Brain cortical thickness in male adolescents with serious substance use and conduct problems

Chumachenko, Serhiy; Sakai, Joseph T.; Dalwani, Manish; Mikulich‐Gilbertson, Susan K.; Dunn, Robin; Tanabe, Jody; Young, Susan E.; McWilliams, Shannon K.; Banich, Marie T.; Crowley, Thomas J.

doi:10.3109/00952990.2015.1058389

Cited by 17 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 80 publications

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“…During late adolescence and young adulthood, both female and male cannabis users had smaller grey matter volumes than non-users in decision making and executive function areas of the brain, i.e., the medial orbitofrontal and inferior parietal cortices [84]. In adolescents with substance use disorder and co-morbid conduct problems, many of whom were cannabis dependent, females had less cortical thickness in parts of the anterior cingulate cortex and medial orbitofrontal cortex compared to female controls [85], with no similar effect observed in males [86]. In a separate set of studies, comparably characterized subjects had significantly less grey matter volume than gender-matched controls in left and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, in males [87] and females [88], respectively.…”

Section: Adolescent Cannabis Exposure Effects On Adolescence and Adulmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mechanisms Underlying Sex Differences in Cannabis Use

et al. 2017

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Purpose of the Review Cannabis is the most commonly used illicit substance worldwide. In recent decades, highly concentrated products have flooded the market, and prevalence rates have increased. Gender differences exist in cannabis use, as men have higher prevalence of both cannabis use and cannabis use disorder (CUD), while women progress more rapidly from first use to CUD. This paper reviews findings from preclinical and human studies examining the sex-specific neurobiological underpinnings of cannabis use and CUD, and associations with psychiatric symptoms. Recent Findings Sex differences exist in the endocannabinoid system, in cannabis exposure effects on brain structure and function, and in the co-occurrence of cannabis use with symptoms of anxiety, depression and schizophrenia. In female cannabis users, anxiety symptoms correlate with larger amygdala volume and social anxiety disorder symptoms correlate with CUD symptoms. Female cannabis users are reported to be especially vulnerable to earlier onset of schizophrenia, and mixed trends emerge in the correlation of depressive symptoms with cannabis exposure in females and males. Summary As prevalence of cannabis use may continue to increase given the shifting policy landscape regarding marijuana laws, understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of cannabis exposure in females and males is key. Examining these mechanisms may help inform future research on sex-specific pharmacological and behavioral interventions for women and men with high-risk cannabis use, comorbid psychiatric disease, and CUD.

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Section: Adolescent Cannabis Exposure Effects On Adolescence and Adulmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mechanisms Underlying Sex Differences in Cannabis Use

et al. 2017

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“…In another all male sample, adolescents with substance use disorder (SUD) and conduct problems had less posterior cingulate cortex cortical thickness, which is critical to response inhibition. A positive association between lifetime conduct disorder symptoms and superior temporal gyrus thickness also was reported (Chumachenko et al, 2015). In an all female cohort, adolescent females with severe substance use and conduct problems were found to have significantly smaller overall whole brain gray matter volume, as well as smaller frontal (right DLPFC, left ventrolateral PFC, medial OFC, ACC) and parietal volumes relative to controls (Dalwani et al, 2015).…”

Section: Neurobiological Findings In Current Alcohol and Drug Usinmentioning

confidence: 96%

Neurobiological signatures associated with alcohol and drug use in the human adolescent brain

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Dager

Cohen‐Gilbert

et al. 2016

Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews

106

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Magnetic resonance (MR) techniques provide opportunities to non-invasively characterize neurobiological milestones of adolescent brain development. Juxtaposed to the critical finalization of brain development is initiation of alcohol and substance use, and increased frequency and quantity of use, patterns that can lead to abuse and addiction. This review provides a comprehensive overview of existing MR studies of adolescent alcohol and drug users. The most common alteration reported across substance used and MR modalities is in the frontal lobe (63% of published studies). This is not surprising, given that this is the last region to reach neurobiological adulthood. Comparatively, evidence is less consistent regarding alterations in regions that mature earlier (e.g., amygdala, hippocampus), however newer techniques now permit investigations beyond regional approaches that are uncovering network-level vulnerabilities. Regardless of whether neurobiological signatures exist prior to the initiation of use, this body of work provides important direction for ongoing prospective investigations of adolescent brain development, and the significant impact of alcohol and substance use on the brain during the second decade of life.

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“…Using our previously-published male sample [76] for comparisons, we found no differences in cortical thickness between male and female patients and no differences between male and female controls.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 70%

“…Lastly, we have previously published very similar analyses testing brain cortical thickness patient-control differences in cortical thickness in a male adolescent sample [76]. This study used essentially the same recruitment procedures, inclusion/exclusion criteria and imaging parameters (see S1 Table.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Brain Cortical Thickness Differences in Adolescent Females with Substance Use Disorders

et al. 2016

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Some youths develop multiple substance use disorders early in adolescence and have severe, persistent courses. Such youths often exhibit impulsivity, risk-taking, and problems of inhibition. However, relatively little is known about the possible brain bases of these behavioral traits, especially among females.MethodsWe recruited right-handed female patients, 14–19 years of age, from a university-based treatment program for youths with substance use disorders and community controls similar for age, race and zip code of residence. We obtained 43 T1-weighted structural brain images (22 patients and 21 controls) to examine group differences in cortical thickness across the entire brain as well as six a priori regions-of-interest: 1) medial orbitofrontal cortex; 2) rostral anterior cingulate cortex; and 3) middle frontal cortex, in each hemisphere. Age and IQ were entered as nuisance factors for all analyses.ResultsA priori region-of-interest analyses yielded no significant differences. However, whole-brain group comparisons revealed that the left pregenual rostral anterior cingulate cortex extending into the left medial orbitofrontal region (355.84 mm2 in size), a subset of two of our a priori regions-of-interest, was significantly thinner in patients compared to controls (vertex-level threshold p = 0.005 and cluster-level family wise error corrected threshold p = 0.05). The whole-brain group differences did not survive after adjusting for depression or externalizing scores. Whole-brain within-patient analyses demonstrated a positive association between cortical thickness in the left precuneus and behavioral disinhibition scores (458.23 mm2 in size).ConclusionsAdolescent females with substance use disorders have significant differences in brain cortical thickness in regions engaged by the default mode network and that have been associated with problems of emotional dysregulation, inhibition, and behavioral control in past studies.

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Brain cortical thickness in male adolescents with serious substance use and conduct problems

Cited by 17 publications

References 80 publications

Mechanisms Underlying Sex Differences in Cannabis Use

Mechanisms Underlying Sex Differences in Cannabis Use

Neurobiological signatures associated with alcohol and drug use in the human adolescent brain

Brain Cortical Thickness Differences in Adolescent Females with Substance Use Disorders

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