Polysubstance Use among Adolescents and Young Adults: Effects on Brain, Behavior and Health

A special issue of Behavioral Sciences (ISSN 2076-328X).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2024 | Viewed by 1262

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Department of Psychology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
Interests: substance use; neurocognition; stress; personality; behavior; adolescents; young adults
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Polysubstance use is prevalent among adolescents and young adults. In particular, alcohol, cannabis, and nicotine are the most commonly used substances by youth, which necessitates an understanding of the effects of their co-use and simultaneous use on brain structure, function, cognition, and health. Many studies have focused on the use of single substances on the brain, neurocognitive functioning, and health, but these studies may be less generalizable to the actual use characteristics of adolescents and young adults who more often engage in the use of multiple substances. Importantly, it is critical to understand whether the combination of different substances (e.g., alcohol and cannabis, cannabis and nicotine) has distinct effects on adolescents and young adults than the use of individual substances. The purpose of this Special Issue is to bring attention to recent research that has focused on the effects of alcohol, cannabis, nicotine, and other substance co-use on brain, behavior, and health outcomes, in an effort to better understand the effects of polysubstance use during a period of development characterized by protracted brain maturation. Papers on any combination of substance co-use are welcome, particularly original research articles, narrative reviews, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses that address this topic.

You may choose our Joint Special Issue in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

Dr. Anita Cservenka
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • addiction
  • substance use
  • cannabis
  • nicotine
  • alcohol
  • adolescence
  • young adulthood
  • cognition
  • brain
  • mental health

Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

12 pages, 1353 KiB  
Article
Neurite Orientation Dispersion and Density Imaging (NODDI) of Brain Microstructure in Adolescent Cannabis and Nicotine Use
by Alexander L Wallace, Kelly E. Courtney, Natasha E. Wade, Laura E. Hatz, Rachel Baca, Aaron Jacobson, Thomas T. Liu and Joanna Jacobus
Behav. Sci. 2024, 14(3), 231; https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14030231 - 13 Mar 2024
Viewed by 953
Abstract
Introduction: Despite evidence suggesting deleterious effects of cannabis and nicotine tobacco product (NTP) use on white matter integrity, there have been limited studies examining white matter integrity among users of both cannabis and nicotine. Further, updated white matter methodology provides opportunities to investigate [...] Read more.
Introduction: Despite evidence suggesting deleterious effects of cannabis and nicotine tobacco product (NTP) use on white matter integrity, there have been limited studies examining white matter integrity among users of both cannabis and nicotine. Further, updated white matter methodology provides opportunities to investigate use patterns on neurite orientation dispersion and density (NODDI) indices and subtle tissue changes related to the intra- and extra-neurite compartment. We aimed to investigate how cannabis and NTP use among adolescents and young adults interacts to impact the white matter integrity microstructure. Materials and Methods: A total of 221 participants between the ages of 16 and 22 completed the Customary Drinking and Drug Use Record (CDDR) to measure substance use, and underwent a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) session. Participants were divided into NTP-control and NTP groupings and cannabis-control and cannabis groupings (≥26 NTP/cannabis uses in past 6 months). Tract-Based Spatial Statistics (TBSS) and two-way between-subjects ANOVA investigated the effects of NTP use group, cannabis use group, and their interaction on fractional anisotropy (FA) and NODDI indices while controlling for age and biological sex. Results: NTP use was associated with decreased FA values and increased orientation dispersion in the left anterior capsule. There were no significant effects of cannabis use or the interaction of NTP and cannabis use on white matter outcomes. Discussion: NTP use was associated with altered white matter integrity in an adolescent and young adult sample. Findings suggest that NTP-associated alterations may be linked to altered fiber tract geometry and dispersed neurite structures versus myelination, as well as differential effects of NTP and cannabis use on white matter structure. Future work is needed to investigate how altered white matter is related to downstream behavioral effects from NTP use. Full article
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