Dr. Ahmed Substance use is a growing concern, especially among children, as it poses serious health risks, hampers physical and mental development, and leads to a loss of productivity.
So far, nearly 49 million humans, either aged 12 or older, have had one or another substance use disorder (SUD).
Because of the high prevalence of SUD among adolescents, their physical and mental health are impaired.
Multiple factors play a role in youngsters’ addictions to alcohol or drugs, including social environments, peer pressure, or social media.
Just like this, a new study published in late 2024 has provided us with info regarding the link between brain structure and early substance use.
So, the findings from this study are actually challenging a long-held belief that first comes substance use and then comes the changes related to brain anatomy.
The research suggests that some neuroanatomical features may predispose children to start substance use at a young age, even if they have never touched alcohol and drugs.
The study: a deep dive into the developing brain
A large-scale research project called Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study tracked the brain development of US children over time.
Researchers looked at data from 9,804 kids who were 9-11 years old at the start. They followed these kids for three years to see how their brains changed and when they started using substances.
The study was done in a very thorough and reliable way. The children had special brain scans called MRI scans at the beginning. These scans took detailed pictures of their brain structure. The scan gave researchers information about different parts of the kid’s brain, including:
- Global and regional cortical volume:
- The overall size of the brain and specific regions within the cortex (the brain’s outer layer).
- Cortical thickness:
- The thickness of the cortex, which is crucial for higher-level cognitive functions.
- Surface area:
- The total surface area of the cortex.
- Sulcal depth:
- The depth of the folds and grooves on the brain’s surface.
- Subcortical volume:
- The size of structures located beneath the cortex, such as the hippocampus and globus pallidus.
Researchers then looked at how the brain measures at the beginning were related to the kid’s report of starting to use substances like nicotine, cannabis, and alcohol by age 15.
The study was unique because it happened over time, which meant researchers could figure out if the brain difference existed before they started using substances.
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Key Findings: preexisting brain differences and substance use
The key outcomes from this study included self-reported substance use initiation and baseline magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measurements of brain structure.
Covariates such as familial relationships, prenatal substance exposure, sex, and pubertal status were considered.
Results indicated that 35.3% of children reported initiating substance use before age 15. Substance use initiation was associated with a thinner prefrontal cortex, particularly in the rostral middle frontal gyrus, but a thicker cortex in other brain lobes.
It was also linked to larger hippocampal and globus pallidus volumes and increased global brain structure indices, such as whole brain volume.
Cannabis use initiation specifically correlated with lower right caudate volume. Importantly, post hoc analyses suggested that these neuroanatomical differences often preceded substance use initiation, indicating that preexisting brain structure variability may predispose individuals to early substance use.
The study concludes that neuroanatomical variability is linked with early substance use initiation and may serve as a predispositional risk factor.
This highlights the importance of understanding the neurodevelopmental perspective of substance use and its potential role in future behavioral and health outcomes.
Outcomes and Future Directions
This study is a major breakthrough in understanding substance use and addiction. It reveals that brain differences can put some people at higher risk of trying substances early in life.
With this knowledge, we can create more effective programs to prevent and treat substance use mainly because older studies have mostly proven that brain changes occur after the initiation of substance use, even with just 20 drinks per month [ref].
However, studies have also shown that some neurocognitive risk factors may make an individual more susceptible to substance abuse [ref].
Prevention efforts can do more than just focus on the negative effects of substance use. They can also help people who are more likely to try substances because of how their brain is structured.
Early interventions might aim to enhance prefrontal cortex function through cognitive training or encourage healthy coping strategies to reduce the risk of substance use.
This study shows that more research is needed. Future research should focus on the following:
- Genetic factors:
- How genes and the brain work together to affect the risk of substance use.
- Environmental influences:
- How things like family, friends, and surroundings interact with brain structure to impact substance use.
- Long-term effects:
- How these brain differences affect use over time and impact other areas of a person’s life as they develop.
Understanding how biology, genes, and the environment can interact helps create better strategies to prevent early substance use and help teens develop healthily.
This research is a crucial step towards understanding what leads to substance use and offers promise for more effective ways to prevent and treat it in the future.
