All data used used in my "effects of..." tab can be found here.
Elofson J, Gongvatana W, Carey KB. Alcohol use and cerebral white matter compromise in
adolescence. Addict Behaviors. 2013 Jul;38(7):2295-305. Review. Retrieved November 30, 2013. Click here for full article.
Based on this review article, alcohol use is normally initiated during adolescence, during which neurodevelopment is still occurring. Because the brain is still maturing, it is largely vulnerable to damage. This review article analyzed several different experimental studies, such as McQueeny et al.'s Altered white matter integrity in adolescent binge drinkers, Bava et al.'s Neurocognitive correlates of white matter quality in adolescent substance users, and Jacobus et al.'s White matter integrity in adolescents with histories of marijuana use and binge drinking, among others. All of the studies reviewed confirm that not only does white matter continue to mature through adolescence and into adulthood, but that there is a link between heavy alcohol use and white matter damage.
adolescence. Addict Behaviors. 2013 Jul;38(7):2295-305. Review. Retrieved November 30, 2013. Click here for full article.
Based on this review article, alcohol use is normally initiated during adolescence, during which neurodevelopment is still occurring. Because the brain is still maturing, it is largely vulnerable to damage. This review article analyzed several different experimental studies, such as McQueeny et al.'s Altered white matter integrity in adolescent binge drinkers, Bava et al.'s Neurocognitive correlates of white matter quality in adolescent substance users, and Jacobus et al.'s White matter integrity in adolescents with histories of marijuana use and binge drinking, among others. All of the studies reviewed confirm that not only does white matter continue to mature through adolescence and into adulthood, but that there is a link between heavy alcohol use and white matter damage.
Jacobus J, Squeglia LM, Bava S, Tapert SF. White matter characterization of adolescent binge drinking with and without co-occurring marijuana use: A 3-year investigation. Psychiatry Res. 2013 Oct 18. Click here for full article.
Jacobus J, Squeglia LM, Bava S, Tapert SF. White matter characterization of adolescent binge drinking with and without co-occurring marijuana use: A 3-year investigation. Psychiatry Res. 2013 Oct 18. Retrieved November 24, 2013, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24139957
This study followed teenagers between the ages of 16 and 19 for three years, by which time they would be between 19 and 22. They were grouped into three groups – a control group, who did not report any substance use, a group who reported binge drinking, and a group who reported both binge drinking and marijuana use. This study identified fifteen clusters in which fiber tracts between the brain hemispheres differed. The control group showed no change over the three year period, and both the binge drinking and the binge drinking & marijuana group showed decreases in fiber tracts. Interestingly, in some of the areas, the group who reported binge drinking only showed more damage than the group who reported both binge drinking and marijuana use. |
Bava, S., Jacobus, J., Thayer, R., & Tapert, S. (n.d.). Longitudinal changes in white matter in...
[Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2013] - PubMed - NCBI. National Center for Biotechnology Information. Click here for full article.
[Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2013] - PubMed - NCBI. National Center for Biotechnology Information. Click here for full article.
"Findings add to previous cross-sectional studies reporting white matter disadvantages in youth with substance-use histories. In particular, alcohol use during adolescent neurodevelopment may be linked to reductions in white matter quality in association fiber tracts with frontal connections. In contrast, youth who engage in a variety of risk-taking behaviors may have unique neurodevelopmental trajectories characterized by truncated development in fronto-thalamic tracts, which could have functional and clinical consequences in young adulthood."
In other words, alcohol use during adolescence might be linked to reduction in white matter quality in fiber tracts with frontal connections. |
Tapert SF, Pulido C, Paulus MP, Schuckit MA, Burke C. Level of response to alcohol and brain response during visual working memory. J Stud Alcohol. 2004 Nov;65(6):692-700. Full study.
First, the researchers determined which brain areas were used in a visual working memory task, which identified seven clusters of activity. These activation levels allowed researchers to correctly predict levels of response to alcohol reported by participants. This indicates alcohol use causes the brain to behave in a distinct, identifiable way.
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Brown, T., Kuperman, J., Chung, Y., Erhart, M., McCabe, C., Hagler, D., Venkatraman, V.,
Akshoomoff, N., Amaral, D., Bloss, C., et al. Neuroanatomical assessment of biological maturity. Current Biology. 22 (2012), pp. 1693–1698. Full article.
Akshoomoff, N., Amaral, D., Bloss, C., et al. Neuroanatomical assessment of biological maturity. Current Biology. 22 (2012), pp. 1693–1698. Full article.
This study used non-invasive, imaging-based biological markers to assess different stages of brain development. These markers can indicate the individual's age. This is relevant when studying effects of substance use, since it gives researchers a baseline to compare their participants' brain maturing to.
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In addition, a lot of the information cited came from my own notes! Here are the classes I referenced, along with the professors who taught them. All of these courses were taken at UCSD.
- PSYC 102 - Sensation and Perception, Dr. Chukoskie
- PSYC 105 - Intro to Cognitive Psychology, Dr. Lowe
- PSYC 125 - Clinical Neuropsychology and Assessment, Dr. Rose