Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2011;18(2):21-24.

Adolescent Brain Development and Drugs

Ken C Winters  1 , Amelia Arria
Affiliations

Adolescent Brain Development and Drugs

Ken C Winters et al. Prev Res. 2011.

Abstract

New scientific discoveries have put a much different perspective on our understanding of adolescent behavior. Research now suggests that the human brain is still maturing during the adolescent years. The developing brain may help explain why adolescents sometimes make decisions that are risky and can lead to safety or health concerns, including unique vulnerabilities to drug abuse. This new science can be useful in revising prevention strategies to be more effective.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Prevalence of Past-Year DSM-IV Alcohol Dependence: United States, 2001–2002 (Grant et al., 2004)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 4th ed. Washington, DC: Author; 1994.
    1. Brown SA, Tapert SF, Granholm E, Delis DC. Neurocognitive functioning of adolescents: Effects of protracted alcohol use. Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. 2000;24:164–171. - PubMed
    1. Bruer JT. The Myth of the First Three Years. NY: The Free Press; 1999.
    1. Casey BJ, Jones RM, Hare TA. The adolescent brain. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. 2008;1124:111–126. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Clark DB, Kirisci L, Tarter RE. Adolescent versus adult onset and the development of substance use disorders in males. Drug and Alcohol Dependence. 1998;49:115–121. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources