The authors interpret these data to indicate that AU youth have a greater neural response to alcohol-related cues than do non-AU youth. In addition, AU youth engaged task-relevant resources, meaning they engaged areas that have been established to be important in incentive reward and drug craving, including the ventral anterior cingulate, nucleus accumbens, left prefrontal, orbitofrontal, amygdala and posterior cingulate. AU youth were found to activate additional areas, such as those involved in visual processing, perhaps because of the nature of the task, and decision-making (ventromedial regions). The authors speculate about the neural impact that visual alcohol advertisements may have on the developing brain, especially in youth who are already heavy drinkers.
