scholarly journals Diminished Cortical Thickness is Associated with Impulsive Choice in Adolescence

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marieta Pehlivanova ◽  
Daniel H. Wolf ◽  
Aristeidis Sotiras ◽  
Antonia Kaczkurkin ◽  
Tyler M. Moore ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Delay Discounting ◽  
Cortical Thickness ◽  
Brain Structure ◽  
Brain Networks ◽  
Additive Models ◽  
Impulsive Choice ◽  
Negative Outcomes ◽  
Large Sample ◽  
Structural Brain

ABSTRACTAdolescence is characterized by both maturation of brain structure and increased risk of negative outcomes from behaviors associated with impulsive decision-making. One important index of impulsive choice is delay discounting (DD), which measures the tendency to prefer smaller rewards available soon over larger rewards delivered after a delay. However, it remains largely unknown how individual differences in structural brain development may be associated with impulsive choice during adolescence. Leveraging a unique large sample of 427 human youths (208 males and 219 females) imaged as part of the Philadelphia Neurodevelopmental Cohort, we examined associations between delay discounting and cortical thickness within structural covariance networks. These structural networks were derived using non-negative matrix factorization, an advanced multivariate technique for dimensionality reduction, and analyzed using generalized additive models with penalized splines to capture both linear and nonlinear developmental effects. We found that impulsive choice, as measured by greater discounting, was most strongly associated with diminished cortical thickness in structural brain networks that encompassed the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, temporal pole, and temporoparietal junction. Furthermore, structural brain networks predicted DD above and beyond cognitive performance. Taken together, these results suggest that reduced cortical thickness in regions known to be involved in value-based decision-making is a marker of impulsive choice during the critical period of adolescence.SIGNIFICANCERisky behaviors during adolescence, such as initiation of substance use or reckless driving, are a major source of morbidity and mortality. In this study, we present evidence from a large sample of youths that diminished cortical thickness in specific structural brain networks is associated with impulsive choice. Notably, the strongest association between impulsive choice and brain structure was seen in regions implicated in value-based decision-making; namely, the ventromedial prefrontal and orbitofrontal cortices. Moving forward, such neuroanatomical markers of impulsivity may aid in the development of personalized interventions targeted to reduce risk of negative outcomes resulting from impulsivity during adolescence.

scholarly journals Accelerated Cortical Thinning within Structural Brain Networks is Associated with Irritability in Youth

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert J. Jirsaraie ◽  
Antonia N. Kaczkurkin ◽  
Sage Rush ◽  
Kayla Piiwia ◽  
Azeez Adebimpe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cortical Thickness ◽  
Brain Networks ◽  
Temporal Cortex ◽  
Additive Models ◽  
Penalized Splines ◽  
Reactivity Index ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Cortical Thinning ◽  
Structural Brain

ABSTRACTBackgroundIrritability is an important dimension of psychopathology that spans multiple clinical diagnostic categories, yet its relationship to patterns of brain development remains sparsely explored. Here, we examined how trans-diagnostic symptoms of irritability relate to the development of structural brain networks.MethodsAll participants (n=144, 87 females) completed structural brain imaging with 3 Tesla MRI at two timepoints (mean age at follow-up: 20.9 years, mean inter-scan interval: 5.1 years). Irritability at follow-up was assessed using the Affective Reactivity Index, and cortical thickness was quantified using Advanced Normalization Tools software. Structural covariance networks were delineated using non-negative matrix factorization, a multivariate analysis technique. Both cross-sectional and longitudinal associations with irritability at follow-up were evaluated using generalized additive models with penalized splines. The False Discovery Rate (q<0.05) was used to correct for multiple comparisons.ResultsCross-sectional analysis of follow-up data revealed that 11 of the 24 covariance networks were associated with irritability, with higher levels of irritability being associated with thinner cortex. Longitudinal analyses further revealed that accelerated cortical thinning within 9 networks was related to irritability at follow-up. Effects were particularly prominent in brain regions implicated in emotion regulation, including the orbitofrontal, lateral temporal, and medial temporal cortex.ConclusionsCollectively, these findings suggest that irritability is associated with widespread cortical thickness reductions and accelerated cortical thinning, particularly within frontal and temporal cortex. Aberrant structural maturation of regions important for emotional regulation may in part underlie symptoms of irritability.

scholarly journals Acute alcohol effects on impulsive choice in adolescents

2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 316-325
Author(s):  
Nadine Bernhardt ◽  
Elisabeth Obst ◽  
Stephan Nebe ◽  
Shakoor Pooseh ◽  
Friedrich M Wurst ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Family History ◽  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Delay Discounting ◽  
Loss Aversion ◽  
Alcohol Problems ◽  
Impulsive Choice ◽  
Alcohol Administration ◽  
Alcohol Condition ◽  
Alcohol Effects

Background: Neurodevelopmental and alcohol-induced changes in decision-making have been proposed to critically influence impulsive behaviour in adolescents. Objective: This study tested the influence of acute alcohol administration on impulsive choice in adolescents. Methods: Fifty-four males aged 18–19 years were tested in a single-blind placebo-controlled cross-over design. During alcohol administration (infusion resulting in an arterial blood alcohol concentration of 80 mg%) and placebo condition (saline infusion), participants performed a task battery providing estimates of delay discounting, probability discounting for gains, for losses and loss aversion, and also rated subjectively experienced alcohol effects. Additionally, baseline alcohol consumption (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, blood phosphatidylethanol levels), motives (Drinking Motive Questionnaire, Alcohol Expectancy Questionnaire and Obsessive Compulsive Drinking Scale), family history and self-report measures of impulsivity (Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, Substance Use Risk Profile Scale) were provided. Results: No overall effects of treatment on choice behaviour were found. However, individual differences were observed. In the alcohol condition, more impulsive choice tendencies for delay discounting were associated with higher subjectively experienced alcohol effects. Further, higher risk aversion for probabilistic gains and higher loss aversion during alcohol condition were related to higher levels of real-life alcohol consumption and a family history of alcohol problems, respectively. Finally, the time to make a decision was substantially shortened for choices involving negative prospects. Conclusions: Contrary to common beliefs, acute alcohol intoxication did not generally incite impulsive decision-making. It rather appears that alcohol-induced behavioural changes in adolescents vary considerably depending on prior experiences and subjective effects of alcohol.

scholarly journals Structural brain correlates of cognitive function in schizophrenia: a meta-analysis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marianne Khalil ◽  
Philippine Hollander ◽  
Delphine Raucher-Chene ◽  
Martin Lepage ◽  
Katie M. Lavigne
Keyword(s):  
Executive Function ◽  
Social Cognition ◽  
Brain Structure ◽  
Network Architecture ◽  
Visual Memory ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Brain Networks ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Cognitive Domains ◽  
Structural Brain

Schizophrenia is characterized by cognitive impairments and widespread structural brain alterations (e.g., decreased volume, thickness, surface area). Brain structure-cognition associations have been extensively studied in schizophrenia, typically involving individual cognitive domains or brain regions of interest. Findings in overlapping and diffuse brain regions may point to structural alterations in large-scale brain networks. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis examining whether brain structure-cognition associations can be explained in terms of biologically meaningful brain networks. Of 7,621 screened articles, 88 were included in a series of meta-analyses assessing publication bias, heterogeneity, and study quality. Significant associations were found between overall brain structure and eight cognitive domains (speed of processing, attention/vigilance, working/verbal/visual memory, executive function, social cognition, and verbal fluency). Brain structure within functionally defined networks (default, dorsal/ventral attention, frontoparietal, limbic, somatosensory, visual) and external structures (amygdala, hippocampus, and cerebellum) typically showed associations with conceptually related cognitive domains, with higher-level domains (e.g., executive function, social cognition) associated with more networks. These findings suggest brain structure-cognition associations in schizophrenia may follow network architecture.

Impulsive choice predicts short-term relapse in substance-dependent individuals attending an in-patient detoxification programme

2015 ◽  
Vol 45 (10) ◽  
pp. 2083-2093 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Stevens ◽  
A. E. Goudriaan ◽  
A. Verdejo-Garcia ◽  
G. Dom ◽  
H. Roeyers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Delay Discounting ◽  
Iowa Gambling Task ◽  
Treatment Retention ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Stop Signal Task ◽  
Impulsive Choice ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Mediation Analyses ◽  
Substance Dependent

BackgroundImpulsivity is a hallmark characteristic of substance use disorders. Recently, studies have begun to explore whether increased impulsivity in substance-dependent individuals (SDIs) is associated with a greater propensity to relapse following treatment. Despite growing recognition of its multidimensional nature, however, most studies have treated impulsivity unilaterally. Accordingly, it remains unclear whether certain facets of impulsivity are more relevant to relapse than others. The aim of the current study was to examine the relationship between multiple facets of impulsivity and short-term relapse in SDIs. As a secondary aim, we explored the role of treatment retention in this relationship.MethodA personality-based impulsivity questionnaire (UPPS) and three neurocognitive tasks of impulsivity [stop-signal task (SST), delay discounting task (DDT) and Iowa gambling task (IGT)] were administered in a heterogeneous sample of 70 SDIs shortly following their entry in an in-patient detoxification programme. Mediation analyses were performed to explore whether the effects of impulsivity on relapse were mediated by treatment retention.ResultsPerformance on two neurocognitive indices of impulsive choice (i.e. delay discounting and impulsive decision-making) significantly predicted short-term relapse. The effects of delay discounting and impulsive decision-making on relapse propensity were mediated by treatment retention.ConclusionsNeurocognitive indices of impulsivity may be more sensitive to the prediction of relapse than trait-based self-report questionnaires. Post-treatment relapse in SDIs may be reduced by targeting the processes involved in impulsive choice and by improving treatment retention in SDIs with inflated impulsivity.

scholarly journals Economic and social deprivation predicts impulsive choice in young children.

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Tunney
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Risk Factor ◽  
Individual Difference ◽  
Delay Discounting ◽  
Social Deprivation ◽  
Impulsive Choice ◽  
Health Concerns ◽  
Environmental Component ◽  
Deprived Areas

Impulsivity is an individual difference in decision-making that is a risk factor for a number of health concerns including addiction and obesity. Although impulsivity has a large heritable component it, the health concerns associated with impulsivity are not uniformly distributed across society. For example, people from poorer backgrounds are more likely to be overweight, and be dependent on tobacco or alcohol. This suggests that the environmental component of impulsivity night be related to economic circumstances and availability of resources. This paper provides evidence that children aged 4 to 12 from the most deprived areas show greater impulsivity in the form of delay discounting than do children from the least deprived areas. The data are discussed with reference to scarcity based models of decision-making and to public health inequalities.

scholarly journals How structural brain network topologies associate with cognitive abilities in a value-based decision-making task

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina Bañuelos ◽  
Timothy Verstynen
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Principal Components ◽  
Iowa Gambling Task ◽  
Brain Networks ◽  
Structural Connectivity ◽  
Brain Network ◽  
Gambling Task ◽  
Structural Brain Network ◽  
Structural Brain

Value-based decision-making relies on effective communication across disparate brain networks. Given the scale of the networks involved in adaptive decision-making, variability in how they communicate should impact behavior; however, precisely how the topological pattern of structural connectivity of individual brain networks influences individual differences in value-based decision-making remains unclear. Using diffusion MRI, we measured structural connectivity networks in a sample of community dwelling adults (N=124). We used standard graph theoretic measures to characterize the topology of the networks in each individual and correlated individual differences in these topology measures with differences in the Iowa Gambling Task. A principal components regression approach revealed that individual differences in brain network topology associate with differences in optimal decision-making, as well as associate with differences in each participant’s sensitivity to high frequency rewards. These findings show that aspects of structural brain network organization can constrain how information is used in value-based decision-making.AbbreviationsMRI - Magnetic Resonance Imaging; IGT – Iowa Gambling Task; DWI – Diffusion Weighted Imaging; QSDR – Q-Space Diffeomorphic Reconstruction; PCA – Principal Components Analysis; GLM – Generalized Linear Models

scholarly journals Cannabis Use in Youth is Associated with Limited Alterations in Brain Structure

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Cobb Scott ◽  
Adon F. G. Rosen ◽  
Tyler M. Moore ◽  
David R. Roalf ◽  
Theodore D. Satterthwaite ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cortical Thickness ◽  
Gray Matter ◽  
Brain Structure ◽  
Matter Density ◽  
Cannabis Use ◽  
Significant Group ◽  
Small Magnitude ◽  
Gray Matter Density ◽  
Structural Neuroimaging ◽  
Structural Brain

ABSTRACTFrequent cannabis use during adolescence has been associated with alterations in brain structure. However, studies have featured relatively inconsistent results, predominantly from small samples, and few studies have examined less frequent users to shed light on potential brain structure differences across levels of cannabis use. In this study, high-resolution T1-weighted MRIs were obtained from 781 youth aged 14-21 years who were studied as part of the Philadelphia Neurodevelopmental Cohort. This sample included 147 cannabis users (109 Occasional [≤1-2 times per week] and 38 Frequent [≥ 3 times per week] Users) and 634 cannabis Non-Users. Several structural neuroimaging measures were examined in whole brain analyses, including gray and white matter volumes, cortical thickness, and gray matter density. Established procedures for stringent quality control were conducted, and two automated neuroimaging software processing packages were used to ensure robustness of results. There were no significant differences by cannabis group in global or regional brain volumes, cortical thickness, or gray matter density, and no significant group by age interactions were found. Follow-up analyses indicated that values of structural neuroimaging measures by cannabis group were similar across regions, and any differences among groups were likely of a small magnitude. In sum, structural brain metrics were similar among adolescent and young adult cannabis users and non-users. Our data converge with prior large-scale studies suggesting small or limited associations between cannabis use and structural brain measures in youth. Detailed studies of vulnerability to structural brain alterations and longitudinal studies examining long-term risk are indicated.

scholarly journals Reward-Related Decision-Making in Current and Past Disordered Gambling: Implications for Impulsive Choice and Risk Preference in the Maintenance of Gambling Disorder

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Magdalen G. Schluter ◽  
David C. Hodgins
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Substance Use ◽  
Delay Discounting ◽  
Substance Use Disorder ◽  
Gambling Disorder ◽  
Risky Choice ◽  
Impulsive Choice ◽  
Trait Impulsivity ◽  
History Of

Impulsive reward-related decision-making (RRDM) is robustly associated with gambling disorder (GD), although its role in the development and perpetuation of GD is still being investigated. This project sought to examine the possible roles of impulsive and risky choice, two aspects of RRDM, in the perpetuation of GD. Additionally, the potential moderating role of comorbid substance misuse was considered. A total of 434 participants with symptoms of current GD and symptoms of concurrent substance use disorder (SUD; n = 105), current GD with past SUD (n = 98), past GD with current SUD (n = 53), or past GD with past substance use disorder (SUD; n = 92), and 96 healthy controls were recruited through MTurk. Participants completed a randomly adjusting delay discounting (a measure of impulsive choice) and probabilistic discounting (a measure of risky choice) task and self-report questionnaires of gambling participation, GD and SUD symptomology, and trait impulsivity. Although control participants showed significantly greater delay discounting compared to individuals with a current or history of GD, no significant group differences emerged between individuals with current GD or a history of GD. Individuals with current GD showed significantly less probabilistic discounting compared to individuals with a history of GD and control participants showed the greatest rates of probabilistic discounting. These effects remained after controlling for lifetime gambling symptom severity and trait impulsivity. Overall, these findings suggest a potential maintaining role of risky choice in gambling disorder, but do not support a maintaining role for impulsive choice.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document