The Adolescent Brain and the College Drinker: Biological Basis of Propensity to Use and - PDF document

SPEAR71 The Adolescent Brain and the College Drinker: Biological Basis of Propensity to Use and Misuse Alcohol* LINDA PATIA SPEAR, ��72 &#x/Att;¬he; [/;&#xTop ;&#x]/BB;&#xox [;ň ;ܩ ;ч ;ݐ ;&#x]/Ty;&#xpe /;&#xPagi;&#xnati;&#xon 0;&#x/Att;¬he; [/;&#xTop ;&#x]/BB;&#xox [;ň ;ܩ ;ч ;ݐ ;&#x]/Ty;&#xpe /;&#xPagi;&#xnati;&#xon 0;JOURNAL OF STUDIES ON ALCOHOL / SUPPLEMENT NO. 14, 2002 SPEAR 73 Dopaminergic systems undergo substantial reorganiza­tion during adolescence. More than one-third to one-half of the DA D1 and D2 receptors present in the striatum of juve­niles are lost by adulthood in both humans (Seeman et al., 1 and D2 binding during adolescence and subsequent decline is much more pronounced in the stria-3 receptor levels in striatal and accumbens regions (Stanwood et al., 1997). The DA transporter likewise un­Developmental events during adolescence may alter the relative balance of DA activity between the prefrontal cor­A shift in the balance of DA activity from the nucleus accumbens to the prefrontal cortex early in adolescence Òactively seek out not only addict­Ó (Gardner, 1999, p. 82). It remains to be determined whether Òreward deficiency syndromeÓ that is milder although qualitatively similar to that hypothesized to be characteristic of abstinent drug users and other at-risk adults. Clearly, the brain of the adolescent is in transition. Neu­ral regions showing prominent alterations during adoles­Ontogeny of Responsivity to Ethanol Prevalence of alcohol use in adolescents In the 2000 Monitoring the Future Survey of the Na­tional Institute on Drug Abuse (Johnston et al., 2001), 43% Adolescents are not immune to the development of de­pendence and may exhibit a variety of alcohol dependence Òaccelerated dependency courses, with shorter times from first exposure Ó (Clark et al., Adolescent rats display two to three times higher levels of ethanol intake relative to their body weights than do ��74 &#x/Att;¬he; [/;&#xTop ;&#x]/BB;&#xox [;ň ;ܩ ;ч ;ݐ ;&#x]/Ty;&#xpe /;&#xPagi;&#xnati;&#xon 0;&#x/Att;¬he; [/;&#xTop ;&#x]/BB;&#xox [;ň ;ܩ ;ч ;ݐ ;&#x]/Ty;&#xpe /;&#xPagi;&#xnati;&#xon 0;JOURNAL OF STUDIES ON ALCOHOL / SUPPLEMENT NO. 14, 2002 SPEAR 75 rity in brain gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) systems rather than ontogenetic alterations in NMDA systems ap­Tolerance development Differential sensitivity to various ethanol effects between adolescents and adults may also be attributable in part to possible ontogenetic differences in the capacity to develop Õs hypnotic effects has been shown to be related in part to the tolerance that develops within a given Stress, Adolescence and Alcohol Misuse Stress and adolescence Navigating the developmental transition toward indepen­dence is often stressful for human adolescents, and indeed mesocorticolimbic DA projections implicated in modulat­In general, adolescents appear to respond with greater negative affect to circumstances in their environment than In behavioral studies with laboratory animals, adoles­cents often have been observed to be more susceptible to Exposure to a stressor activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, resulting in a cascading ��76 &#x/Att;¬he; [/;&#xTop ;&#x]/BB;&#xox [;ň ;ܩ ;ч ;ݐ ;&#x]/Ty;&#xpe /;&#xPagi;&#xnati;&#xon 0;&#x/Att;¬he; [/;&#xTop ;&#x]/BB;&#xox [;ň ;ܩ ;ч ;ݐ ;&#x]/Ty;&#xpe /;&#xPagi;&#xnati;&#xon 0;JOURNAL OF STUDIES ON ALCOHOL / SUPPLEMENT NO. 14, 2002 SPEAR 77 recently been reported to alter parietal and hippocampal electroencephalogram activity in adolescent rats (Slawecki A number of studies have recently examined neuro­cognitive function in human adolescents with a history of Òcognitive performance bears little direct relation to drinking behaviors in young nonclinical Ó (p. 242). When considering potential long-term consequences of adolescent alcohol use, an important issue is whether this Studies conducted in humans likewise present a mixed picture. Early onset of alcohol use has been reported in and Przybeck, 1985) and other drugs (Deykin et al. 1987; Òalternative manifes­Ó Taken together, recent evidence supports the suggestion that high amounts of alcohol exposure during adolescence Concluding Comments Alcohol is frequently used by adolescents prior to and during the early college years. This age is critical for study Certainly, given the dramatic differences between the adolescent and the adult brain, it cannot be assumed that �� &#x/Att;¬he; [/;&#xTop ;&#x/Lef;&#xt ]/;»ox;&#x [46;&#x 744;&#x 56 ;ݑ ;&#x]/Ty;&#xpe /;&#xHead;r 0;&#x/Att;¬he; [/;&#xTop ;&#x/Lef;&#xt ]/;»ox;&#x [46;&#x 744;&#x 56 ;ݑ ;&#x]/Ty;&#xpe /;&#xHead;r 0;78 &#x/Att;¬he; [/;&#xTop ;&#x]/BB;&#xox [;ň ;ܩ ;ч ;ݐ ;&#x]/Ty;&#xpe /;&#xPagi;&#xnati;&#xon 0;&#x/Att;¬he; [/;&#xTop ;&#x]/BB;&#xox [;ň ;ܩ ;ч ;ݐ ;&#x]/Ty;&#xpe /;&#xPagi;&#xnati;&#xon 0;JOURNAL OF STUDIES ON ALCOHOL / SUPPLEMENT NO. 14, 2002 , J. Reckless behavior in adolescence: A developmental perspec­among 7-12th grade students in New York State. J. Stud. Alcohol Behavior and Health, San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 1987, pp. 93­, E.O. The role of pubertal processes. In: , S.A. Recovery patterns in adolescent substance abuse. In: BRD AND , J.A. Antecedents of collegiate drinking. J. , N. 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