Alcohol and Its Effect on Adolescent Brain Development and Executive Functioning: Some Results from Neuroimaging

There exists considerable evidence from both human and experimental animals indicating the central nervous systems’ vulnerability to the effects of alcohol exposure. Specifically, alcohol is a known neuroteratogen with especially harmful effect on developing brains. Given many adolescents abuse alcohol and their brains are still developing, this population may be vulnerable to alcohol’s neurotoxic effects. In particular, executive functions may be especially vulnerable. The objective of this paper is to summarize what neuroimaging techniques reveal about alcohol’s effect on executive functions in adolescence. This review synthesizes structural and functional neuroimaging studies on alcohol and executive functions. Results suggest that alcohol is associated with both acute and longterm impairment in executive functions. Finally, this review suggests that neuroimaging techniques reveal that alcohol is an especially harmful neuroteratogen which compromises executive functions in adolescence.