Emotional Processing and Brain Activity in Youth at High Risk for Alcoholism

描述（由申请人提供）：患有酒精使用障碍（AUDs）的个体在情绪处理方面存在缺陷，并且在情感调节重要的大脑区域具有非典型的功能和结构。这些症状通常与执行功能问题有关。有趣的是，即使在大量饮酒之前，有酗酒家族史的年轻人（FHP）与没有酗酒家族史的年轻人（FHN）相比，出现情绪问题和认知控制缺陷的风险更高。鉴于FHP青年比FHN青年患AUD的风险要大得多，有必要澄清与情感加工和执行功能相关的大脑和行为表型是否可能是FHP青年患AUD的发病前危险因素。因此，本研究的目的是调查FHP青年在大量饮酒前与情绪处理相关的大脑功能和行为，以及它们与执行功能的关系。具体来说，本研究计划将利用行为测量、功能磁共振成像和静息状态功能连通性磁共振成像来研究FHP和FHN青年的情绪加工及其与认知功能的关系。通过检查FHP和FHN青年在大量饮酒前的大脑活动和行为，本研究将深入了解与家族性酒精中毒相关的神经和行为表型，这可能与发生AUDs的风险增加有关。了解非典型情绪加工和相关的认知控制缺陷是否存在于酗酒前的FHP青年中，将有助于未来的研究建立旨在减少AUDs发展的预防策略。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Individuals with alcohol use disorders (AUDs) have deficits in emotional processing as well as atypical function and structure in brain regions important for affective regulation. These symptoms are often associated with problems in executive functioning. Interestingly, even prior to heavy alcohol use, youth with a family history of alcoholism (FHP) are at greater risk for emotional problems and exhibit deficits in cognitive control compared to youth without a family history of alcoholism (FHN). Given that FHP youth are at much greater risk for developing an AUD than FHN youth, it is essential to clarify whether brain and behavior phenotypes related to affective processing and executive functioning may be premorbid risk factors for the development of AUDs in FHP youth. Thus, the goal of this study is to investigate brain function and behavior related to emotional processing in FHP youth, as well as examine their associations with executive functioning, prior to heavy alcohol use. Specifically, this research plan will investigate emotional processing and its association with cognitive functioning using behavioral measures, functional magnetic resonance imaging, and resting state functional connectivity magnetic resonance imaging in FHP and FHN youth. By examining brain activity and behavior in FHP and FHN youth prior to heavy alcohol use, this study will provide insight into the neural and behavioral phenotypes associated with familial alcoholism, which may relate to the increased risk for developing AUDs. Understanding whether atypical emotional processing and associated deficits in cognitive control are present in FHP youth prior to heavy alcohol use will allow future research to establish prevention strategies aimed at reducing the development of AUDs.