Chunk #26 — Examples of Specific Environments that Could be Modeled Across Species: Early Alcohol Exposures and the Peer Environment — Early Alcohol Exposures
Animal models have shown clearly that fetal exposure to alcohol may lead to dysmorphology and behavioral deficits that resemble human Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. In addition, fetal alcohol exposures may lead to the development of specific drug sensitivities and preferences that may contribute to the development of AUDs (Abel, Bush, Dintcheff, 1981; Alati et al., 2006; Arias & Chotro, 2005; Dominguez, Lopez & Molina, 1998; Osborn, Yu, Gabriel & Weinberg, 1998). There is also increasing evidence to indicate that youth exposure to alcohol may be relevant to the development of AUDs. One of the most reliable findings in the epidemiology of AUDs is that early onset of drinking is associated with increased likelihood of developing an AUD (Grant & Dawson, 1997; Hingson, Heeren, & Winter, 2006). What is not clear at this point is the extent that these findings represent a clear causal mechanism (perhaps because of increased sensitivity of the brain to alcohol or alcohol-related cues) or are an artifact of a common “third variable” associated with both early deviant behavior and the development of AUDs. Currently the data are
