A study conducted on adolescents in the US revealed clear differences in brain structures between adolescents who used drugs, including alcohol and cannabis, before the age of 15 and those who did not.
The researchers, including those from Washington University in St Louis, US, also found that many of these differences, such as a larger brain and thinner prefrontal cortex, were likely present before teenagers started substance abuse.
The researchers said this suggests that these aspects, along with other factors, including genetic and environmental factors, may be involved in the risk of initiating substance abuse later in life.
The prefrontal cortex is part of the cortex – the outermost layer of the brain and is known to help perform high-level functions such as planning, decision making, and achieving goals.
The team said some of the brain differences observed between the two groups of teens also appear to be unique to the type of substance used.
The findings are published in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Network Open.
However, the researchers said more work is needed to understand how these structural differences translate into brain function or behavior.
The US National Institute said, “This (study) adds to some of the emerging evidence that an individual’s brain structure, along with their unique genetics, environmental exposures, and the interactions between these factors, shape their risk and resilience for substance use and addiction.” may affect the level of Drug Abuse Director Nora Volkow.
“Understanding the complex interrelationships between factors that protect against and contribute to drug use is critical to informing effective prevention interventions and providing support for those who may be most vulnerable,” Volkow said. “
The team also said that the study’s findings should not be used for diagnosis, because brain structure alone cannot predict substance use.
For the analysis, researchers looked at MRI scans of 9,804 children across the US when they were ages 9-11. The participants were tracked over a three-year period – 3,460 reported drug initiation before age 15, while the others did not.
Between the two groups, five structural differences were related to the brain in general, while an additional 39 were related to specific regions – 22 of which were related to the thickness of the cortex.
“We identified neuroanatomical characteristics associated with the onset of substance use that were present before exposure to the substance,” the authors wrote.
Participants were recruited from the ongoing Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study, which examined the brain development and mental health of nearly 12,000 youth in the U.S. starting at age nine and following them through early adulthood. Went.
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