The link between testosterone and amygdala-orbitofrontal cortex connectivity in adolescent alcohol use
Abstract
Alcohol consumption is one of the most problematic and widespread forms of risk taking in adolescence. It has been hypothesized that sex hormones such as testosterone play an important role in risk taking by influencing the development of brain networks involved in emotion and motivation, particularly the amygdala and its functional connections. Connectivity between the amygdala and the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) may be specifically related to alcohol use, given the association of this tract with top-down control over behavioral approach tendencies. In line with this, prior studies in adults indicate a link between alcohol use and functional connectivity between the amygdala and the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), as well as between testosterone and amygdala-OFC connectivity. We consolidated these research lines by investigating the association between alcohol use, testosterone and resting state functional brain connectivity within one large-scale adolescent sample (n=173, aged 12-25 years). Mediation analyses demonstrated an indirect effect of testosterone levels on alcohol use through amygdala-OFC intrinsic functional connectivity, but only in boys. That is, increased testosterone in boys was associated with reduced amygdala-OFC connectivity, which in turn was associated with increased alcohol intake. This study is the first to demonstrate the interplay between adolescent alcohol use, sex hormones and brain mechanisms, thus taking an important step to increase our understanding of the mechanisms behind this form of adolescent risk-taking.
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The majority of neurodevelopmental studies in humans have identified testosterone, rather than estradiol, as the hormone most correlated with striatal activity related to risk-taking and social motivation in females.
“The majority of neurodevelopmental studies in humans have identified testosterone, rather than estradiol, as the hormone most correlated with striatal activity related to risk-taking and social motivation in females”
From Becoming a sexual being: The “elephant in the room” of adolescent brain development (2017) · cites this paper as Peters et al., 2015
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- Authors
- Peters, S., Jolles, D. J., Duijvenvoorde, A. C. K. V., Crone, E. A., & Peper, J. S.
- Affiliations
- Leiden University (NL)
- Corresponding author
- Peters, Sabine
- Venue
- Psychoneuroendocrinology
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2015-03
- Volume
- 53
- Pages
- 117-126
- ISSN
- 0306-4530 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2034855022
- Cited by
- 88
- References
- 70
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 11 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 3
- FWCI
- 7.01
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Psychoneuroendocrinology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Leiden Repository (Leiden University) (submittedVersion)
- Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO-Veni 451-10-007 to J.S.P.)
- European Research Council (ERC-2010-StG-263234)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Functional Brain Connectivity Studies
- Keywords
- testosterone, adolescent alcohol use, amygdala, orbitofrontal cortex, resting-state functional connectivity, sex hormones, risk-taking, mediation, sex differences, brain networks
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Alcohol Drinking, Amygdala, Brain, Child, Female, Humans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Neural Pathways, Risk-Taking, Testosterone, Prefrontal Cortex, Young Adult, Functional Neuroimaging
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