Neuroscience of alcohol for addiction medicine: Neurobiological targets for prevention and intervention in adolescents

Anita Cservenka, Bonnie J. Nagel

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

Structural and functional neuroimaging studies indicate that heavy alcohol use during adolescence may be neurotoxic to the brain. This chapter reviews the neuroimaging findings in cross-sectional and longitudinal studies of adolescent heavy alcohol users. These youth exhibit reductions in prefrontal, hippocampal, and cerebellar brain volume, decreased frontoparietal, and increased frontolimbic white matter integrity, as well as alterations in blood oxygen level-dependent response during working memory, inhibitory control, verbal encoding, decision making, and reward processing—some of which appear to differ between males and females. Although some exist, additional longitudinal studies will significantly advance addiction medicine by aiding prevention scientists and treatment providers to develop neurobiologically informed ways of strengthening neural networks prior to and after the onset of heavy alcohol use, thereby promoting healthy cognitive functioning across the adolescent period.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationProgress in Brain Research
PublisherElsevier B.V.
Pages215-235
Number of pages21
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 1 2016

Publication series

NameProgress in Brain Research
Volume223
ISSN (Print)0079-6123
ISSN (Electronic)1875-7855

Keywords

  • Adolescence
  • Alcohol
  • Brain volume
  • White matter
  • fMRI

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Neuroscience

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