A study published in the Journal of Neuroscience sheds light on the long-term effects of heavy alcohol consumption during adolescence. The research, conducted on mice by a team led by Avery Sicher at Penn State University’s neuroscience program, reveals that binge-level alcohol intake in adolescence can cause lasting dysregulation of neurons in the brain.
These findings suggest that exposure to excessive alcohol during the crucial developmental phase of adolescence may have far-reaching consequences on brain signaling and communication.
The study focused on the prefrontal cortex, a brain region responsible for executive functions, risk assessment, and decision-making. Assistant Professor Nikki Crowley emphasizes that the prefrontal cortex is not fully developed in adolescents and continues to mature until around age 25. Any disruption to its development during this critical period can have profound and enduring effects.
Sicher and her team utilized a mouse model that mirrors human binge drinking patterns, providing insights into the impact of alcohol on cortical circuitry development. Over 30 days, equivalent to the adolescent years in humans, mice were given access to alcohol.
The researchers then examined the electrophysiological properties of neurons in the prefrontal cortex to assess how adolescent binge drinking influenced their wiring and firing patterns.
The study revealed that somatostatin neurons, which play a key role in inhibiting neurotransmitter release and maintaining a healthy brain, experienced permanent dysregulation in mice that consumed alcohol compared to those that only had water.
These neurons became excessively excitable, impairing the activity of other essential neurons, even after the mice stopped consuming alcohol and reached adulthood. The findings indicate that neurons have a fixed developmental trajectory and need to establish the right connections during specific developmental periods to function properly.
While it is well-known that heavy binge drinking poses risks for everyone, this study highlights the heightened susceptibility of adolescent brains to long-term consequences. The research contributes to our understanding of the mechanisms behind alcohol-induced cognitive changes and emphasizes the importance of avoiding heavy alcohol consumption during adolescence.