Effects of binge drinking during adolescence and emerging adulthood on the brain: A systematic review of neuroimaging studies. (June 2022) - Pérez-García, Jose Manuel
Abstract: Binge drinking (BD) is a common pattern of alcohol consumption which is generating great concern because of its deleterious consequences. We selected 33 neuroimaging studies of healthy young binge drinkers (BDs) by following PRISMA guidelines. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the relationship between BD and neurocognitive anomalies reported across magnetic resonance studies. Moreover, this work is the first in which results of relatively new imaging techniques, such as resting-state functional connectivity (RS-FC) and neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI), have been reviewed using a systematic procedure. We established strict inclusion criteria in order to isolate the various potential effects of BD on the adolescent brain. Two authors independently evaluated the methodological quality, assessing different aspects related to sample size, and statistical correction methods, which are of particular importance in neuroimaging studies. BD is associated with structural and functional anomalies in several cortical and subcortical brain regions intimately involved in the control and regulation of impulsive or risky behaviours, as well as in the processing of reinforcing stimuli. Highlights: Binge drinking (BD) affects the architecture and the function of adolescent brain. These neurocognitive changes were mainly observed in frontal regions. Structural abnormalities have been reported in both white and grey matter features. The most observed BOLD pattern was the hyperactivation in task-related studies. BD is also associated with anomalies in the resting-state functional connectivity.