The association between adverse childhood experiences and inhibitory control in heavy-drinking adults: A functional MRI study

Previous research has established an association between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and deficient inhibitory control. However, the role of ACEs in adults with heavy alcohol use, who frequently exhibit impaired inhibitory control, has not been well established. The present preliminary study aimed to assess the association between ACEs and inhibitory control in a sample of 32 heavy-drinking adults (43.75% women; 12.5% treatment-seeking) with retrospectively reported ACEs. This cross-sectional fMRI study assessed inhibitory control using the stop-signal task and retrospectively reported ACEs with the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). A linear regression model was used to estimate task-related whole brain activation, with CTQ sum score as a predictor. Additionally, the correlation between activation in the left and right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and ACE severity was explored in region of interest (ROI) analyses. Increased ACE severity was significantly associated with shorter stop-signal reaction times (SSRTs; r(25) = -0.55, p = 0.003). The whole-brain and ROI analyses showed no significant associations between brain activation and ACE severity. Greater ACE severity might be associated with better inhibitory control among heavy-drinking individuals, a finding that contrasts with previous research, particularly in pediatric and adolescent samples. However, the cross-sectional nature and small sample size limit the generalizability of the current findings, highlighting the need for longitudinal studies with larger samples. Exploring potential ACE type and timing-related effects on neural changes related to inhibitory control in heavy-drinking populations may be a fruitful avenue for future research.