Multi-modal Neuroimaging Reveals Differences in Alcohol-cue Reactivity but Not Neurometabolite Concentrations in Adolescents Who Drink Alcohol

Overview

Journal Drug Alcohol Depend

Publisher Elsevier

Specialty Psychiatry

Date 2024 Mar 8

PMID 38457964

Authors

Anna E Kirkland

ReJoyce Green

Brittney D Browning

Stephanie Aghamoosa

Dieter J Meyerhoff

Pamela L Ferguson

Rachel L Tomko

Kevin M Gray

Lindsay M Squeglia

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: The objective of this multi-modal neuroimaging study was to identify neuroscience-informed treatment targets for adolescent alcohol use disorder (AUD) by examining potential neural alterations associated with adolescent alcohol use.

Methods: Adolescents (ages 17-19) who heavily used (n=49) or did not use alcohol (n=22) were recruited for a multi-modal neuroimaging protocol, including proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy within the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) and an fMRI alcohol cue-reactivity task. The alcohol cue-reactivity task was analyzed across 11 a priori regions-of-interest (ROI), including the dACC, and in an exploratory whole-brain approach. Correlations were run between neurometabolite levels and alcohol cue-reactivity in the dACC.

Results: There were no significant group differences in absolute neurometabolite concentrations. Compared to the control group, the alcohol-using group exhibited heightened alcohol cue reactivity in the left amygdala ROI (p=0.04). The whole-brain approach identified higher alcohol cue reactivity in the alcohol-using group compared to controls in the amygdala and occipital regions, and lower reactivity in the parietal lobe. Whole-brain sex effects were noted, with females displaying higher reactivity regardless of group. No significant correlations were found between neurometabolite levels and alcohol cue-reactivity in the dACC.

Conclusions: The null neurometabolic findings may be due to age, relatively low severity of alcohol use, and non-treatment-seeking status of the participants. Females showed overall higher reactivity to alcohol cues, indicating a sex effect regardless of alcohol use history. Higher amygdala reactivity in alcohol-using adolescents suggests that emotional processing related to alcohol cues may be a useful target for future adolescent AUD interventions.

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