Adolescence is a time of change both physically and mentally. Many times it means trying new things and for some, that includes experimenting with alcohol.
It is estimated eight percent of the nation's eighth graders and 24 percent of tenth graders have been drunk sometime in their lives, according to the National Council on Alcohol and Drug Dependence. While there have been numerous studies into why adolescents drink, there has been limited research on the long-term effects of alcohol exposure in the development of young adults. But now researchers at Baylor University have just finished a three year study analyzing the behavioral changes that occur after a person heavily drinks as an adolescent.
Dr. Jamie Diaz-Granados, an associate professor and interim chair of the psychology and neuroscience department at Baylor, said the preliminary findings provide experimental results which support data showing that the earlier a person starts drinking, the greater the risk of alcohol addiction problems. In fact, he said the early onset of alcohol may even alter the development of the brain.
"The adolescent brain is in a state of flux," said Diaz-Granados. "Neurotransmitter levels are still being developed and synapses are still being formed. Alcohol affects virtually every single neurotransmitter in the brain, so the introduction of alcohol at an early age can have a profound impact."
Using rodent test subjects, researchers found the mice that were given high levels of alcohol during adolescence were more likely to seek out the drug later on. Even mice that became sick and developed a taste aversion to alcohol still sought out the drug after abstaining from it for weeks. Researchers said this was not the case with mice that were given alcohol during adulthood. Those mice also developed a taste aversion to alcohol and that stopped them from seeking out the drug again.