Department of Psychology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, California 92093, USA
Address for correspondence: Sandra A. Brown, Ph.D., University of California San Diego, Department of Psychology, 9500 Gilman Drive, San Diego, CA 92093. Voice: 858-822-1887; fax: 858-822-1886. sanbrown{at}ucsd.edu
Emerging findings from developmentally focused research indicates
subtle but important neurocognitive disadvantages among adolescents
with alcohol-use disorders (AUD) as compared to teens without
AUD. Even after 3 weeks of abstinence AUD youth display a 10%
decrement in delayed memory functions. Neuropsychological testing
of youth followed at 4 and 8 years demonstrates that heavy drinking
during adolescence is associated with diminished retrieval of
verbal and nonverbal material, and poorer performance on tests
requiring attention skills. Alcohol withdrawal over the teen
years appears to uniquely contribute to deterioration in functioning
in visuospatial tasks. Brain imaging studies suggest reduced
hippocampal volumes, white matter microstructure irregularities,
brain response abnormalities while performing challenging cognitive
tasks, and enhanced brain response when viewing alcohol cues
(i.e., alcohol advertisements) among adolescents with AUD. Family
characteristics such as history of alcoholism and socioeconomic
status as well as personal features, including adolescent psychopathology,
gender, and age of onset must be carefully considered when investigating
the influence of teenage drinking on neurocognition. Further
research is needed to understand how age at onset of drinking
and duration of abstinence at the time of assessment affect
cognitive findings. Longitudinal studies are needed to clarify
neuromaturational changes associated with early alcohol exposure
and patterns of resiliency. Although the magnitude of alcohol-related
effects observed in adolescents' neurocognition is relatively
modest, the implications are major given the prevalence of alcohol
involvement, and the important educational, occupational, and
social transitions that occur during adolescence.
