Family History of Alcoholism May Affect Adolescents’ Brains

Psych Central, January 18, 2012


"A new study has found that the brains of adolescents with a family history of alcoholism respond differently while making risky decisions than the brains of other teens.
Researchers at the Oregon Health & Science University discovered that two areas of the brain — the prefrontal cortex and cerebellum — demonstrated atypical activity while completing the same task than their peers with no family history of alcoholism.
'We know that a familial history of alcoholism is a significant risk factor for future alcohol abuse,' said Bonnie J. Nagel, assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral neuroscience at Oregon Health & Science University. 'We were interested in determining whether adolescents at heightened risk for alcohol use made more risky decisions during a laboratory task compared to their lower-risk peers.'" Read More