Abstract
Background
Impairments in inhibitory control and its underlying brain networks (control/salience
areas) are associated with substance misuse. Research often assumes a causal substance
exposure effect on brain structure. This assumption remains largely untested, and
other factors (e.g., familial risk) may confound exposure effects. We leveraged a
genetically informative sample of twins aged 24 years and a quasi-experimental co-twin
control design to separate alcohol or cannabis exposure effects during emerging adulthood
from familial risk on control/salience network cortical thickness.
Methods
In a population-based sample of 436 twins aged 24 years, dimensional measures of alcohol
and cannabis use (e.g., frequency, density, quantity, intoxications) across emerging
adulthood were assessed. Cortical thickness of control/salience network areas were
assessed using magnetic resonance imaging and defined by a fine-grained cortical atlas.
Results
Greater alcohol, but not cannabis, misuse was associated with reduced thickness of
prefrontal (e.g., dorso/ventrolateral, right frontal operculum) and frontal medial
cortices, as well as temporal lobe, intraparietal sulcus, insula, parietal operculum,
precuneus, and parietal medial areas. Effects were predominately (pre)frontal and
right lateralized. Co-twin control analyses suggested that the effects likely reflect
both the familial predisposition to misuse alcohol and, specifically for lateral prefrontal,
frontal/parietal medial, and right frontal operculum, an alcohol exposure effect.
Conclusions
This study provides novel evidence that alcohol-related reductions in cortical thickness
of control/salience brain networks likely represent the effects of alcohol exposure
and premorbid characteristics of the genetic predisposition to misuse alcohol. The
dual effects of these two alcohol-related causal influences have important and complementary
implications regarding public health and prevention efforts to curb youth drinking.
Keywords
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Article Info
Publication History
Published online: January 20, 2021
Accepted:
January 5,
2021
Received in revised form:
January 5,
2021
Received:
August 21,
2020
Identification
Copyright
© 2021 Society of Biological Psychiatry.
