Neural Circuitry Associated with Risk for Alcohol Use Disorders

Abstract

The core features of risk for alcohol use disorders (AUD), including behavioral disinhibition, affective dysregulation, and executive dysfunction, map onto distinct neural circuits that have been found to be abnormal in the offspring of alcohol dependent individuals. Components of the cerebellothalamocortical system and the extended limbic network may provide the underpinnings for the behavioral and emotional dysfunction observed in individuals at heightened risk for AUD. In addition, abnormalities in these structures appear to be altered in individuals with the predisposition for other psychiatric conditions that may share a similar genetic diathesis. This review proposes several neurobehavioral mechanisms of genetic vulnerability that may account for phenotypic characteristics in individuals at risk for AUD.

Shared Genetic Factors Influence Amygdala Volumes and Risk for Alcoholism

“…In addition to its proposed role in alcohol cue-response learning and alcohol craving, the amygdala may also confer alcoholism risk through its involvement in affective regulation (Tessner and Hill, 2010). In support of this, a recent longitudinal study reported that smaller amygdala volumes were associated with higher self-reported negative affectivity at baseline and more subsequent alcohol-related problems (Cheetham et al, 2014).…”

Neural Correlates of Impulsivity in Healthy Males and Females with Family Histories of Alcoholism

“…Increased AUD risk among FHPs may be conferred via heritable impulsive tendencies (Dick et al, 2010;Tessner and Hill, 2010). Impulsivity is a multi-factorial construct, where distinct sub-components appear to have differential neural bases and relationships with addiction (de Wit, 2009;Lejuez et al, 2010;Rogers et al, 2010).…”

“…Individuals with a family history of alcoholism (familyhistory positive (FHP)) have increased risk for alcoholism driven by genetic and environmental factors (Lieb et al, 2002;Slutske et al, 2002). Healthy FHPs model addiction vulnerability without confounding effects of excess alcohol on cognition and brain function.Increased AUD risk among FHPs may be conferred via heritable impulsive tendencies (Dick et al, 2010;Tessner and Hill, 2010). Impulsivity is a multi-factorial construct, where distinct sub-components appear to have differential neural bases and relationships with addiction (de Wit, 2009;Lejuez et al, 2010;Rogers et al, 2010).…”

Effet d'un traitement de l'abus de substances psychotropes sur la détresse psychologique et le fonctionnement exécutif autorégulateur, chez des adolescents présentant une problématique de consommation /

“…Dans un autre ordre d'idées, des études ont démontré que les traits de personnalité identifiés comme facteurs de prédisposition à la psychopathologie comportent une large part d'héritabilité, ce qui suggère qu'une forte composante génétique fonde l'étiologie des troubles externalises (Congdon, 2008;Groman, James, & Jentsch, 2009;Tessner & Hill, 2010). C'est pourquoi un nombre grandissant de chercheurs tentent de mettre au jour les mécanismes biologiquement déterminés à l'origine des comportements d'externalisation.…”

“…Or, un courant de recherche a conceptualisé de telles capacités d'autocontrôlé sous la notion globale d'autoregulation (Percy, 2008;Tarter et al, 2003;Tessner & Hill, 2010;Verdejo-Garcia, Rivas-Pérez, Vilar-Lôpez, & Pérez-Garcia, 2007;Young et al, 2009). …”