Chronic use of alcohol and marijuana during youth is associated
with poorer neural structure, function, and metabolism, as well
as worsened neurocognitive abilities into later adolescence and
adulthood. This may be due to biological and psychosocial
transitions occurring during adolescence that impart increased
vulnerability to neurotoxic influences. A study of longitudinal
changes in fiber tract integrity associated with adolescent
alcohol and marijuana use during 1.5 years supports previous
findings of reduced white-matter integrity in these youth.
Results will be published in a special online issue of
Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research and are currently
available at Early View. "Research has shown differences in the
brains of teens who use alcohol and marijuana as compared to
teens who do not use these drugs or report only very infrequent,
minimal use," said Joanna Jacobus, postdoctoral fellow at the
University of California, San Diego as well as corresponding
author for the study. "Alcohol and m