.

The researchers note that while some areas of the brain where differences have been identified are related to sensation seeking and impulsivity, more research is needed to determine how structural differences might translate into differences in brain function or behavior. The researchers also point out that genetics and environment influence behavior.

Recent news Analysis of ABCD study dataThis interaction is demonstrated by a study from the University of Michigan, which shows that functional brain connectivity patterns in early adolescence can predict drug initiation in young people, with these trajectories likely influenced by pollution.

Future studies are crucial to determine how initial differences in brain structures may change with age, and whether children continue to use substances or develop a substance use disorder.

Alex Miller, Ph.D., is an assistant professor at Indiana University and a co-corresponding author of the ABCD study. He said, “By using the ABCD data, we can go beyond previous neuroimaging studies to better understand the relationship between brain structures and addiction.” The hope is that, along with data on environmental exposures, genetic risks, and other studies of substance use disorders, these studies could change the way we think about addiction.

The Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study and the ABCD Study are trademarks and registered service marks of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, respectively.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse: NIDA is part of the National Institutes of Health of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIDA is responsible for the majority of the world's research on substance abuse and its health effects. The Institute has a broad range of programs that aim to improve policy, advance substance abuse research, and inform practice. Visit NIDA's website for more information about its programs and services. www.nida.nih.gov.

The National Institutes of Health: The NIH is the medical research agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It consists of 27 institutes and centers. The NIH, the nation's medical research agency, is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is responsible for conducting basic, translational, and clinical medical research and investigating the causes, treatments, and cures. Visit the NIH website for more information about its programs. www.nih.gov.

NIH…Transforming Discovery into Health^(r)

###