Because WM volume changes dynamically across the lifespan, age of participants may be a critical factor when studying effects of alcohol in the brain. Across the lifespan, WM volume exhibits a quadratic pattern, peaking in the 40’s and then decreasing (Ge et al., 2002; Walhovd et al., 2005). In clinical AUD samples, aging and AUD duration may interact to produce a synergistic effect on WM, making it difficult to isolate the effects of alcohol abuse (Pfefferbaum et al., 2006; Sullivan, 2000). Similarly, the effects of alcohol abuse on the adolescent brain are only beginning to be understood, and the meta-analysis included adolescent studies in the interest of providing a complete picture of WM changes from a developmental perspective.
