Effects Of Alcohol Abuse On Adolescent Brain Development

By Sara Williams

Alcohol use entails high medical, social, and economic costs for our society. Despite laws restricting the age of alcohol users, alcohol use is young. Alcohol consumption among adolescents is characterized by frequent drinking and drinking in high quantities. At the same time, during adolescence, the brain undergoes many developmental changes.

Alcohol use can cause brain damage and long-term detrimental neurocognitive effects, such as executive functioning, memory, and learning abilities. Moreover, evidence suggests that early-onset and high-risk alcohol use among adolescents increase the risk for later alcohol abuse and addiction.

• Language: English
• Publisher: vincenzo nappi
• Release date: Aug 21, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201285548

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Introduction: Alcohol use and alcoholism

Alcohol is an organic solvent especially known for its use for human consumption. The type of alcohol that is found in alcoholic beverages is ethanol. The most common alcoholic beverages are beer, wines, and spirits. However, even consumption of non-beverage alcohol solutions such as tinctures, perfumes, and mouthwash has been reported, often by severe alcoholics. Ethanol has been known to mankind for its intoxicating effects since ancient times. Short-term positive effects of moderate alcohol consumption include an overall improvement of mood and increased relaxation, self-confidence, courage, and sociability. However, there are also numerous negative effects related to the use of alcohol. For example, the risk for several disorders, including liver cirrhosis, cardiovascular disease, multiple forms of cancer, and neuropsychiatric conditions, increases as a result of alcohol use. Another negative effect of alcohol is its addictive potential. When comparing the adverse effects of alcohol with those caused by other drugs of abuse, categorized as hard drugs, one could argue that alcohol should be classified as a hard drug. Yet, most government laws – at least those from all western countries – consider alcohol as legal under certain minimum age restrictions.

Alcoholism: some definitions

Drug addiction is a chronic brain function disorder that is characterized by compulsive drug use. Drug addiction may comprise both characteristics of physical dependence and physiological dependence. Table 1 summarizes the DSM-IV criteria that are used in the clinic for the diagnosis of alcohol addiction, which is also termed alcohol dependence, compared with those for alcohol abuse. Tolerance can be one of the symptoms of alcohol dependence and is defined as the situation in which an individual becomes less responsive to alcohol and has to use higher doses to be satisfied. Other symptoms can be withdrawal –  which covers the group of negative symptoms after alcohol use is stopped abruptly – and the continuation of alcohol use despite knowledge of having problems due to alcohol.  Alcohol use disorders (AUDs) include alcohol abuse, alcohol dependence, and the harmful use of alcohol.

Table 1. Criteria from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV text  revision  (DSM-IV-  TR) for alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence. Alcohol dependence is also termed alcohol addiction.