Thursday, January 9, 2025

As I was saying...

Does substance use change the brain's structure, or does brain structure predispose some to substance use?

Results suggest that structural brain variability, including larger overall brain volumes and regionally thinner prefrontal cortex, may predispose youth to begin using substances such as alcohol, nicotine, and cannabis before age 15. These structural differences were observed prior to substance use, indicating they reflect a preexisting state, potentially risk factors rather than consequences of substance exposure.