PFC function [25]. Specifically, with adult development, dopamine synthesis decreases in cortex but increases in dorsal striatum, and the shift toward greater dopamine synthesis in the dorsal caudate is associated with lower performance on executive function tasks [27]. These findings suggest that assessing dopamine-related functioning in PFC—for example, during reward processing—is more challenging in older adults, who have experienced declines in PFC dopamine functioning. Thus, to understand dopamine-mediated alterations in PFC control of reward responding, it is optimal to investigate PFC function at a developmental period proximal to development of the dopamine system. Alcohol-dependent young adults in their 20 s provide a valuable group for addressing this research question. Although much of their PFC maturation is completed, their PFC dopamine signaling has not yet declined, they are likely to be early in the clinical course of alcohol dependence, and they are relatively young for people in the alcohol-dependent population.
