title: Orbitofrontal Cortex Volume and Effortful Control as Prospective Risk Factors for Substance Use Disorder in Adolescence.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) dysfunction has been proposed to increase the risk for developing a substance use disorder (SUD) during adolescence. In this study, we suggest that a reduction in OFC volumes might underlie temperament-based risk factors for SUD, and examined whether smaller OFC volumes during early adolescence could predict later development of SUD.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adolescents (n = 107; 58 male, 49 female) underwent structural MRI and completed a self-report measure of temperamental effortful control at age 12. At 3 subsequent assessments (aged 15, 16, and 18) SUD was assessed via a semi-structured clinical interview. By the third assessment, 24 participants (22.4%) had received a lifetime diagnosis of SUD.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Smaller volumes of the left OFC, right OFC, and left medial subregions predicted lifetime history of SUD by age 18. Volumes of the left OFC and left lateral subregions were positively correlated with effortful control, and left OFC volumes mediated the relationship between effortful control and SUD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Smaller volumes of the OFC and low effortful control during adolescence appear to be associated phenotypes that increase the risk of subsequent SUD. Further studies examining the temporal sequence of these risk factors are needed to fully understand this relationship.
authors.affiliation: Turning Point, Eastern Health, Fitzroy, Vic., Australia.
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cheetham
authors.forename: Nicholas B
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Whittle
authors.forename: Julian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Simmons
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yücel
authors.forename: Dan I
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Lubman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001284:Atrophy / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D059906:Neuroimaging; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000473:pathology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D000068356:Self-Control; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000473:pathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D013694:Temperament; D014888:Wechsler Scales