Amygdala Activation and Emotional Processing in Adolescents at Risk for Substance Use Disorders

Abstract

Studies are needed that examine neurobiological characteristics in high risk individuals prior to substance use disorder (SUD) development. In this pilot study, 4 adolescent subjects at high risk (having at least 1 parent with a SUD) for SUD were compared with 4 adolescent reference subjects on a corticolimbic reactivity paradigm, where they were presented with affect-laden faces or geometric shapes. FMRI was used to measure cortical activation in response to these stimuli. High risk subjects, compared to low risk, exhibited greater left amygdala activation (t=3.60, df=6, p=0.01), suggesting they may exhibit hyper-responsivity of the amygdala in response to emotional stimuli.