Heightened vulnerability to alcohol-related brain damage with increasing age observed in some samples (e.g., Pfefferbaum et al., 2006) was not instantiated in this population of cross-sectional studies, as age was not a significant moderator. The average age range included adolescents as well as mature adults, suggesting that individuals with AUDs sustain a comparable extent of damage across most of the lifespan. However, the absence of studies focusing on adults in their 60’s and older limits conclusions and may account for the lack of an age effect.
