Affect-Related Brain Activity and Adolescent Substance Use: a Systematic Review

AbstractPurpose of ReviewThis review aims to summarize the research on brain activity during affective processing (i.e., reward, negative emotional stimuli, loss) and adolescent substance use (SU).Recent FindingsMost research revealed links between altered neural activity in midcingulo-insular, frontoparietal and other network regions and adolescent SU. Increased recruitment of midcingulo-insular regions —particularly the striatum —to positive affective stimuli (e.g., monetary reward) was most often associated with initiation and low-level use of substances, whereas decreased recruitment of these regions was most often associated with SUD and higher-risk SU. In regards to negative affective stim uli, most research demonstrated increased recruitment of midcingulo-insular network regions. There is also evidence that these associations may be sex-specific.SummaryFuture research should employ longitudinal designs that assess affect-related brain activity prior to and following SU initiation and escalation. Moreover, examining sex as a moderating variable may help clarify if affective neural risk factors are sex-specific.
Source: Current Behavioral Neuroscience Reports - Category: Neuroscience Source Type: research