We also observed structural and functional differences for AU versus non-AU youth across the meso-corticolimbic reward system, a dopamine-based brain pathway that includes the dorsal striatum (caudate/putamen), thalamus, anterior cingulate, internal capsule and IFG. The involvement of this system overlaps with human adult studies on alcohol addiction (Filbey et al., 2008), and may be integral to the balance between incentive salience (‘wanting’ versus ‘liking’ a substance), control, and reward in decision-making processes around whether and how much to drink (e.g., Robinson & Berridge, 2008; Spear, 2014; Volkow, Wang, Tomasi, & Baler, 2013). Rodent models suggest that early and repeated exposure to alcohol during adolescence shifts the balance towards greater ‘wanting’ (incentive salience), enhances the rewarding features of alcohol (e.g., greater positive experiences of alcohol use, more rewarding experiences of intoxication), while concomitantly reducing the negative and punishing aspects of drinking (e.g., the sedative effects of alcohol, experiencing hangovers) (Spear, 2014).
