There have been few studies examining the effects of adolescent binge drinking on changes in gene expression within the CNS. This is mainly due to the amount of time involved in training most rodents to consume pharmacologically relevant amounts of ethanol. Since the adolescent window is approximately 10–14 days, it is difficult to establish stable ethanol intakes that produce relevant blood levels of ethanol. One study, examining the effects of i.g. administration of ethanol on changes in gene expression (Coleman et al., 2011), reported reduced levels of adult neurotransmitter gene expression, particularly of cholinergic genes.
