Neuropsychosocial profiles of current and future adolescent alcohol misusers.

ABSTRACT: A comprehensive account of the causes of alcohol misuse must accommodate individual differences in biology, psychology and environment, and must disentangle cause and effect. Animal models can demonstrate the effects of neurotoxic substances; however, they provide limited insight into the psycho-social and higher cognitive factors involved in the initiation of substance use and progression to misuse. One can search for pre-existing risk factors by testing for endophenotypic biomarkers in non-using relatives; however, these relatives may have personality or neural resilience factors that protect them from developing dependence. A longitudinal study has potential to identify predictors of adolescent substance misuse, particularly if it can incorporate a wide range of potential causal factors

SUBMITTER: Whelan R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4486207 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature