Adolescent alcohol consumption predicted by differences in electrophysiological functional connectivity and neuroanatomy

Abstract

Alcohol consumption during adolescence has been associated with neuroanatomical abnormalities and the appearance of future disorders. However, the latest advances in this field point to the existence of risk profiles which may lead to some individuals into an early consumption. To date, some studies have established predictive models of consumption based on sociodemographic, behavioral, and anatomical–functional variables using MRI. However, the neuroimaging variables employed are usually restricted to local and hemodynamic phenomena. Given the potential of connectome approaches, and the high temporal dynamics of electrophysiology, we decided to explore the relationship between future alcohol consumption and electrophysiological connectivity measured by MEG in a cohort of 83 individuals aged 14 to 16. As a result, we found a positive correlation between alcohol consumption and the functional connectivity in frontal, parietal, and frontoparietal connections. Once this relationship was described, multivariate linear regression analyses were used to evaluate the predictive capacity of functional connectivity in conjunction with other neuroanatomical and behavioral variables described in the literature. Finally, the multivariate linear regression analysis determined the importance of anatomical and functional variables in the prediction of alcohol consumption but failed to find associations with impulsivity, sensation seeking, and executive function scales. In conclusion, the predictive traits obtained in these models were closely associated with changes occurring during adolescence, suggesting the existence of different paths in neurodevelopment that have the potential to influence adolescents’ relationship with alcohol consumption.