Citation

Hinojosa CA, Sitar SI, Zhao JC, Barbosa JD, Hien DA, Welsh JW, Fani N, van Rooij SJH. Chronic Stress (Thousand Oaks) 2024; 8: e24705470241258752.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2024, SAGE Publications)

DOI

10.1177/24705470241258752

PMID

38846598

PMCID

PMC11155333

Abstract

Substance use disorder (SUD) is a significant health problem, and trauma exposure is a known risk factor for the escalation of substance use. However, the shared neural mechanisms through which trauma is associated with substance use are still unknown. Therefore, we systematically review neuroimaging studies focusing on three domains that may contribute to the overlapping mechanisms of SUD and trauma-reward salience, negative emotionality, and inhibition. Using PRISMA guidelines, we identified 45 studies utilizing tasks measuring these domains in alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis use groups. Greater reward, lesser regulation of inhibitory processes, and mixed findings of negative emotionality processes in individuals who use substances versus controls were found. Specifically, greater orbitofrontal cortex, ventral tegmental area, striatum, amygdala, and hippocampal activation was found in response to reward-related tasks, and reduced activation was found in the inferior frontal gyrus and hippocampus in response to inhibition-related tasks. Importantly, no studies in trauma-exposed individuals met our review criteria. Future studies examining the role of trauma-related factors are needed, and more studies should explore inhibition- and negative-emotionality domains in individuals who use substances to uncover clinically significant alterations in these domains that place an individual at greater risk for developing a SUD.

Language: en

Keywords

trauma; substance use; reward; negative emotionality; inhibition; functional magnetic resonance neuroimaging