Second, this systematic review sheds light on where those brain differences occur. Consistent with the broader work in this area (Jacobus & Tapert, 2013; Lisdahl et al., 2013a; Welch, Carson, & Lawrie, 2013), in this systematic review, we observed volumetric and connectivity differences for AU versus non-AU youth across key prefrontal areas, including but not limited to, the MFG, superior frontal gyrus, left frontal cortex, frontal pole, and IFG. These areas are critically involved in the capacity and command of executive control. Relevant to risk for future drinking, executive control encompasses response inhibition, which in day-to-day interactions, represents youths' ability to resist the temptation to engage in risky, but exciting and rewarding activities (such as drinking with friends) (Pascual, Pla, Miñarro, & Guerri, 2014).
