Amygdala volume mediates the relationship between externalizing symptoms and daily smoking in adolescence: A prospective study

Ali Cheetham; Nicholas B Allen; Sarah Whittle; Julian Simmons; Murat Yucel; Dan Lubman

Journal article

Amygdala volume mediates the relationship between externalizing symptoms and daily smoking in adolescence: A prospective study

Ali Cheetham, Nicholas B Allen, Sarah Whittle, Julian Simmons, Murat Yucel, Dan Lubman

PSYCHIATRY RESEARCH-NEUROIMAGING | ELSEVIER IRELAND LTD | Published : 2018

DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2018.03.007

Abstract

The current study examined amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) volumes as mediators of the relationship between externalizing symptoms and daily smoking in adolescence. Externalizing behaviors are among the most robust predictors of adolescent smoking, and there is emerging evidence that volume reductions in the amygdala and OFC are associated with risk for substance misuse as well as aggressive, impulsive, and disinhibited tendencies. Using a prospective longitudinal design, we recruited 109 adolescents who provided data on brain volume and externalizing behaviors at age 12, and on smoking at age 18. Daily smoking at age 18 (n = 27) was predicted by externalizing behaviors (measured by ..

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University of Melbourne Researchers

Sarah Whittle Author Psychiatry

Nick Allen Author Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences

Julian Simmons Author Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences

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Grants

Awarded by National Health and Medical Research Council Australia [NHMRC]

Awarded by Australian Research Council

Awarded by NHMRC Career Development Fellowship

Awarded by NHMRC Senior Researcher Fellowship

Funding Acknowledgements

This work was supported by grants from the Colonial Foundation, the National Health and Medical Research Council Australia [NHMRC Program Grant 350241], and the Australian Research Council [Discovery Grants DP0878136, DP120102313]. S.W. was supported by a NHMRC Career Development Fellowship [ID: 1007716]. M.Y. was supported by a NHMRC Senior Researcher Fellowship [ID: 1021973].