Alcohol use is common during adolescence, with typical onset of drinking between ages of 15 and 17 (Sartor et al., 2009; Sartor et al., 2007; York et al., 2004). By high school graduation, approximately 75% of adolescents have consumed alcohol (Johnston et al., 2010) and nearly 10% meet alcohol use disorder (AUD) criteria (Clark et al., 2004). Youth with a positive family history (FHP) of AUD are at an increased risk for initiating alcohol use at an earlier age and developing drinking problems, compared to youth with no such family history (FHN) (Schuckit, 1985; Trim et al., 2010a). Although neural mechanisms predicting this increased risk remain unclear, the extant literature on adults with AUD provides insight into potential neurobiological differences that may exist prior to alcohol initiation and place FHP youth at risk for AUD (Herting et al., 2010; Reich et al., 1998; Spadoni et al., 2008)
