How Does Family History of Addiction Affect Brain Reward Processing in Teens With ADHD?

What you need to know

• Having ADHD increases risk for developing substance use problems, particularly in those with family history of addiction
• Brain regions involved in attention and memory show different activation patterns during reward processing in teens with family history of addiction
• Understanding these brain differences may help develop better prevention strategies for youth at higher risk

The Connection Between ADHD and Addiction Risk

Many parents wonder about their child’s risk of developing substance use problems, particularly if there’s a family history of addiction. This concern is especially relevant for families affected by ADHD, since research shows that individuals with ADHD are 2-3 times more likely to develop substance use disorders compared to those without ADHD. They also tend to develop problems earlier and have more difficulty with treatment. But what makes some young people with ADHD more vulnerable than others?

How Researchers Studied the Brain’s Reward System

To better understand this vulnerability, researchers used brain imaging to study how teens and young adults processed rewards. They looked at participants aged 10-24 years old who either had ADHD or not, and who either had a family history of addiction or not. Importantly, none of the participants had any substance use problems themselves.

During brain scanning, participants played a game where they could win small amounts of money. This allowed researchers to see how different brain regions responded during both the anticipation of potential rewards and after receiving rewards.

Key Findings About Brain Activity

The study revealed some interesting patterns in how the brain processes rewards. Youth with higher ADHD symptoms showed increased activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex - a brain region important for attention and memory - when anticipating rewards. This was true regardless of family history.

However, those with both high ADHD symptoms and a family history of addiction showed unique patterns. Specifically, they had increased activity in the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex when receiving rewards. This brain region helps with memory processing and attention control.

The Role of Family History

When researchers looked more specifically at parental alcohol use disorder (versus general substance use), they found that participants with this family history showed increased activity in the anterior cingulate cortex during reward anticipation. This brain region helps evaluate decisions and strategies, with altered activity potentially reflecting less consideration of alternative choices.

What This Means for You

These findings suggest that having both ADHD and a family history of addiction may affect how the brain processes rewards in ways that could increase risk for substance use problems. However, this knowledge also creates opportunities for prevention:

• Early screening and monitoring may be especially important for youth with both risk factors
• Prevention strategies might need to be tailored differently for this higher-risk group
• Understanding these brain patterns could help develop more targeted interventions

Conclusions

• Brain regions involved in attention and memory process rewards differently in youth with family history of addiction
• Having both ADHD and family history of addiction shows unique effects on reward processing
• More research is needed to determine if these brain differences predict future substance use problems and how to best prevent them