Adolescence is an important developmental period when drug experimentation increases and behavioral control mechanisms mature. The frontal cortex develops during adolescence in parallel with the development of behavioral control (Ernst et al. 2009). The adolescent frontal cortex is uniquely sensitive to binge drinking neurotoxicity (Crews et al. 2000) and adolescent hippocampus uniquely sensitive to alcohol inhibition hippocampal of neurogenesis (Crews et al. 2006). Loss of frontal cortical function causes perseveration and repetition of previously learned behaviors due to failure to associate new information, e.g. negative consequences, into decision making. Models of adolescent binge drinking result in persistent reversal learning deficits (Coleman 2010) and persistent increases in proinflammatory innate immune gene expression and markers of neurodegeneration (Pascual et al. 2007). Anti-infammatory drugs protect against adolescent binge drinking brain damage models (Pascual et al. 2007) Initiation of drug experimentation during adolescence when frontal cortical behavioral control circuitry is developing increases vulnerability for life-long addiction (Crews et al. 2007). These studies suggest anti-inflammatory therapies may have value in reducing drug induced changes in neurobiology that contribute to addiction.
