welcome!
This website is dedicated to the discussion of the effects of alcohol and drugs on the developing adolescent brain. Most people are aware that drinking alcohol is damaging to their health, but the specific aspects on how and why damage occurs are not as clear. Knowing both short-term and long-term effects of drinking alcohol can help one make more informed choices throughout their life. Through this webpage, I hope to explain the ways in which alcohol can be harmful to different parts of the growing brain.
©University of Oxford
about me...
My name is Luna, and I'm currently a senior at the University of California, San Diego. As a psychology major, the brain fascinates me. More specifically, I am interested in the ways in which alcohol and drug use during adolescence can affect brain development.
Some of my work experience comes from an internship in the Tapert Lab, where the Adolescent Brain Imaging Project is conducted. I have learned that there might be a correlation between upbringing and substance abuse, which can actually affect one’s brain development into adult life. Many of the teenagers who abuse drugs and alcohol have reported difficulties throughout their early life. Simultaneously, teens with heavy substance use show different fMRI scans when compared to a control group.
Some of my career goals are to provide children with psychological assistance and emotional support while they are young, as I believe that this might make them less likely to use drugs and alcohol during their growth, enabling their brain to develop unimpeded.
I hope you can learn something of value from this website!
- Luna
Some of my work experience comes from an internship in the Tapert Lab, where the Adolescent Brain Imaging Project is conducted. I have learned that there might be a correlation between upbringing and substance abuse, which can actually affect one’s brain development into adult life. Many of the teenagers who abuse drugs and alcohol have reported difficulties throughout their early life. Simultaneously, teens with heavy substance use show different fMRI scans when compared to a control group.
Some of my career goals are to provide children with psychological assistance and emotional support while they are young, as I believe that this might make them less likely to use drugs and alcohol during their growth, enabling their brain to develop unimpeded.
I hope you can learn something of value from this website!
- Luna
about brain imaging
Brain imaging techniques let us observe brain activity in subjects, allowing researchers to measure the brain's response to different stimuli. Today, there are many brain imaging options available. These include:
In the studies and articles linked in this website, brain activity was measured to test for delays in development due to substance use.
- functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) - measures blood slow through magnetic properties of blood. no radioactive tracer needed.
- positron emission tomography (PET) - a radioactive tracer is injected into bloodstream. Because blood flow increases in areas of the brain activated by a cognitive task, measuring higher signals indicate higher levels of brain activity.
- event related potential (ERP) - neuron firing is an electrical event. Measuring electrical activity on the scalp indicate underlying brain activity.
In the studies and articles linked in this website, brain activity was measured to test for delays in development due to substance use.
Brain imaging can also help us understand how different developmental and psychological disorders affect brain functioning.
© 2013 The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences