Hiller-Sturmhöfel Susanne, Spear Linda Patia
Susanne Hiller-Sturmhöfel, Ph.D., is a science writer and editor affiliated with CSR Inc., Arlington, Virginia. Linda Patia Spear, Ph.D., is a distinguished professor, Department of Psychology, State University of New York, and the director of the Developmental Exposure Alcohol Research Center, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York.
Alcohol Res. 2018;39(1):77-86.
Adolescence typically is a time of experimentation, including alcohol use and, particularly, binge drinking. Because the brain is still developing during adolescence, such exposure could have long-lasting effects. Animal models and adolescent intermittent ethanol exposure (AIE) paradigms have been used to help elucidate the consequences of adolescent binge drinking. These studies have identified cognitive deficits, particularly in challenging cognitive tasks, and behavioral alterations such as greater risk preferences, impulsivity, and disinhibition. AIE also is associated with changes in affect when the animals reach adulthood, including increased social anxiety and, sometimes, general anxiety. Animal models have demonstrated that AIE can result in retention of certain alcohol-related adolescent phenotypes (i.e., reduced sensitivity to alcohol's aversive effects and increased sensitivity to alcohol's rewarding effects) into adulthood, which may motivate continued elevated alcohol use. The detrimental effects of adolescent alcohol exposure extend to a diversity of lasting alterations in the brain, including reduced neurogenesis, increased proinflammatory responses, changes in gene expression through epigenetic mechanisms, and alterations in the activities of various neurotransmitter systems. Further exploration of these mechanisms in animal models and humans may lead to improved prevention and intervention efforts.
青春期通常是一个进行各种尝试的时期，包括饮酒，尤其是酗酒。由于大脑在青春期仍在发育，这种接触可能会产生长期影响。动物模型和青少年间歇性乙醇暴露（AIE）范式已被用于帮助阐明青少年酗酒的后果。这些研究已经确定了认知缺陷，特别是在具有挑战性的认知任务中，以及行为改变，如更高的风险偏好、冲动性和去抑制。AIE还与动物成年后的情绪变化有关，包括社交焦虑增加，有时还有一般性焦虑。动物模型表明，AIE可导致某些与酒精相关的青少年表型（即对酒精厌恶作用的敏感性降低和对酒精奖励作用的敏感性增加）持续到成年期，这可能促使酒精使用持续增加。青少年酒精暴露的有害影响延伸到大脑中多种持久的改变，包括神经发生减少、促炎反应增加、通过表观遗传机制改变基因表达以及各种神经递质系统活动的改变。在动物模型和人类中对这些机制的进一步探索可能会导致预防和干预措施的改进。
