Because deficits in executive function and behavioral control are frequently observed in the offspring of alcoholics, the prefrontal cortex, as one component of the cerebellothalamocortical system, is likely to be integrally involved in alcoholism risk. Recent reviews have highlighted the role of the prefrontal cortex in behavioral control (Tanji and Hoshi 2008), working memory (Badre and Wagner 2007), behavioral planning (Tanji and Hoshi 2001), and decision making (Fellows 2007). Neuropsychological studies of high risk offspring of alcohol dependent individuals underscore deficits in these domains. Also, neuroimaging studies of high risk subjects, though much fewer in number, implicate involvement of the prefrontal cortex, particularly the inferior and middle frontal gyri. This supports a lack of prefrontal regulation on mechanisms of attention, behavioral control, and inhibition. Not surprisingly, structural abnormalities in the cerebellothalamocortical system are present before the initiation of alcohol use in the offspring of alcoholics (Benegal et al. 2007; Hill et al. 2007a).
