In contrast to the broader human and animal literatures, in this systematic review, we did not observe differences between AU and non-AU youth across affect and emotion-regulation structures (e.g., hippocampus, amygdala; Jacobus & Tapert, 2013; Lisdahl et al., 2013a; Ward, Lallemand, & de Witte, 2014; Welch et al., 2013). These findings may provide an important piece of the puzzle around alcohol's role in social facilitation (as an impetus) and social anxiety (as a consequence), which have been observed in animal models of AU (Spear, 2014). One potential reason for the absence of this relationship in this systematic review was our strict examination of differences between active alcohol consumption and brain structure/function. Subsequently, the differences in affect and emotion regulation may be closer tied to other risk factors (e.g., family history; genetic risk), rather than being an independent correlate or consequence of actual AU.
