Reward-Related Brain Activity Prospectively Predicts Increases in Alcohol Use in Adolescents

Altered activity within reward-related neural regions, including the ventral striatum (VS) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), is associated with concurrent problematic substance use. The aims of the present study were to (a) identify patterns of reward-related neural activity that prospectively predict changes in alcohol use two years after magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning in a sample of adolescents, and (b) examine whether these patterns differ by sex. We also tested whether depression symptoms or impulsivity mediated associations between neural activity and future alcohol use.
Source: Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry - Category: Psychiatry Authors: Tags: New Research Source Type: research