Preexisting Neuroanatomical Variability Linked to Pediatric Substance Use
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, Jan. 9, 2025 -- Preexisting neuroanatomical variability is associated with substance use initiation in children younger than 15 years, according to a study published online Dec. 30 in JAMA Network Open.
Alex P. Miller, Ph.D., from Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis, and colleagues examined neuroanatomical features associated with early substance use initiation and the extent to which associations reflect preexisting vulnerability in a cohort study using data from baseline through three years of follow-up. Data were included for 9,804 children; 35.3 percent reported substance use initiation before age 15 years.
The researchers observed an association for initiation of any substance or alcohol use with a thinner cortex in prefrontal regions (e.g., rostral middle frontal gyrus, β = –0.03) but thicker cortex in all other lobes, larger globus pallidus and hippocampal volumes, as well as greater global indices of brain structure (e.g., larger whole brain volume, β = 0.05). There was an association for cannabis use initiation with lower right caudate volume (β = –0.03). The majority of associations, including a thinner prefrontal cortex and greater whole brain volume, preceded initiation in post hoc examinations restricted to postbaseline initiation.
"A greater understanding of the links between brain structure and substance involvement may uncover predispositional risk factors that provide insight into the early causes of substance use disorders and clinically informative mechanisms through which myriad adverse health outcomes associated with substance involvement emerge," the authors write.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted January 2025
Read this next
Cannabis Use Disorder Linked to Increased Risk for Oral Cancer
FRIDAY, Aug. 1, 2025 -- Cannabis use disorder (CUD) is associated with an increased risk for oral cancer, according to a study published in the September issue of Preventive...
Stigma of Substance Use Disorder Varies by Condition, Provider
WEDNESDAY, July 30, 2025 -- Health care provider stigma toward substance use disorder (SUD) varies by condition and provider, according to a study published online July 23 in...
Substance Use Disorder Linked to Higher Risk for Unplanned Readmissions
TUESDAY, July 29, 2025 -- People with any type of substance use disorder (SUD) face a higher risk for having an unplanned, 30-day hospital readmission compared with those without...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.