An Examination of Gender Differences in the Association of Adolescent Substance use with Eating and Weight Loss Attitudes

Objective: To assess gender differences in the relationship between eating and weight loss attitudes (EWAs), and 30-day tobacco and alcohol use among adolescents, while controlling for potential confounds (age, country of birth, psychological distress, pubertal development, peer alcohol and tobacco use, and sexual activity). Methods: School students aged between 11 and 17 years (N = 10,273) from high schools in the State of Victoria (Australia) completed surveys in class under conditions of anonymity and confidentiality. Results: The interaction between EWAs and gender was significant for tobacco use but not for alcohol use, indicating that the effect of EWAs on tobacco use, but not alcohol use, vary by gender. Conclusions: Tobacco use was related to EWAs in adolescent females but not males, and this is consistent with the possibility that females use tobacco in an instrumental fashion to control weight. Implications and Contribution: Female adolescents high in eating and weight loss attitudes were more likely to engage in tobacco use. In contrast, eating and weight loss attitudes were not related to male tobacco use. These results point to the potential importance of developing gender-specific approaches towards addressing problematic behaviors in adolescent populations.     

Sex-dependent long-term effects of adolescent exposure to THC and/or MDMA on neuroinflammation and serotoninergic and cannabinoid systems in rats

Background and PurposeMany young people consume ecstasy as a recreational drug and often in combination with cannabis. In this study, we aimed to mimic human consumption patterns and investigated, in male and female animals, the long-term effects of Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) on diverse neuroinflammation and neurotoxic markers.Experimental ApproachMale and female Wistar rats were chronically treated with increasing doses of THC and/or MDMA during adolescence. The effects of THC and/or MDMA on glial reactivity and on serotoninergic and cannabinoid systems were assessed by immunohistochemistry in the hippocampus and parietal cortex.Key ResultsTHC increased the area staining for glial fibrilar acidic protein in both sexes. In males, both drugs, either separately or in combination, increased the proportion of reactive microglia cells [ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule 1 (Iba-1)]. In contrast, in females, each drug, administered alone, decreased of this proportion, whereas the combination of both drugs resulted in a ‘normalization’ to control values. In males, MDMA reduced the number of SERT positive fibres, THC induced the opposite effect and the group receiving both drugs did not significantly differ from the controls. In females, MDMA reduced the number of SERT positive fibres and the combination of both drugs counteracted this effect. THC also reduced immunostaining for CB₁ receptors in females and this effect was aggravated by the combination with MDMA.Conclusions and ImplicationsAdolescent exposure of rats to THC and/or MDMA induced long-term, sex-dependent neurochemical and glial alterations, and revealed interactions between the two drugs.Linked ArticlesThis article is part of a themed section on Cannabinoids 2013. To view the other articles in this section visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2014.171.issue-6     

A latent growth curve analysis of alcohol-use specific parenting and adolescent alcohol use

This study investigates how changes in alcohol use-specific parenting were associated with adolescent drinking trajectories. Three waves of data from a longitudinal study investigating adolescent substance use were used. The community sample (N = 378) was aged 10–13 at the first wave of assessment. Our findings show that over time, parents are less likely to discipline their adolescents' drinking, more likely to grant their adolescent permission to drink, and less likely to communicate the consequences of alcohol use. Moreover, these changes are associated with escalation in adolescent alcohol use. Parental efficacy at preventing alcohol use declined, but did not relate to changes in adolescent drinking.     

Associations of delay discounting and drinking trajectories from ages 14 to 22

Background

While drinking alcohol, one must choose between the immediate rewarding effects and the delayed reward of a healthier lifestyle. Individuals differ in their devaluation of a delayed reward based on the time required to receive it, i.e., delay discounting (DD). Previous studies have shown that adolescents discount more steeply than adults and that steeper DD is associated with heavier alcohol use in both groups.

Methods

In a large-scale longitudinal study, we investigated whether higher rates of DD are an antecedent or a consequence of alcohol use during adolescent development. As part of the IMAGEN project, 2220 adolescents completed the Monetary Choice Questionnaire as a DD measure, the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, and the Timeline Follow Back interview at ages 14, 16, 18, and 22. Bivariate latent growth curve models were applied to investigate the relationship between DD and drinking. To explore the consequences of drinking, we computed the cumulative alcohol consumption and correlated it with the development of discounting. A subsample of 221 participants completed an intertemporal choice task (iTeCh) during functional magnetic resonance imaging at ages 14, 16, and 18. Repeated-measures ANOVA was used to differentiate between high-risk and low-risk drinkers on the development of neural processing during intertemporal choices.

Results

Overall, high rates of DD at age 14 predicted a greater increase in drinking over 8 years. In contrast, on average, moderate alcohol use did not affect DD from ages 14 to 22. Of note, we found indicators for less brain activity in top-down control areas during intertemporal choices in the participants who drank more.

Conclusions

Steep DD was shown to be a predictor rather than a consequence of alcohol use in low-level drinking adolescents. Important considerations for future longitudinal studies are the sampling strategies to be used and the reliability of the assessments.

     

青春期 PCOS的超声特征与内分泌指标的相关性分析

目的：探讨青春期多囊卵巢综合征（ PCOS ）患者超声特征与内分泌指标的相关性。方法选择2011年1月至2013年12月在广州市妇女儿童医疗中心妇科内分泌专科诊治的青春期PCOS患者35例作为病例组,同期选择30例健康青春期女性作为对照组。经直肠超声检查测量卵巢卵泡数、卵巢体积,并检测相关内分泌指标：空腹测血糖（ FPG）、血浆胰岛素（ FINS）、黄体生成素（LH）、卵泡刺激素（FSH）、黄体生成素与卵泡刺激素的比值（LH/FSH）、游离睾酮（FT）、性激素结合球蛋白（SHBG）。结果病例组平均卵巢体积（9．4±3．8 m^3）较对照组（5．1±1．9 m^3）明显增大,差异具有统计学意义（ t＝2．37,P＜0．05）;病例组的FPG、FINS、LH、FT高于对照组,FSH、SHBG低于对照组,差异均具有统计学意义（ tFPG ＝1．94、tFINS ＝2．35、tLH ＝3．14、tFT ＝2．33,P＜0．05;tFSH ＝2．86、tSHBG ＝4．12,P＜0．05）;青春期PCOS患者卵巢卵泡数与LH/FSH呈正相关（r＝0．28,P＜0．05）,与FT浓度呈正相关（r＝0．32,P＜0．05）;青春期PCOS患者卵巢体积与LH/FSH呈正相关（r＝0．22,P＜0．05）,与FPG浓度呈正相关（r＝0．30,P＜0．05）。结论青春期PCOS患者与健康青春期女性超声特征及内分泌指标具有一定的差异,其超声特征与内分泌指标之间存在一定的相关性。     

Developmental pathways of adolescent cannabis use: Risk factors,outcomes and sex-specific differences

Background: Characterizing patterns of adolescent cannabis use (CU), as well as risk factors and outcomes uniquely associated with these pathways is essential for informing treatment and prevention efforts. Yet, few studies have examined these issues among youth at-risk of engaging in problematic cannabis use. Further, research accounting for use of other substances or sex differences in patterns of CU remains exceedingly sparse. Methods: Trajectory-based modeling was used to identify underlying CU pathways among a predominantly Hispanic (90%) sample of at-risk youth (n?=?401; 46% female) across adolescence (ages～14–18), controlling for baseline substance use and participant demographics. Adolescent psychopathology (i.e., conduct disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety, and depression) was examined as a predictor and outcome of CU. Results: Three trajectories of adolescent CU were identified, with most youth (74%) engaging in relatively “low” levels of use, followed by ～12% exhibiting an early-initiating “chronic” course, and 14% “escalating” in use. Although boys and girls both experienced increased levels of CU across adolescence, boys were more likely to exhibit escalating and chronic patterns of use. Findings revealed unique associations between adolescent CU pathways and facets of psychopathology; most notably, the relatively robust and bidirectional association between CU trajectories and conduct problem symptoms. Conclusions: Specific facets of psychopathology may confer unique associations with CU across development, including the initiation and exacerbation of CU during adolescence.