Neural activation during response inhibition is associated with adolescents' frequency of risky sex and substance use

Abstract

While many have identified the important role of the developing brain in youth risk behavior, few have examined the relationship between salient cognitive factors (response inhibition) and different types of real-world adolescent health risk behaviors (substance use and risky sex) within the same sample of youth. We therefore sought to examine these relationships with 95 high-risk youth (ages 14-18; M age = 16.29 years). We examined the relationship between blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) response to an fMRI-based cognitive task designed to assess response inhibition (Go/NoGo) and past month risk behavior (number of substance use days; number of unprotected sex days). For this sample of youth, we found significant negative correlations between past month substance use and response inhibition within the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and right insula (uncorrected p < .001; extent threshold ≥ 10 voxels). In addition, in the same contrast, we found significant positive correlations between past month risky sex and activation within the right IFG and left middle occipital gyrus (uncorrected p < .001; extent threshold ≥ 10 voxels). These results suggest the particular relevance of these regions in this compelling, albeit slightly different pattern of response for adolescent substance use and risky sex.

Executive functioning and substance use in adolescence: Neurobiological and behavioral perspectives

“…For instance, a study of adolescents comparing heavy smokers and nonsmokers revealed higher levels of smoking to be associated with lower inhibition-related blood oxygenation level—dependent (BOLD) responses in the inferior frontal gyrus, middle frontal gyrus, superior frontal gyrus, cingulate cortex, and the supplementary motor area (Galvan, Poldrack, Baker, McGlennen & London, 2011). Similarly, lower inhibitory-related BOLD responses in the inferior frontal gyrus and right insula were related to high levels of alcohol and marijuana use in adolescents (Feldstein Ewing, Houck, & Bryan, 2015). Interestingly, one study found that adolescent marijuana users and non-users showed no differences in terms of brain activation during an inhibition task, but for marijuana users there were significantly higher positive correlations between cerebellar and bilateral posterior parietal regions, implying aberrant connectivity within inhibition networks (Behan et al, 2014).…”

Neural Interaction Between Risk Sensitivity and Cognitive Control Predicting Health Risk Behaviors Among Late Adolescents

“…The ability to detect and respond to behavioral errors is a critical component of cognitive control and is supported by a network of prefrontal regions, including the anterior cingulate cortex (Luna, Padmanabhan, & O'Hearn, 2010). Indeed, brain activation in cognitive control related brain regions (orbitofrontal/ventrolateral prefrontal cortex and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex) is correlated with risk-taking performance and substance use behavior in adolescents (Eshel, Nelson, Blair, Pine, & Ernst, 2007; Feldstein Ewing, Houck, & Bryan, 2015; see Kim-Spoon, Kahn et al, 2016 for review).…”

Functional activation during the Stroop is associated with recent alcohol but not marijuana use among high-risk youth

“…In a study using a related paradigm, adolescents with a history of marijuana use performed comparably during a Go/No-Go task but had greater dorsolateral prefrontal and parietal activation during inhibition trials relative to controls (Tapert at al., 2007). Further, negative associations between past month substance use and Go/No-Go activation have been found in the left inferior frontal gyrus and right insula (Feldstein Ewing et al, 2015). Taken together, group comparisons between non-users and substance users have suggested compensatory mechanisms whereby substance users show increased activation in order to perform response inhibition tasks as well as non-users.…”