It has become clear that ethanol produces different behavioral responses in adolescence compared to adults. Specifically, age modulates ethanol effects on motor incoordination, anxiety, and cognitive function. Researchers have also shown that sensitivity to ethanol-induced ataxia increases during ontogeny (Land and Spear 2004; Smith 2003; Spear and Varlinskaya 2005). Specifically, adolescent rats exhibit less severe motor impairment following ethanol exposure (Spear and Varlinskaya 2005; White et al. 2002a). Throughout development, a natural increase in sensitivity to the motor-impairing effects of ethanol between adolescence and adulthood emerges (Silveri and Spear 1998).
