Orbitofrontal Cortex Volume and Effortful Control as Prospective Risk Factors for Substance Use Disorder in Adolescence

Abstract

Background: Orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) dysfunction has been proposed to increase the risk for developing a substance use disorder (SUD) during adolescence. In this study, we suggest that a reduction in OFC volumes might underlie temperament-based risk factors for SUD, and examined whether smaller OFC volumes during early adolescence could predict later development of SUD. Methods and Materials: Adolescents (n = 107; 58 male, 49 female) underwent structural MRI and completed a self-report measure of temperamental effortful control at age 12. At 3 subsequent assessments (aged 15, 16, and 18) SUD was assessed via a semi-structured clinical interview. By the third assessment, 24 participants (22.4%) had received a lifetime diagnosis of SUD. Results: Smaller volumes of the left OFC, right OFC, and left medial subregions predicted lifetime history of SUD by age 18. Volumes of the left OFC and left lateral subregions were positively correlated with effortful control, and left OFC volumes mediated the relationship between effortful control and SUD. Conclusions: Smaller volumes of the OFC and low effortful control during adolescence appear to be associated phenotypes that increase the risk of subsequent SUD. Further studies examining the temporal sequence of these risk factors are needed to fully understand this relationship.

Persistence of value-modulated attentional capture is associated with risky alcohol use

“…Alternatively, the current findings may be interpreted as reflecting pre-existing individual differences in brain functioning in areas related to reversal learning or attentional flexibility, which contribute to the development and/or maintenance of risky alcohol use. Supporting this view, there is evidence that abnormalities in OFC structure or functioning are associated with alcohol and substance use prospectively ( Cheetham et al, 2017 ), and genetic risk ( Hill et al, 2009 ). Further, as mentioned earlier, researchers are beginning to recognise that compulsive disorders may be predated by risk markers related to compulsivity, such as cognitive inflexibility ( Chamberlain et al, 2007 ).…”

The early adolescent brain on music: analysis of functional dynamics reveals engagement of orbitofrontal cortex reward system

“…This developmental pattern increases the probability of risky decision making and high emotional reactivity, especially in those adolescents prone to emotional reactivity (Casey et al 2008). In particular, abnormalities of the volume, the activity and the connections of OFC with subcortical regions strongly related to emotions such as amygdala, have been shown to be predictive of obesity, internet gambling disorder, cannabis or alcohol abuse in adolescents (Chai et al 2011;Maayan et al 2011;Peters et al 2015;Cheetham et al 2017).…”

Convergent neurobiological predictors of emergent psychopathology during adolescence

“…Smaller volume in the nucleus accumbens at baseline has also been observed in adolescents who go on to initiate regular substance over the course of 2 years (Urosevic et al, ). Furthermore, smaller volume or less gyrification in the orbitofrontal cortex at baseline predicts initiation of cannabis use over the course of 4 years (Cheetham et al, ), the emergence of substance use disorders over the course of 6 years (Cheetham et al, ), and increases in alcohol‐use related problems over the course of 2 years (Kuhn et al, ) during adolescence. However, other studies have not found significant associations between orbitofrontal morphometry at baseline and the initiation of alcohol use (Luciana, Collins, Muetzel, & Lim, ; Squeglia et al, ) or future episodes of binge drinking (Brumback et al, ).…”