Initiating moderate to heavy alcohol use predicts changes in neuropsychological functioning for adolescent girls and boys
Open accessAbstract
This study prospectively examines the influence of alcohol on neuropsychological functioning in boys and girls characterized prior to initiating drinking (N = 76, ages 12-14). Adolescents who transitioned into heavy (n = 25; 11 girls, 14 boys) or moderate (n = 11; 2 girls, 9 boys) drinking were compared with matched controls who remained nonusers throughout the approximately 3-year follow-up period (N = 40; 16 girls, 24 boys). For girls, more past year drinking days predicted a greater reduction in visuospatial task performance from baseline to follow-up, above and beyond performance on equivalent measures at baseline (R2Delta = 10%, p < .05), particularly on tests of visuospatial memory (R2Delta = 8%, p < .05). For boys, a tendency was seen for more past year hangover symptoms to predict worsened sustained attention (R2Delta = 7%, p < .05). These preliminary longitudinal findings suggest that initiating moderately heavy alcohol use and incurring hangover during adolescence may adversely influence neurocognitive functioning. Neurocognitive deficits linked to heavy drinking during this critical developmental period may lead to direct and indirect changes in neuromaturational course, with effects that would extend into adulthood.
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Heavy alcohol use during adolescence is associated with impairments in visuospatial processing, attention, and memory.
“Heavy alcohol use during adolescence is associated with a range of neurobehavioural sequelae, including impairments in visuospatial processing, attention, and memory,173,174”
From Neurobiology of addiction: a neurocircuitry analysis (2016) · cites this paper as [174]
Continued heavy drinking might further worsen executive functioning beyond pre-existing effects.
“A continued heavy drinking pattern might further worsen executive functioning (Squeglia et al., 2009, Tapert et al., 2002), beyond these pre-existing effects.”
From Weaknesses in executive functioning predict the initiating of adolescents' alcohol use (2015) · cites this paper as Squeglia et al., 2009
Longitudinal human data and parallel animal work confirm that binge drinking, especially multiple successive detoxifications, can cause brain damage in regions including those involved in cognitive control.
“Longitudinal human data using neuropsychological tests and parallel animal work confirm the assumption that binge drinking (especially multiple successive detoxifications) can result in brain damage in a variety of regions, including those involved in cognitive control”
From Addiction, adolescence, and the integration of control and motivation (2011) · cites this paper as Squeglia et al., 2009
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References 59 · Cited by 225
Research works printed but not linked: 2
- APA Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition (DSM-IV) 1994 American Psychiatric Association Washington, DC
- Lezak MD Howieson DB Loring DW Hannay HJ Fischer JS Neuropsychological Assessment 2004 Oxford University Press New York 4th ed.
- Authors
- Squeglia, L. M., Spadoni, A. D., Infante, M. A., Myers, M. G., & Tapert, S. F.
- Affiliations
- University of San Diego (US)
- San Diego State University (US)
- University of California San Diego (US)
- Venue
- Psychology of Addictive Behaviors
- Published
- 2009-12
- Volume
- 23
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 715-722
- ISSN
- 0893-164X (ISSN-L)
- 1939-1501
- PMC
- PMC2802333
- OpenAlex
- W2042470391
- Semantic Scholar
- 3e990bd68757d29a7c917095678c9c62c5fd6ffa
- Cited by
- 225
- References
- 59
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 6 · 2023: 13 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 18 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 16 · 2017: 18 · 2016: 15 · 2015: 18 · 2014: 19 · 2013: 31 · 2012: 18
- FWCI
- 8.50
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Update notices
- correction (2010-03-22)
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Psychology of Addictive Behaviors (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (R01 AA13419)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Prenatal Substance Exposure Effects
- Keywords
- adolescent alcohol use, alcohol initiation, heavy drinking, neuropsychological performance, visuospatial memory, sustained attention, sex differences, neurocognitive impairment, neuromaturation
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adolescent Behavior, Alcohol Drinking, Attention, Child, Female, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Memory, Neuropsychological Tests, Prospective Studies, Psychomotor Performance, Regression Analysis, Sex Factors, Executive Function
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