Differential neurocognitive functioning and personality traits in underage drinking.

RIVAROLA-MONTEJANO, GABRIELA; PILATTI, ANGELINA; PAUTASSI, RICARDO M.

Congreso; Social and Affective Neuroscience Society (SNAS) Meeting; 2021

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Underage drinking is associated with negativeconsequences, including alterations in brain development that translate into poorcognitive functioning. Personality traits linked to drinking include impulsivity, sensationseeking and risk taking, yet there is a scarcity of studies that analyzed theseassociations in early adolescence, at the onset of alcohol use. This study examined,separately for pre-adolescents (11-13 years old) and adolescents (14-16 years old),the relationship between impulsivity, risk taking and cognitive flexibility and alcoholconsumption. METHODS: 974 pre-adolescents and adolescents (Mage= 13.30±0.95;55% women) from Cordoba (Argentina) completed the UPPS-P Scale (assesses 5dimensions of trait-like impulsivity: Positive and Negative Urgency, SensationSeeking, Lack of Premeditation and Lack of Perseverance) and reported last-yearfrequency of alcohol use. They also completed a neuropsychological battery: 1-Balloon Analogue Risk Task: Assesses risk taking (dependent variable [DV]= adjustedaverage pumps), 2-Go-No Go Task: measures inhibitory control (DV= commissionerrors) and inattention (DV= omission errors) and 3-Wisconsin Card Sorting Test:evaluates cognitive functioning (DV= perseverative errors). We conducted multipleregressions analysis, predicting last year frequency of alcohol use as a function ofimpulsivity, risk taking, inhibitory control, inattention and cognitive flexibility.RESULTS: The model accounted for 13% of the variance of frequency of alcohol usein pre-adolescents (Fchange= 9.13, p≤ .001). Negative Urgency (β= .13, p≤ .05),Sensation Seeking (β= .10, p≤ .05), Positive Urgency (β= .12, p≤ .05), AdjustedAverage Pumps (β= .14, p≤ .05) and Omission Errors (β= .09, p≤ .05) were associatedwith a higher frequency of alcohol use. Among the adolescents, three dimensions oftrait-like impulsivity and cognitive functioning significantly explained 18% of thevariance of frequency of alcohol consumption (Fchange= 10.28, p≤ .001). Specifically,Negative Urgency (β= .15, p≤ .01), Lack of Perseverance (β= .16, p≤ .01), SensationSeeking (β=.23, p≤. 001) and Perseverative Errors (β= .11, p≤ .05) were positivelyassociated with a higher frequency of alcohol use. CONCLUSIONS: These resultsindicate that trait-like impulsivity was significantly associated to substance usebehaviors in pre-adolescents and adolescents. In the younger group, but not in theolder one, higher scores in risk taking and inattention explained higher frequency ofalcohol use. In contrast, alcohol use in the adolescents was associated withdiminished cognitive flexibility. This study helps disentangle predictors of underagedrinking at two stages of adolescence. The design of prevention and interventionstrategies should attend the noted differences between pre-adolescents andadolescents. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND FUNDING: This work was supported byan International Travel Grant from the International Brain Research Organization