Assessment of whole brain white matter integrity in youths and young adults with a family history of substance-use disorders

Introduction. Substance use disorders (SUDs) are commonly associated with a variety of psychiatric disorders. Community-based studies have found a significant association between SUDs and sexual dysfunction in men, with a possible causal relation in the case of nicotine. Methods. The case records of 105 men presenting to a clinic for patients with psychosexual disorders were reviewed. Men with and without comorbid SUDs were compared in terms of demographic, clinical, and familial variables. Results. 25 of the 105 men (23.8%) had a lifetime diagnosis of SUD, and 19 (18.1%) had a current SUD. The commonest substances involved were nicotine (n = 21, 20%) and alcohol (n = 9, 9.5%). Men with comorbid SUDs were more likely to report a family history of substance dependence, particularly alcoholism. Single men with SUDs were more likely to have a comorbid mood disorder. Conclusion. SUDs, particularly nicotine and alcohol use disorders, are common comorbidities in patients with psychosexual disorders. Identifying and treating these disorders in this population are important aspects of management.

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Family History of Alcoholism and Brain Activation: Commentary on “Increased Forebrain Activations in Youths with Family Histories of Alcohol and Other Substance Use Disorders Performing a Go/No-Go Task”

Alcoholism Clinical and Experimental Research ◽

10.1111/acer.12648 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 39 (3) ◽

pp. 403-404 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Ian M. Colrain

Keyword(s):

Substance Use ◽

Family History ◽

Substance Use Disorders ◽

Brain Activation ◽

Family Histories ◽

History Of

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White matter integrity in alcohol-naive youth with a family history of alcohol use disorders

Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/s0033291714000609 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 44 (13) ◽

pp. 2775-2786 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

L. M. Squeglia ◽

J. Jacobus ◽

T. Brumback ◽

M. J. Meloy ◽

S. F. Tapert

Keyword(s):

Substance Use ◽

White Matter ◽

Family History ◽

Alcohol Use ◽

Cognitive Functioning ◽

Neuropsychological Test ◽

Alcohol Use Disorders ◽

White Matter Integrity ◽

Domain Specific ◽

Substance Use Initiation

BackgroundUnderstanding pre-existing neural vulnerabilities found in youth who are family history positive (FHP) for alcohol use disorders could help inform preventative interventions created to delay initiation age and escalation of heavy drinking. The goal of this study was to compare indices of white matter integrity using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) between FHP and family history negative (FHN) youth using a sample of 94 alcohol-naive adolescents and to examine if differences were associated with global and domain-specific cognitive functioning.MethodParticipants were 48 FHP and 46 FHN demographically matched, healthy, substance-naive 12- to 14-year-olds (54% female) recruited from local middle schools. Participants completed a neuropsychological test battery and magnetic resonance imaging session, including DTI.ResultsFHP youth had higher fractional anisotropy and axial diffusivity, and lower radial and mean diffusivity, than FHN youth in 19 clusters spanning projection, association and interhemispheric white matter tracts. Findings were replicated after controlling for age, gender, socio-economic status, grade and pubertal development. Groups did not differ significantly on global or domain-specific neuropsychological test scores.ConclusionsFHP teens showed higher white matter integrity, but similar cognitive functioning, to FHN youth. More mature neural features could be related to more precocious behaviors, such as substance use initiation, in FHP youth. Future research exploring white matter maturation before and after substance use initiation will help elucidate the neurodevelopmental trajectories in youth at risk for substance use disorders, to inform preventive efforts and better understand the sequelae of adolescent alcohol and drug use.

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Effects of Substance Misuse and current Family History of Substance Use Disorder on Brain Structure in Adolescents and Young Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Drug and Alcohol Dependence ◽

10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2021.109032 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 109032

Author(s):

Martina Novi ◽

Maria Paraskevopoulou ◽

Daan Van Rooij ◽

Aart H. Schene ◽

Jan K. Buitelaar ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder ◽

Substance Use ◽

Young Adults ◽

Family History ◽

Substance Use Disorder ◽

Attention Deficit ◽

Brain Structure ◽

Substance Misuse ◽

Hyperactivity Disorder ◽

History Of

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Whole-Exome Sequencing to Identify Potential Genetic Risk in Substance Use Disorders: A Pilot Feasibility Study

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm10132810 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (13) ◽

pp. 2810

Author(s):

P. V. AshaRani ◽

Syidda Amron ◽

Noor Azizah Bte Zainuldin ◽

Sumanty Tohari ◽

Alvin Y. J. Ng ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Substance Use ◽

Family History ◽

Exome Sequencing ◽

Whole Exome Sequencing ◽

Substance Use Disorders ◽

Feasibility Study ◽

Genetic Variants ◽

Addictive Disorders ◽

Whole Exome ◽

History Of

Genetics intersects with environmental, cultural, and social factors in the development of addictive disorders. This study reports the feasibility of whole-exome sequencing of trios (subject and two family members) to discover potential genetic variants in the development of substance use disorders (SUD). Family trios were recruited from the National Addictions Management Service in Singapore during the 2016–2018 period. Recruited subjects had severe alcohol use disorder (AUD) or opioid use disorder (OUD), with nicotine dependence (ND) and a family history of addictive disorders. Demographic characteristics and severity of addiction were captured. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) and analysis were performed on salivary samples collected from the trios. WES revealed variants in several genes in each individual and disruptive protein mutations in most. Variants were identified in genes previously associated with SUDs, such as Pleckstrin homology domain-containing family M member 3 (PLEKHM3), coiled-coil serine-rich protein 1 (CCSER1), LIM and calponin homology domains-containing protein 1 (LIMCH1), dynein axonemal heavy chain 8 (DNAH8), and the taste receptor type 2 member 38 (TAS2R38) involved in the perception of bitterness. The feasibility study suggests that subjects with a severe addiction profile, polysubstance use, and family history of addiction may often harbor gene variants that may predispose them to SUDs. This study could serve as a model for future precision medicine-based personalized interventional strategies for behavioral addictions and SUDs and for the discovery of potentially pathogenic genetic variants.

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Family history of substance use disorders: Significance for mental health in young adults who gamble

Journal of Behavioral Addictions ◽

10.1556/2006.2020.00017 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 289-297 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jon E. Grant ◽

Samuel R. Chamberlain

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Substance Use ◽

Young Adults ◽

Family History ◽

Family Member ◽

Spatial Working Memory ◽

Positive Family History ◽

Obsessive Compulsive ◽

Degree Relative ◽

History Of

AbstractBackgroundAlthough family history of psychiatric disorders has often been considered potentially useful in understanding clinical presentations in patients, it is less clear what a positive family history means for people who gamble in the general community. We sought to understand the clinical and cognitive impact of having a first-degree relative with a substance use disorder (SUD) in a sample of non-treatment seeking young adults.Methods576 participants (aged 18–29 years) who gambled at least five times in the preceding year undertook clinical and neurocognitive evaluations. Those with a first-degree relative with a SUD were compared to those without on a number of demographic, clinical and cognitive measures. We used Partial Least Squares (PLS) regression to identify which variables (if any) were significantly associated with family history of SUDs, controlling for the influence of other variables on each other.Results180 (31.3%) participants had a first-degree family member with a SUD. In terms of clinical variables, family history of SUD was significantly associated with higher rates of substance use (alcohol, nicotine), higher rates of problem gambling, and higher occurrence of mental health disorders. Family history of SUD was also associated with more set-shifting problems (plus higher rates of obsessive-compulsive tendencies), lower quality of decision-making, and more spatial working memory errors.ConclusionsThese results indicate that gamblers with a first-degree family member with a SUD may have a unique clinical and cognition presentation. Understanding these differences may be relevant to developing more individualized treatment approaches for disordered gambling. Compulsivity may be important as a proxy of vulnerability towards addiction.

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Sex-differences in cognition and behaviors in children with family history of substance use disorders

Drug and Alcohol Dependence ◽

10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2014.09.386 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 146 ◽

pp. e173

Author(s):

Kristin Lee ◽

Lexi Pritchett ◽

Gro Løhaugen ◽

Shannon Kogachi ◽

Erin Fukaya ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Substance Use ◽

Sex Differences ◽

Family History ◽

Substance Use Disorders ◽

History Of ◽

And Behaviors

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Childhood maltreatment, prefrontal-paralimbic gray matter volume, and substance use in young adults and interactions with risk for bipolar disorder

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-020-80407-w ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Dylan E. Kirsch ◽

Valeria Tretyak ◽

Sepeadeh Radpour ◽

Wade A. Weber ◽

Charles B. Nemeroff ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Bipolar Disorder ◽

Substance Use ◽

Young Adults ◽

Family History ◽

Childhood Maltreatment ◽

Gray Matter Volume ◽

Familial Risk ◽

Cannabis Use ◽

Typically Developing ◽

History Of

AbstractChildhood maltreatment is associated with adverse effects on the brain, and an increased risk for psychopathology, including mood and substance use disorders. Individuals vary on the degree to which they exhibit neurobiological and clinical differences following maltreatment. Individuals with bipolar disorder exhibit greater magnitude of maltreatment-related prefrontal-paralimbic gray matter volume (GMV) deficits compared to typically developing individuals. It is unclear if greater structural differences stem from greater neural vulnerability to maltreatment in bipolar disorder, or if they relate to presence of other clinical features associated with childhood maltreatment, e.g., elevated prevalence of comorbid substance use disorders. To investigate this, we compared young adults with a family history of bipolar disorder (n = 21), but who did not fulfill diagnostic criteria for bipolar disorder, with typically developing young adults without a family history of bipolar disorder (n = 26). Participants completed structural neuroimaging, clinical and family history interviews, and assessment of childhood maltreatment and recent alcohol and cannabis use patterns. We examined relations between childhood maltreatment and prefrontal-paralimbic GMV by modeling main effects of maltreatment and family history group by maltreatment interactions on prefrontal-paralimbic GMV. We also examined relations between maltreatment and associated GMV changes with recent alcohol and cannabis use. Childhood maltreatment correlated with lower ventral, rostral and dorsolateral prefrontal and insular cortical GMV across all participants regardless of the presence or absence of familial history of bipolar disorder. However, exploratory analyses did reveal greater maltreatment-related GMV differences in individuals with prodromal symptoms of depression. Lower insula GMV was associated with greater frequency of cannabis use across all participants and greater quantity of alcohol use only in those with familial risk for bipolar disorder. Results suggest familial risk for bipolar disorder, and presumably genetic risk, may relate to outcomes following childhood maltreatment and should be considered in prevention/early intervention strategies.

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