title: Frontoparietal connectivity in substance-naïve youth with and without a family history of alcoholism.
abstract: Frontoparietal connections underlie key executive cognitive functions. Abnormalities in the frontoparietal network have been observed in chronic alcoholics and associated with alcohol-related cognitive deficits. It remains unclear whether neurobiological differences in frontoparietal circuitry exist in substance-naïve youth who are at-risk for alcohol use disorders. This study used functional connectivity magnetic resonance imaging and diffusion tensor imaging to examine frontoparietal connectivity and underlying white matter microstructure in 20 substance-naïve youth with a family history of alcohol dependence and 20 well-matched controls without familial substance use disorders. Youth with a family history of alcohol dependence showed significantly less functional connectivity between posterior parietal and dorsolateral prefrontal seed regions (ps<.05), as compared to family history negative controls; however, they did not show differences in white matter architecture within tracts subserving frontoparietal circuitry (ps>.34). Substance-naïve youth with a family history of alcohol dependence show less frontoparietal functional connectivity in the absence of white matter microstructural abnormalities as compared to youth with no familial risk. This may suggest a potential neurobiological marker for the development of substance use disorders.
authors.affiliation: University of California, San Diego, Department of Psychiatry, 9500 Gilman Drive (0603V), La Jolla, CA 92093-0603V, USA.
authors.forename: Reagan R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Wetherill
authors.forename: Sunita
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bava
authors.forename: Wesley K
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: Veronique
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Boucquey
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pulido
authors.forename: Tony T
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Susan F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Tapert
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D020268:Alcohol-Induced Disorders, Nervous System / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000196:embryology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000254:growth & development / Q000503:physiopathology; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000254:growth & development / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000254:growth & development / Q000503:physiopathology*