Predicting development of adolescent drinking behaviour from whole brain structure at age 14

Physical changes in the body occur alongside changes in personality and behaviour. Compared to children, adolescents tend to be risk-takers and novelty-seekers. It is around puberty that many people try alcohol for the first time, but it is not clear why people differ in their drinking habits, and why a small minority of young adults go on to become dependent on alcohol. In a study published by the non-profit organisation eLife, a group of researchers hypothesized that part of the answer may lie in changes in the brain. Differences in the size and structure of brain regions contribute to differences in behaviour between individuals. During adolescence, the brain undergoes extensive re-modelling. It forms new connections, while also pruning away connections that are unused.
The research investigated whether differences in brain structure at puberty lead to differences in alcohol consumption in early adulthood. In 1814 healthy adolescents of the IMAGEN sample, the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) was acquired at three measurement occasions across five years. Based on a two-part latent growth curve model, whole-brain analyses were conducted
on structural MRI data at age 14, predicting change in alcohol use score over time. Higher grey- matter volumes in the caudate nucleus and the left cerebellum at age 14 years were predictive of stronger increase in alcohol use score over 5 years.
The study is the first to demonstrate the feasibility of running separate voxel-wise structural equation models thereby opening new avenues for data analysis in brain imaging.
Theresultsmayshedlightonwhysomeyoungadults develop harmful drinking habits, whereas most do not. The findings are part of a large and complex picture. Other factors, such as social influences, also shape alcohol consumption. However, the findings of Kühn et al. suggest that differences in brain structure may make some individuals to drink more heavily than others. Understanding these biological differences could help researchers to develop measures to prevent addiction in young adults.
Source: Predicting development of adolescent drinking behaviour from whole brain structure at 14 years of age. S Kühn et al. IMAGEN Consortium. eLife 2019;8:e44056