Biomedical subjects

Susan F Tapert

Publications and source records attributed to Susan F Tapert.

23 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed2004

Level of response to alcohol and brain response during visual working memory.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined neural correlates of the low level of response to alcohol using functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI) during a challenging visual working memory task. METHOD: Participants were healthy adolescents (N = 35) with a range of drinking patterns recruited from local high schools. After a minimum 5 days of abstinence from alcohol and other drugs, FMRI, neuropsychological testing and the Self-Rating of the Effects of Alcohol were administered. RESULTS: Self-report of initial level of response to alcohol was significantly predicted by FMRI blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) response to the visual working memory task in the right prefrontal and bilateral anterior cingulate region (12% of unique variance, p < .05) and right cerebellum and parahippocampal gyrus (17% of unique variance, p < .01), above and beyond effects accounted for by drinks consumed per month, age, gender and ethnicity. CONCLUSIONS: Young people who report having needed more alcohol to achieve specific effects during early drinking experiences show higher levels of brain response during visual working memory, perhaps suggesting less capacity to adjust cognitive processing to contextual demands.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

Neural response to alcohol stimuli in adolescents with alcohol use disorder.

BACKGROUND: Cue reactivity studies in alcohol-dependent adults have shown atypical physiological, cognitive, and neural responses to alcohol-related stimuli that differ from the responses of light drinkers. Cue reactivity and its neural substrates are unclear in youth. We hypothesized that teens with alcohol use disorder would show greater brain response than nonabusing teens to alcohol images relative to neutral beverage images in limbic and frontal brain regions. METHODS: We tested the hypotheses in a cross-sectional functional magnetic resonance imaging study. Adolescents aged 14 to 17 were recruited from local high schools. Teens with alcohol use disorders (n = 15) and demographically similar infrequent drinkers (n = 15) met strict exclusion criteria (no left-handedness or neurological, other psychiatric, or other substance use disorders). Diagnoses were determined by means of structured and semistructured clinical interviews. Subjects were shown pictures of alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverage advertisements during blood oxygen level-dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging. Self-reports of craving were obtained before and after cue exposure. RESULTS: Teens with alcohol use disorders showed substantially greater brain activation to alcoholic beverage pictures than control youths, predominantly in the left anterior, limbic, and visual system areas (P<.05; cluster threshold, 515 microL). The degree of brain response to the alcohol pictures was highest in youths who consumed more drinks per month and reported greater desires to drink. CONCLUSIONS: These results confirm previous studies by demonstrating an association between the urge to drink alcohol and blood oxygen use in areas of the brain previously linked to reward, desire, positive affect, and episodic recall. This study extends this relationship to adolescents with relatively brief drinking histories using visual alcohol stimuli, and suggests a neural basis for response to alcohol advertisements in youths with drinking problems.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

Influence of language abilities and alcohol expectancies on the persistence of heavy drinking in youth.

OBJECTIVE: It has been suggested that neuropsychological functioning and cognitive factors influence substance use and treatment outcomes in youth. This study examined a model in which language skills moderate the extent to which expectancies about the positive effects of alcohol predict the persistence of alcohol involvement in youth over an 8-year period. METHOD: Participants were substance use disordered adolescents recruited from inpatient alcohol and drug treatment centers (N = 139). Exclusion criteria included major head trauma, neurological illness and psychiatric disorders. Participants were administered neuropsychological tests, expectancy questionnaires and substance involvement interviews that spanned an 8-year period from ages 16 to 24 on average. Substance involvement was assessed by self-report, collateral reports and urine toxicology screens. RESULTS: Using latent class growth analysis of alcohol use over 8 years, participants were classified as abstainers, infrequent users, worse with time or frequent users. Language x Expectancy interactions were significant at all time points (p range .05 to .0001, effect size eta2 range 0.03 to 0.20). This interaction significantly predicted 8-year alcohol dependence symptoms over and above effects accounted for by covariates or main effects (F = 2.98, 5/100 df, p < .05; R2delta = 4%, beta = 0.21, p <.05). CONCLUSIONS: For youths with above average language skills, positivealcohol expectancies predicted alcohol use frequency and dependence symptoms in the 8 years following treatment; expectancies were less related to outcomes for youths with poorer language scores. Results suggest that verbal skills may magnify the relationship between alcohol expectancies and drinking behavior.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

Substance use and withdrawal: neuropsychological functioning over 8 years in youth.

This study prospectively examined neuropsychological (NP) functioning associated with adolescent substance use and withdrawal. Participants were youths with histories of substance use disorders (n = 47) and demographically comparable youths with no such lifetime histories (n = 26). They were followed with NP testing and substance involvement interviews at 7 time points spanning 8 years, from ages 16 to 24, on average. After controlling for recent use, age, education, practice effects, and baseline NP functioning, substance use over the 8-year follow-up period significantly predicted performances on tests of memory and attention at Year 8. Additionally, withdrawal symptoms during the follow-up predicted visuospatial and attention scores at Year 8. Findings suggest that use and withdrawal may differentially impact neurocognitive functioning during youth, with heavy use leading to learning, retention, and attentional difficulties, and withdrawal leading to problems with visuospatial functioning.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

Attention dysfunction predicts substance involvement in community youths.

OBJECTIVE: Cognitive impairments influence alcohol and drug treatment outcomes, though little is known about how neurocognition affects the development of harmful substance use patterns. This study examined the influence of adolescent attention functioning on the development of substance use problems in 66 high-risk youths over an 8-year period. METHOD: Participants were community youths who were free from any history of substance use disorders, neurological illness, and mood, anxiety, or psychotic disorders at project intake and were administered neuropsychological tests and substance involvement interviews from ages 15 through 23 on average. Substance involvement was assessed by self-report, resource person reports, and randomly sampled toxicology screens. RESULTS: Attention/executive functioning scores obtained at the intake neuropsychological assessment significantly predicted substance use and dependence symptoms 8 years later, even after controlling for intake substance involvement, gender, education, conduct disorder, family history of substance use disorders, and learning disabilities. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that adolescents with limited attentional abilities, but not necessarily attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder diagnoses, may be at risk for developing more problematic alcohol and drug involvement. Thus prevention and treatment efforts should target youths with attentional difficulties by using programs that are effective for those with compromised concentration and processing abilities.

Adolescent↗