Scientists link nerve circuits to drug taking

Nerve circuits that may lead some children to start smoking or experimenting with drugs have been uncovered by the largest ever imaging study of the human brain.

By The Newsroom

Published 30th Apr 2012, 07:00 BST

International scientists conducted functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) scans of 1,896 14-year-olds.

At the same time, the youngsters carried out push-button tasks designed to test their impuls- ivity.

Data about the teenagers’ lifestyles was also gathered, including the degree to which they experimented with cigarettes, alcohol and illegal drugs.

A key finding was a link between reduced activity in the orbitofrontal cortex region of the brain and adolescent smoking, drinking and drug taking.

The findings are published today in the journal Nature Neuroscience.

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