Trajectories of Brain Development Reveal Times of Risk and Factors Promoting Resilience to Alcohol Use During Adolescence

Overview

Journal Int Rev Neurobiol

Specialties Biology
Neurology
Psychiatry

Date 2021 Oct 26

PMID 34696880

Authors

S Lannoy

E V Sullivan

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is recognized as harmful for the developing brain. Numerous studies have sought environmental and genetic risk factors that predict the development of AUD, but recently identified resilience factors have emerged as protective. This chapter reviews normal processes of brain development in adolescence and emerging adulthood, delineates disturbed growth neurotrajectories related to heavy drinking, and identifies potential endogenous, experiential, and time-linked brain markers of resilience. For example, concurrent high dorsolateral prefrontal activation serving inhibitory control and low nucleus accumbens activation serving reward functions engender positive adaptation and low alcohol use. Also discussed is the role that moderating factors have in promoting risk for or resilience to AUD. Longitudinal research on the effects of all levels of alcohol drinking on the developing brain remains crucial and should be pursued in the context of resilience, which is a promising direction for identifying protective biomarkers against developing AUDs.

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