Is Early Onset of Alcohol Use Associated with Later Alcohol Use?

BRAVO, ADRIAN J.; PAUTASSI R.M.; ACQUAS, ELIO; PILATTI, ANGELINA

Frontiers Media S.A.

Lugar: Lausanne; Año: 2020 p. 168

978-2-88966-065-0

Research in the neuroscience and epidemiology of alcohol use disorders (AUD) has significantlycontributed to our understanding of why individuals use alcohol and why a significant fractiontransitions to risky alcohol use or develop an AUD (Harris and Koob, 2017). Yet research effortsare still unraveling important scientific questions. One of those lingering, unanswered questions isthe role that an early age of alcohol onset has on the probability of later engaging in risky drinkingand/or developing an AUD. The promoting effect of an early alcohol onset on later alcohol use orAUD is an ubiquitous finding (Marshall, 2014). Whether or not the association implies a causalrelationship is, however, still under investigation. It is possible that early alcohol exposure altersbrain (Pascual et al., 2007) or social processes (Light et al., 2013) that, in turn, facilitate alcoholseeking and intake. Yet it is also possible that both events are explained by a common factor,such as a psychiatric precursor (Tedor et al., 2018). This Research Topic presents contributionstoward bridging the gap between preclinical, clinical, and epidemiological research, highlightingnew information to better understand the consequences of early alcohol exposure.