title: The link between testosterone and amygdala-orbitofrontal cortex connectivity in adolescent alcohol use.
abstract: Alcohol consumption is one of the most problematic and widespread forms of risk taking in adolescence. It has been hypothesized that sex hormones such as testosterone play an important role in risk taking by influencing the development of brain networks involved in emotion and motivation, particularly the amygdala and its functional connections. Connectivity between the amygdala and the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) may be specifically related to alcohol use, given the association of this tract with top-down control over behavioral approach tendencies. In line with this, prior studies in adults indicate a link between alcohol use and functional connectivity between the amygdala and the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), as well as between testosterone and amygdala-OFC connectivity. We consolidated these research lines by investigating the association between alcohol use, testosterone and resting state functional brain connectivity within one large-scale adolescent sample (n=173, aged 12-25 years). Mediation analyses demonstrated an indirect effect of testosterone levels on alcohol use through amygdala-OFC intrinsic functional connectivity, but only in boys. That is, increased testosterone in boys was associated with reduced amygdala-OFC connectivity, which in turn was associated with increased alcohol intake. This study is the first to demonstrate the interplay between adolescent alcohol use, sex hormones and brain mechanisms, thus taking an important step to increase our understanding of the mechanisms behind this form of adolescent risk-taking.
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333AK Leiden, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands. Electronic address: sabine.l.peters@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333AK Leiden, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands; Stanford Cognitive and Systems Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, 291 Campus Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
authors.forename: Dietsje J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Jolles
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333AK Leiden, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Anna C K
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Van Duijvenvoorde
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333AK Leiden, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands; Department of Developmental Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Weesperplein 4, 1018XA Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Eveline A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Crone
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333AK Leiden, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jiska S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Peper
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D000679:Amygdala / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D059907:Functional Neuroimaging; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000503:physiopathology; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012309:Risk-Taking; D013739:Testosterone / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D013739:Testosterone
keywords: Adolescence; Alcohol; Amygdala; Orbitofrontal cortex; Resting state; Testosterone