Cited by 326Substance Abuse Treatment and OutcomesChild Abuse and TraumaNeurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior

Desperately driven and no brakes: Developmental stress exposure and subsequent risk for substance abuse

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Andersen, Susan L., Teicher, Martin H.·2009·Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews

Abstract

Adverse life events are associated with a wide range of psychopathology, including an increased risk for substance abuse. In this review, we focus on the inter-relationship between exposure to adversity and brain development, and relate this to enhanced windows of vulnerability. This review encompasses clinical and preclinical data, drawing evidence from epidemiological studies, morphometric and functional imaging studies, and molecular biology and genetics. The interaction of exposure during a sensitive period and maturational events produces a cascade that leads to the initiation of substance use at younger ages, and increases the likelihood of addiction by adolescence or early adulthood. A stress-incubation/corticolimbic dysfunction model is proposed based on the interplay of stress exposure, development stage, and neuromaturational events that may explain the seeking of specific classes of drugs later in life. Three main factors contribute to this age-based progression of increased drug use: (1) a sensitized stress response system; (2) sensitive periods of vulnerability; and (3) maturational processes during adolescence. Together, these factors may explain why exposure to early adversity increases risk to abuse substances during adolescence.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2008.09.009

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  • Andersen and Teicher identify abuse, parental loss, and household dysfunction as implicated in producing a cascade of physiological and neurohumoral events that alter trajectories of brain development such that this altered development creates a significant vulnerability for drug abuse.

    “all of which they identify as implicated in producing 'a cascade of physiological and neurohumoral events that alter trajectories of brain development' (p. 517) such that this altered development creates a significant vulnerability for drug abuse.”

    From A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ON THE IMPACT OF EXPOSURE TO INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH (2014) · cites this paper as Andersen and Teicher, 2009

    Split into 2 atoms — 1 confirmed, 1 partially supported, 0 disputed, 0 misattributed, 0 unverifiable. Expand the claim to see per-atom verdicts.

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  • Andersen and Teicher describe drug abuse as a developmental disorder and offer compelling evidence for their claims by reviewing the findings of more than 190 studies relevant to the understanding of the impact of early life exposure to adversity on brain development published between 1978 and 2007.

    “Andersen and Teicher describe drug abuse as a developmental disorder and offer compelling evidence for their claims by reviewing the findings of more than 190 studies relevant to the understanding of the impact of early life exposure to adversity on brain development published between 1978 and 2007.”

    From A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ON THE IMPACT OF EXPOSURE TO INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH (2014) · cites this paper as Andersen and Teicher, 2009

    Split into 2 atoms — 1 confirmed, 1 partially supported, 0 disputed, 0 misattributed, 0 unverifiable. Expand the claim to see per-atom verdicts.

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Youth with a trauma history may start using substances earlier than peers without trauma.

    “Youth with a history of trauma may begin using substances at earlier ages than non-traumatized peers [14]”
  • Adolescents exposed to chronic stress or trauma often struggle with self-regulation because adversity triggers neuro-biological events that alter development of the stress response system, impairing self-regulation in response to stress.

    “Adolescents exposed to chronic stress or trauma often struggle with self-regulation: adversity triggers neuro-biological events that alter development of the stress response system (Andersen, 2003; Andersen & Teicher, 2009; Shonkoff et al., 2009; Teicher et al., 2002), impairing a child’s ability to self-regulate in response to stress (Blair, 2010; West et al., 2001).”
  • Andersen and Teicher (2009) state that the interaction of exposure during a sensitive period and maturational events produces a cascade that leads to the initiation of substance use at younger ages, and increases the likelihood of addiction by adolescence or early adulthood.

    “interaction of exposure [to childhood adversity] during a sensitive period and maturational events produces a cascade [italics ours] that leads to the initiation of substance use at younger ages, and increases the likelihood of addiction by adolescence or early adulthood”

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  1. Teicher MH Silk K Early abuse, limbic system dysfunction, and borderline personality disorder Biological and Neurobehavioral Studies of Borderline Personality Disorder 1994 177 207 American Psychiatric Assoc. Press Washington DC

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Authors
Andersen, S. L., & Teicher, M. H.
Affiliations
Harvard University (US)
Corresponding author
Andersen, Susan L.
Venue
Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2009-04
Volume
33
Issue
4
Pages
516-524
ISSN
0149-7634 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2035487697
Cited by
326
References
196
Citations by year
2026: 6 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 15 · 2022: 16 · 2021: 20 · 2020: 23 · 2019: 13 · 2018: 22 · 2017: 26 · 2016: 28 · 2015: 20 · 2014: 22 · 2013: 29 · 2012: 23
FWCI
1.53
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health (5r01da017846-14)
  • National Institute of Mental Health (R01 MH-66222, R01MH091114, R01MH066222)
  • National Institute on Drug Abuse (R01DA-017846, R01DA016934, R01DA015403)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child Abuse and Trauma
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
Keywords
life events, substance abuse, addiction risk, sensitive period, brain development, neuromaturation, adolescence, childhood adversity, drug-seeking behavior
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Age Factors, Animals, Child, Developmental Disabilities, Disease Models, Animal, Humans, Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System, Pituitary-Adrenal System, Risk, Stress, Psychological, Substance-Related Disorders

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