Neurobehavioral disinhibition in childhood predicts early age at onset of substance use disorder.
OBJECTIVE
This longitudinal study had three aims: 1) determine the extent to which boys at high average risk and low average risk for substance use disorder differ on a construct of neurobehavioral disinhibition, 2) evaluate the capacity of neurobehavioral disinhibition to predict substance use frequency at age 16, and 3) demonstrate the utility of neurobehavioral disinhibition in predicting substance use disorder.


METHODS
The authors derived an index of neurobehavioral disinhibition from measures of affect, behavior, and cognition. The neurobehavioral disinhibition score was used to discriminate youth at high and low average risk for substance use disorder and to predict substance use frequency after 4-6 years and substance use disorder after 7-9 years.


RESULTS
The neurobehavioral disorder score significantly discriminated boys at high average risk from those at low average risk at ages 10-12. Neurobehavioral disinhibition at age 16, in conjunction with substance use frequency and risk status group, predicted substance use disorder at age 19 with 85% accuracy and accounted for 50% of the variance in Drug Use Screening Inventory overall problem density score. Neurobehavioral disinhibition was a stronger predictor of substance use disorder (odds ratio=6.83) than substance consumption frequency (odds ratio=3.19).


CONCLUSIONS
Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses indicated that neurobehavioral disinhibition is a component of the liability to early age at onset of substance use disorder.
Tarter
Ralph E
RE
University of Pittsburgh, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USA. tarter+@pitt.edu
Kirisci
Levent
L
Mezzich
Ada
A
Cornelius
Jack R
JR
Pajer
Kathleen
K
Vanyukov
Michael
M
Gardner
William
W
Blackson
Timothy
T
Clark
Duncan
D
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D017668:Age of Onset; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D016241:Child of Impaired Parents / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015897:Comorbidity; D017831:Diagnosis, Dual (Psychiatry); D004198:Disease Susceptibility / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D010552:Personality Assessment; D011379:Prognosis; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*