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The World Journal of Biological Psychiatry Volume 15, 2014 - Issue 8
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BRIEF REPORT

Decreased thalamic volumes in adolescent inhalant users from Korea and Australia

Soon-Beom HongMelbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia;Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia;Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
,
Eun-Jung ChoiDepartment of Child Development and Family Studies, College of Human Ecology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
,
Ho-Hyun KimInterdisciplinary Program (Early Childhood Education Major), College of Education, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
,
Jeong-Eun SuhCenter for Campus Life & Culture, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
,
Michael J. TakagiMelbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia;Orygen Youth Health Research Centre, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
,
Dan I. LubmanTurning Point Alcohol and Drug Centre, Eastern Health and Monash University, Victoria, Australia
,
Jae-Won KimDivision of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
,
Chang-Dai KimDepartment of Education (Educational Counseling Major), College of Education, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
,
Soon-Hyung YiDepartment of Child Development and Family Studies, College of Human Ecology, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of KoreaCorrespondence[email protected]
&
Murat YücelMelbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia;Orygen Youth Health Research Centre, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
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Pages 636-640 | Received 18 Jun 2013, Accepted 27 Feb 2014, Published online: 09 May 2014
 
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Abstract

Objectives. Research investigating the impact of inhalant misuse on brain structure suggests abnormalities in subcortical regions. We investigated the association between inhalant misuse and subcortical brain volumes in adolescents. Methods. Based on a collaborative dataset from South Korea (inhalant users: N = 15, mean age = 16.7, SD = 1.1; controls: N = 15, mean age = 15.4, SD = 1.2) and Australia (inhalant users: N = 7, mean age = 18.2, SD = 1.4; controls: N = 7, mean age = 18.9, SD = 2.6), the volumes of caudate nucleus, putamen, pallidum, amygdala, hippocampus, and thalamus were estimated in adolescent inhalant users and healthy adolescents using FreeSurfer. Results. The results revealed a significantly decreased right thalamic volume in adolescent inhalant users (P = 0.042), along with a trend-level decrease in left thalamic volume (P = 0.061). A negative correlation (r = –0.544; P = 0.036) between thalamic volume and severity of inhalant use (i.e., reduced volumes associated with greater use) was identified among Korean participants. Conclusions. These findings suggest that compared with other subcortical structures, the thalamus is particularly sensitive to damage following chronic inhalant exposure during adolescence.

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Seoul National University Brain Fusion Program Research Fund. SBH was supported by a National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) grant (Global Internship Program) funded by the Korean government (MEST). MY was supported by an NHMRC fellowship grant (#1021973). The funders had no role in the study design, collection, analysis or interpretation of the data, writing the manuscript, or the decision to submit the paper for publication. All authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Statement of Interest

None to declare.

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