Impact of Alcohol Use on Adolescent fMRI BOLD Response: A Longitudinal Study

描述（由申请人提供）：理由：相当数量的青少年从事中度至重度酒精消费。具体来说，44%的12年级学生在过去的一个月里使用过酒精，26%的学生在过去的两周内酗酒（Johnston et al., 2008）。确定青少年饮酒对大脑功能的影响是很重要的，因为在持续的神经成熟过程中发生的衰退可能对认知功能和未来的教育和职业选择产生持久的影响。视觉工作记忆（VWM）是信息处理和执行功能的重要组成部分，因此是检查与青少年大量饮酒相关的神经异常的有用探针。设计：本研究的目的是：(1)使用血氧水平依赖（BOLD）功能磁共振成像（fMRI）前瞻性地检查过渡到重度饮酒的青少年（n = 22）与不饮酒的青少年（n = 22）对VWM任务的大脑反应，(2)检查这些神经异常是否与神经心理功能有关。拟议的研究使用作为赞助商纵向研究的一部分收集的数据（酒精中毒风险青年的fMRI和认知，ROI aai3419,6/10/07 -3/31/12），使用12-16岁儿童在饮酒前的成像数据以及在一半过渡到重度饮酒后收集的随访数据。分析采用功能神经影像学分析（AFNI）工具，并对先验的特定区域（右侧中央后/下顶叶区、右侧额叶中部区、双侧额叶内侧区和枕叶中部区）进行x组时间方差分析，以观察开始大量饮酒的年轻人与不饮酒的年轻人相比，是否表现出激活模式的变化。在回归分析中，酗酒者在VWM和注意力的神经心理学测量上的表现与显示出不同激活的区域之间的对应关系（n = 22）。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Rationale: Substantial numbers of adolescents engage in moderate to heavy levels of alcohol consumption. Specifically, 44% of 12th graders have used alcohol in past month, and 26% have engaged in a binge drinking episode in the past two weeks (Johnston et al., 2008). Identifying the influence of adolescent alcohol use on brain functioning is important, as decrements incurred during ongoing neuromaturation could have lasting effects on cognitive functioning and future educational and occupational options. Visual working memory (VWM) is an essential component of information processing and executive functioning, and is therefore a useful probe for examining neural abnormalities associated with heavy adolescent drinking. Design: The aims of this investigation are: (1) to prospectively examine brain response to a VWM task in adolescents who transition into heavy drinking (n = 22) versus youth who remain non-users (n = 22) using blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and (2) examine if these neural abnormalities are associated with neuropsychological functioning. The proposed study uses data collected as part ofthe Sponsor's longitudinal study (fMRI and Cognition in Youth at Risk for Alcoholism, ROI AAI3419, 6/10/07-3/31/12), using data from 12-16 year-olds imaged prior to the onset of drinking as well as follow-up data collected after half transitioned to heavy drinking. Analyses employ Analysis of Functional Neuroimaging (AFNI) tools and conduct a group x time ANOVA on a priori specified regions of interest (right postcentral/inferior parietal, right middle frontal, bilateral medial frontal, and middle occipital regions) to see if youth who initiate heavy drinking show a change in activation pattern, as compared to youth who remain non-drinkers. Regions that show divergent activation in initiators of heavy drinking will be followed by examining correspondence to performance on neuropsychological measures of VWM and attention among the heavy drinkers (n = 22) in regression analyses. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: This investigation will help clarify the effects of alcohol use on brain functioning during adolescence, and aid in understanding whether deficits in VWM result from alcohol involvement. Deficits in VWM could interfere with tasks requiring higher-order executive functioning. The long-term goals of this line of work are to (1) disseminate any findings through adolescent drinking prevention materials and public service campaigns, and (2) inform intervention and psychoeducational programs on how to optimally intervene with youth engaging in heavy drinking, considering brain response and neurocognitive patterns linked to adolescent alcohol use.