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

  • Addictions (M Potenza and E DeVito, Section Editors)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose of Review

This 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 Findings

Most 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 stimuli, most research demonstrated increased recruitment of midcingulo-insular network regions. There is also evidence that these associations may be sex-specific.

Summary

Future 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.

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Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: • Of importance •• Of major importance

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Funding

This research was supported in part by grants from the National Institutes of Health F31-DA051154 (PI: Gonçalves) and R01-DA033431(PI: Chaplin).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, George Mason University, 4400 University Drive 3F5, Fairfax, VA, 22030, USA

    Stefanie F. Gonçalves, Mary P. Ryan, Claire E. Niehaus & Tara M. Chaplin

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  1. Stefanie F. Gonçalves
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  2. Mary P. Ryan
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  4. Tara M. Chaplin
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Correspondence to Stefanie F. Gonçalves.

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Gonçalves, S.F., Ryan, M.P., Niehaus, C.E. et al. Affect-Related Brain Activity and Adolescent Substance Use: a Systematic Review. Curr Behav Neurosci Rep 9, 11–26 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40473-021-00241-w

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