rats, Nasrallah, Yang and Bernstein (2009) examined whether alcohol exposure in adolescence alters decision making and risk preference in adulthood. Using a probability-discounting instrumental responses task that offered a choice between a large uncertain reward and small certain rewards, these authors assessed risk-based choice either 3 weeks or 3 months following alcohol exposure. While control animals’ performance closely conformed to the predictive model of risk-neutral value matching, rats that consumed high levels of alcohol during adolescence violated the predictive model and showed greater risk preference. Furthermore, evidence of such risk preference was also present when choice was assessed 3 months following discontinuation of alcohol access when the animals were adults. These recent studies indicate that acute alcohol exposure and high levels of repeated and continuous alcohol exposure especially in adolescents increases premature responding and risky decision making respectively. It has yet to be determined whether such alcohol effects on impulsivity are persistent or affect development of alcohol problems.
