Numerous studies involving adult alcoholics suggest neural disruption while executing cognitive tasks; however, it is unclear to what extent drinking must progress, and at what age, before abnormalities manifest. Our group 52 found that adolescents who drank heavily for one to two years showed abnormalities in brain response on cognitive tasks measuring spatial working memory (SWM) as compared to light drinkers. While both the heavy and light drinkers performed similarly on the task, heavy drinkers exhibited increased activation in the parietal lobe, with decreased activation in the occipital and cerebellar regions, compared to light drinkers 52. Additionally, youth with more hangover experiences and greater alcohol consumption showed greater abnormalities. These results suggest that after as little as one to two years of heavy drinking, adolescents may exhibit subtle neural reorganization that includes compensation, highlighting the potential early influence of drinking on neurocognitive functioning during the escalation of alcohol use disorders.
