Family Members of Those with SUDs: Examining Associations between Family and PFC Functioning

Family functioning impacts individuals with a substance use disorder (SUD) and relates to treatment recovery outcomes. A family system and each family member mutually influence one another. Research has also shown alterations in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) functioning of family members who have a loved one with a SUD. This study examined associations between family functioning and PFC activation of such family members using functional near-infrared spectroscopy to measure cerebral blood flow in response to SUD loved-one images. A relationship was found between family functioning and left superior frontal sulcus activation. This PFC region is associated with social responding and self-referential processing. These findings support the importance of family member involvement in recovery processes, and highlight family functioning as an important factor connected with individual functioning and well-being.