Teen Alcohol Use May Cause Lasting Brain Changes
Heavy drinking during the teen years can cause lasting changes in the brain. Experts suggest waiting to drink until the brain finishes growing.
In short: Heavy drinking during the teen years can cause lasting changes in the brain. Experts suggest waiting to drink until the brain finishes growing.
Growing up is a busy time for the brain, but heavy drinking early on might change how that growth happens.
What happened, in plain words
Researchers at the Paulista School of Medicine of Unifesp, supported by Fapesp, tested the effects of heavy alcohol doses on mice. The tests showed a higher chance of risky behaviors and more drinking later in life. These effects changed based on sex and the exact teen stage when the alcohol exposure happened. Experts connect these shifts to harm in brain development, mainly in the area that handles choices and impulse control.
Key points
- Mouse experiments show lasting effects: Mice given high alcohol doses during teen years showed a higher drive for risky actions and greater drinking later.
- Impact on decision making: Researchers link the changes to hindered brain maturity, particularly in the region that controls choices and impulses.
- Survey numbers on young drinkers: Data from the third National Drug Use Survey reveals that 5% of teens aged 12 to 17 had at least one heavy drinking event in the prior month, and the rate climbs to 20.5% for young adults aged 18 to 24.
- Advice to delay drinking: Because the brain keeps developing until around age 25, experts suggest delaying the start of alcohol use.
Terms explained
- córtex pré-frontal — The part of the brain that helps you make decisions and control your impulses. Example: Thinking twice before jumping into a swimming pool without checking the water depth.
Why it matters
Knowing how alcohol affects young brains helps explain why experts advise waiting to drink until the brain matures.
What we still don't know
The study used mice to test alcohol effects, so the results come from animal experiments rather than direct human trials.
Based on reporting from Jornal da USP. This is an independent explainer, written in our own words with AI assistance; Jornal da USP has not reviewed or endorsed it. Read the original for the full details.