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Adolescent Binge Drinking Is Associated With Accelerated Decline of Gray Matter Volume
M A Infante1, S C Eberson1, Y Zhang2,3
1Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
Cerebral Cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991)
|November 3, 2021
Summary
Binge drinking significantly reduces gray matter volume in the adolescent brain, especially in frontal regions. Effects are more pronounced in younger adolescents and closer to drinking episodes, suggesting a dose-response relationship.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Public Health
Background:
- Adolescent binge drinking is a critical public health issue.
- Its effects on brain development, particularly gray matter volume (GMV), are not fully understood.
- Longitudinal studies are crucial for characterizing age- and time-dependent impacts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the effects of binge drinking on adolescent gray matter volume (GMV) development.
- To investigate the relationship between the number of binge drinking episodes and GMV changes.
- To explore age- and time-dependent effects of binge drinking on brain structure.
Main Methods:
- Utilized 5 waves of longitudinal data from the National Consortium on Alcohol and NeuroDevelopment in Adolescence study.
- Compared binge drinkers (n=166) with matched non-binge drinkers (n=82).
- Employed statistical models sensitive to the number and temporal proximity of binge drinking episodes to brain volumes.
Main Results:
- Increased binge drinking episodes correlated with decreased GMVs in 26 of 34 cortical regions, particularly frontal areas.
- Binge drinking effects on GMV were more pronounced in younger adolescents.
- Cortical GMV decreases showed a dose-response relationship with binge drinking episodes, with greater reductions closer to episodes.
Conclusions:
- Binge drinking negatively impacts adolescent brain development, specifically reducing gray matter volume.
- Findings suggest a potential causal link between binge drinking frequency/timing and GMV reduction.
- Alcohol abstinence may allow for the potential recovery of normal brain growth trajectories.
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