Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2021 Apr;62(4):437-440. doi: 10.1111/jcpp.13311. Epub 2020 Aug 17.
That substance abuse is associated with differences in brain structure and function, and related neurocognitive impairment is undisputed. Causally informative study designs, such as the prospective, longitudinal study leveraged by Kim-Spoon et al. (2020), as well as twin and family studies, are necessary for answering vexing but critical questions about substance use and the developing brain. Investigations that seek to differentiate cause from consequence and identify the factors that initiate the cycle of addiction have the potential to transform our understanding of the development of substance use and abuse, prompt revisions to current models of addiction, guide the most strategic preventive-intervention efforts, and ultimately improve the lives of millions of affected individuals and their families.
滥用物质与大脑结构和功能的差异有关，相关的神经认知损伤是无可争议的。金-斯庞等人（2020 年）利用前瞻性、纵向研究等因果信息丰富的研究设计，以及双胞胎和家庭研究，对于回答关于物质使用和发育中的大脑的棘手但关键的问题是必要的。旨在区分因果关系、确定引发成瘾循环的因素的研究有可能改变我们对物质使用和滥用发展的理解，促使对当前成瘾模型进行修正，指导最具战略意义的预防干预工作，并最终改善数以百万计受影响个人及其家庭的生活。
