Brain Structure Predictors of Substance Use in Adolescence

描述(由申请人提供)：神经成像研究已经确定了整个青春期和成年早期神经组织的持续发育。髓鞘形成和白质(WM)完整性的增加以及灰质(GM)皮质厚度的减少(例如，修剪)被认为加强了突触连接，并允许大脑区域之间的有效沟通。青少年从事物质使用行为的风险增加，有问题的使用往往在这一发育时期开始达到顶峰。WM微观结构完整性和GM皮质厚度之间的关系在青少年人群中才刚刚开始探索，横断面研究表明物质滥用与宏观结构和微观结构神经组织状态之间的关系。研究表明，青春期的冒险行为有很大的神经生物学成分，然而，危险行为的生物学基础之间的联系还没有明确界定。WM完整性指数和GM皮质厚度联合使用可能有助于我们理解两种常用的结构成像测量方法的预测有效性，特别是它们在预测青少年未来使用药物方面的作用。因此，这项研究将利用扩散张量成像(DTI)和结构磁共振成像(SMRI)来检查WM完整性和GM皮质厚度对真实世界风险行为(如吸毒和酗酒)的影响，以基线为基准，在36个月的间隔内测量16-18岁的青少年。如果WM完整性和GM皮质厚度作为物质使用行为的预测因子存在经验支持，这些措施可能被用来帮助识别有物质使用障碍风险的青少年。 公共卫生相关性：了解青少年药物使用背后的大脑特征将有助于临床评估，并有助于设计预防和干预计划和战略，以限制青少年的冒险机会，并为青少年构建更健康的渠道。未来，多领域的风险承担评估(例如，大脑成像、个性)可能被用来识别和指导高危青少年，这可能有利于减少疾病传播和整个医疗保健和刑事司法系统的成本。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Neuroimaging studies have identified ongoing neural tissue development throughout adolescence and early adulthood. Increases in myelination and white matter (WM) integrity along with decreases in gray matter (GM) cortical thickness (e.g., pruning) are thought to strengthen synaptic connections and allow for efficient communication between brain regions. Adolescents are at increased risk for engaging in substance use behaviors, and problematic use often begins to peak during this developmental time period. The relationship between WM microstructural integrity and GM cortical thickness is only beginning to be explored in adolescent populations, with cross sectional studies showing relationships between substance misuse and both macrostructural and microstructural neural tissue status. Research has shown a large neurobiological component to risk taking behaviors during adolescence, however the link between the biological underpinnings of risky behaviors has not been clearly defined. It is possible that indices of WM integrity and GM cortical thickness used in conjunction will help us understand the predictive validity of two commonly used structural imaging measurements, particularly their utility in predicting future adolescent substance use. Therefore, this study will utilize diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) to examine the influence of WM integrity and GM cortical thickness on real world risk taking behaviors such as drug and alcohol use, measured over a 36-month interval in adolescents ages 16-18 at baseline. If empirical support exists for WM integrity and GM cortical thickness as predictors of substance use behaviors, these measures may be used to help identify teens at risk for substance use disorders. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Understanding the brain features behind adolescent substance use will aid clinical assessment and help in design of prevention and intervention programs and strategies that limit risk taking opportunity and construct healthier outlets for teenagers. In the future, multi-domain risk taking assessment (e.g., brain imaging, personality) may be used to identify and guide high-risk teenagers, which could advantageously reduce disease transmission and costs to the healthcare and criminal justice system overall.