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A longitudinal examination of adolescent response inhibition: neural differences before and after the initiation of heavy drinking

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Abstract

Rationale

Response inhibition abnormalities contribute to several maladaptive behaviors commonly observed during adolescence, including heavy drinking.

Objectives

The present study aimed to determine whether abnormalities in brain response during response inhibition predate or follow adolescents’ transition into heavy drinking, which is pivotal in identifying the neural antecedents and consequences of adolescent alcohol use.

Methods

Longitudinal functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) acquired during a response inhibition task was collected on adolescents before the onset of heavy drinking and then again on the same scanner approximately 3 years later. Adolescents who transitioned into heavy drinking (n = 20) were matched to continuously nondrinking adolescents (n = 20) on baseline and follow-up demographic and developmental variables.

Results

During no-go relative to go trials, participants showed responses common to inhibitory circuitry: frontal (e.g., pre-supplementary motor area), temporal, and parietal regions. A repeated measures analysis of covariance revealed that adolescents who later transitioned into heavy drinking showed less fMRI response contrast at baseline than continuous nondrinkers in frontal, parietal, subcortical, and cerebellar regions (p < 0.01, clusters >756 μl), then increased activation after the onset of heavy drinking in frontal, parietal, and cerebellar areas.

Conclusions

Future heavy drinkers showed less activation of inhibitory circuitry before the onset of heavy drinking. After transitioning into heavy drinking, they showed more activation during response inhibition than nondrinking controls. These results contribute to the growing literature suggesting that neural vulnerabilities exist prior to the onset of substance use, and the initiation of heavy drinking may lead to additional alterations in brain functioning.

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Notes

  1. d′ = Φ−1(H) – Φ−1(F). Φ−1 = z score, (H) = hit rate, (F) = false alarm rate.

  2. \( \beta =e{\left[\frac{{\left[{\varPhi}^{-1}(F)\right]}^2-\left[{\varPhi}^{-1}(H)\right]}{2}\right]}^2 \).

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Acknowledgments

This research was made possible by funding from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (R01 AA13419, T32 AA013525).

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Reagan R. Wetherill

  2. Psychology Service (116B), VA San Diego Healthcare System, 3350 La Jolla Village Drive, San Diego, CA, 92161, USA

    Susan F. Tapert

  3. Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA

    Lindsay M. Squeglia & Susan F. Tapert

  4. Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA

    Tony T. Yang

Authors
  1. Reagan R. Wetherill
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  2. Lindsay M. Squeglia
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  3. Tony T. Yang
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  4. Susan F. Tapert
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Susan F. Tapert.

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Wetherill, R.R., Squeglia, L.M., Yang, T.T. et al. A longitudinal examination of adolescent response inhibition: neural differences before and after the initiation of heavy drinking. Psychopharmacology 230, 663–671 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-013-3198-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-013-3198-2

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