Nerve Cell Abnormalities Could Be Linked to Addiction Risk in Young People

Researchers at the University of Cambridge have identified a link between increased impulsivity in young people and abnormalities in some nerve cells in the brain, suggesting that this biological feature could predict risk of addiction.

These researchers' study, published this week in Neuropsychopharmacology, involved 99 subjects ages 16 to 26 who completed a computer-based measure of impulsivity. The study found that those who showed higher behavioral impulsivity had lower levels of protein-rich myelin in the putamen region of the brain, which is part of the dorsal striatum and believed to be significantly involved in addictive behavior.

“The significance of decreased myelination implies there are tiny microstructural changes in this part of the brain affecting its function, and thereby affecting impulsivity,” said University of Cambridge researcher and study co-author Valerie Voon.

The researchers could not establish a causal relationship between decreased myelination and impulsive behavior, but said the fact that the subjects in this study were healthy adds weight to the theory of a causal link.