Neural predictors of substance use disorders in Young adulthood.

Offspring from multiplex, alcohol-dependent families are at heightened risk for substance use disorders (SUDs) in adolescence and young adulthood. These high-risk offspring have also been shown to have atypical structure and function of brain regions implicated in emotion regulation, social cognition, and reward processing. This study assessed the relationship between amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) volumes obtained in adolescence and SUD outcomes in young adulthood among high-risk offspring and low-risk controls.

Effects of prenatal alcohol and cigarette exposure on offspring substance use in multiplex, alcohol-dependent families.

Background: Prenatal exposures to alcohol, cigarettes, and other drugs of abuse are associated with numerous adverse consequences for affected offspring, including increased risk for substance use and abuse. However, maternal substance use during pregnancy appears to occur more often in those with a family history of alcohol dependence. Utilizing a sample that is enriched for familial alcohol dependence and includes controls selected for virtual absence of familial alcohol dependence could provide important information on the relative contribution of familial risk and prenatal exposures to offspring substance use.

An fMRI study of behavioral response inhibition in adolescents with and without histories of heavy prenatal alcohol exposure.

Heavy prenatal alcohol exposure results in a range of deficits, including both volumetric and functional changes in brain regions involved in response inhibition such as the prefrontal cortex and striatum. The current study examined blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) response during a stop signal task in adolescents (ages 13-16 y) with histories of heavy prenatal alcohol exposure (AE, n=21) and controls (CON, n=21). Task performance was measured using percent correct inhibits during three difficulty conditions: easy, medium, and hard.

Familial risk for alcohol dependence and developmental changes in BMI: the moderating influence of addiction and obesity genes.

Aim: Familial loading for alcohol dependence (AD) and variation in genes reported to be associated with AD or BMI were tested in a longitudinal study.

Materials & Methods: Growth curve analyses of BMI data collected at approximately yearly intervals and obesity status (BMI > 30) were examined.

Results: High-risk males were found to have higher BMI than low-risk males, beginning at age 15 years (2.

Maladaptive decision making and substance use outcomes in high-risk individuals: preliminary evidence for the role of 5-HTTLPR variation.

Objective: Individuals with multiple alcohol-dependent (AD) relatives are at increased risk for substance use disorders (SUDs). Prospective, longitudinal studies of high-risk (HR) individuals afford the opportunity to determine potential risk markers of SUDs. The current study assessed the effect of familial risk and genetic variation on Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) performance and tested for an association between IGT performance and SUD outcomes.

Effect of predictive cuing on response inhibition in children with heavy prenatal alcohol exposure.

Background: Heavy prenatal exposure to alcohol leads to widespread cognitive deficits, including problems with attention and response inhibition. This study examined blood oxygen level-dependent response in children with and without histories of heavy prenatal alcohol exposure during a task of response inhibition consisting of cued and noncued trials.

Methods: Children and adolescents (ages 8 to 18 years) with (alcohol-exposed [AE] = 20) and without (control [CON] = 15) histories of heavy prenatal exposure to alcohol underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging while performing a go/no-go task.

A functional magnetic resonance imaging study of spatial working memory in children with prenatal alcohol exposure: contribution of familial history of alcohol use disorders.

Background: Heavy prenatal alcohol exposure leads to widespread cognitive deficits, including problems with spatial working memory (SWM). Neuroimaging studies report structural and functional abnormalities in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD), but interpretations may be complicated by the co-occurrence of a family history of alcoholism. Since this history is also linked to cognitive deficits and brain abnormalities, it is difficult to determine the extent to which deficits are unique to prenatal alcohol exposure.

The effects of prenatal alcohol exposure and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder on psychopathology and behavior.

Background: This study examined prevalence of psychiatric disorders and behavioral problems in children with and without prenatal alcohol exposure (AE) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Methods: Primary caregivers of 344 children (8 to 16 years, M = 12.28) completed the Computerized Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children-IV (C-DISC-4.

Executive function predicts adaptive behavior in children with histories of heavy prenatal alcohol exposure and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Background: Prenatal exposure to alcohol often results in disruption to discrete cognitive and behavioral domains, including executive function (EF) and adaptive functioning. In the current study, the relation between these 2 domains was examined in children with histories of heavy prenatal alcohol exposure, nonexposed children with a diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and typically developing controls.

Methods: As part of a multisite study, 3 groups of children (8 to 18 years, M = 12.

Neuropsychological profile of executive function in girls with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

The majority of research on neurobehavioral functioning among children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is based on samples comprised primarily (or exclusively) of boys. Although functional impairment is well established, available research has yet to specify a neuropsychological profile distinct to girls with ADHD. The purpose of this study was to examine performance within four components of executive function (EF) in contemporaneously recruited samples of girls and boys with ADHD.