Additional data support the link between substance use risk and activation of structures involved in the default network. Paulus et al. (2005) reported that decreased BOLD activation in response to a decision making task in the posterior cingulate and medial frontal gyrus predicted relapse in stimulant dependent adults. They proposed that relapsing individuals may be impaired in gathering adequate controlled processing resources during decision making, resulting in poor assessment abilities (Paulus et al., 2005). Taken together with our results, difficulty engaging this region even for simple tasks may be connected to CNS disinhibition and risk for impulsive behaviors. While the neural underpinnings of relapse and risk for AUD are likely distinct, we suggest that subtle neural response differences may influence the risk FHP adolescents have for developing patterns of problem drinking.
