title: Prenatal cocaine exposure differentially affects stress responses in girls and boys: associations with future substance use.
abstract: Prenatal cocaine exposure may affect developing stress response systems in youth, potentially creating risk for substance use in adolescence. Further, pathways from prenatal risk to future substance use may differ for girls versus boys. The present longitudinal study examined multiple biobehavioral measures, including heart rate, blood pressure, emotion, and salivary cortisol and salivary alpha amylase (sAA), in response to a stressor in 193 low-income 14- to 17-year-olds, half of whom were prenatally cocaine exposed (PCE). Youth's lifetime substance use was assessed with self-report, interview, and urine toxicology/breathalyzer at Time 1 and at Time 2 (6-12 months later). PCE × Gender interactions were found predicting anxiety, anger, and sadness responses to the stressor, with PCE girls showing heightened responses as compared to PCE boys on these indicators. Stress Response × Gender interactions were found predicting Time 2 substance use in youth (controlling for Time 1 use) for sAA and sadness; for girls, heightened sadness responses predicted substance use, but for boys, dampened sAA responses predicted substance use. Findings suggest distinct biobehavioral stress response risk profiles for boys and girls, with heightened arousal for girls and blunted arousal for boys associated with prenatal risk and future substance use outcomes.
authors.affiliation: George Mason University.
authors.forename: Tara M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Chaplin
authors.affiliation: George Mason University.
authors.forename: Kari Jeanne
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Visconti
authors.affiliation: Yale University.
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Molfese
authors.affiliation: Pennsylvania State University.
authors.forename: Elizabeth J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Susman
authors.affiliation: Pennsylvania State University.
authors.forename: Laura Cousino
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.affiliation: Yale University School of Medicine.
authors.forename: Rajita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sinha
authors.affiliation: Yale University School of Medicine.
authors.forename: Linda C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Mayes
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D003042:Cocaine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000139:chemically induced*; D012306:Risk; D012737:Sex Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D003042:Cocaine