In this study, we found that concomitant binge drinking and marijuana use was not associated with better white matter compared to controls, but higher FA values compared to adolescents reporting only binge drinking. Findings suggest that binge drinking may lead to microscopic disruption of white matter fibers. Although not evaluated in this study, alcohol-related diffusion changes in white matter tissue have been linked with altered cognitive performance in adult samples [73]. Studies on cognitive and behavioral consequences of binge drinking have found differences in executive functions including decision-making, which may be related to changes in neural circuitry [46,107]. Gender effects have even been suggested, with female bingers performing worse on neurocognitive tasks compared to male bingers and controls [98]. In future studies, we plan to examine how white matter changes in these adolescents over 18 and 36 month follow-up periods as well as how these changes relate to drug use and risk taking behavior.
