The Longitudinal Relationship Between Childhood Adversity and Early Substance Use Initiation during Late Childhood to Early Adolescence: Exploring the Mediating Role of Neural Correlates of Inhibitory Control

Abstract

Adolescence is characterized by heightened risk-taking and substance use (SU) initiation. Dynamic neurodevelopment is also occurring during adolescence, which may increase susceptibility to environmental stressors such as adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Exposure to ACEs has been linked with earlier SU initiation and risky SU behaviors. Research suggests that neural adaptations to stress in brain regions underlying successful inhibitory control may link ACEs and increased SU risk. Further, findings suggest this increased SU risk varies based on sex assigned at birth. Utilizing parallel process modeling, in this present study, I examined the direct relationships between ACEs, fMRI BOLD response in neural correlates underlying successful inhibitory control, and SU initiation growth trajectories from late childhood through early adolescence in youth from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study. Furthermore, I tested whether the intercept (baseline level) or slope (rate of change) in fMRI BOLD signaling in neural correlates of inhibitory control mediated the relationship between ACEs and SU initiation. Finally, exploratory analyses using conditional models examined whether the strength of the direct effects or mediating pathways were conditional on sex assigned at birth. Findings revealed significant, positive direct effects between ACE scores and rates of SU initiation at intercept and slope levels during late childhood through early adolescence. The indirect effect of ACEs on SU initiation through each neural correlate were nonsignificant and were not conditional on sex assigned at birth. For the total effect (when accounting for ROI [region of interest] activation), ACEs were positively associated with SU initiation at the intercept and slope level across models during late childhood through early adolescence. Regarding sex differences, the relationships between ACEs and SU initiation were more robust in female youth but not for male youth. Findings are consistent with prior research suggesting a strong link between ACEs and increased SU risk during adolescence. Further research is warranted to understanding mechanisms contributing to this heightened risk.