7.3 Neurobiology of Substance Use Disorder Risk and Initial Exposure to Drugs

As more has been learned about the neurobiology of substance use disorders (SUDs) in adults, investigations in children at risk before exposure to abusable substances remain limited. As evidence points out that early experimentation with drugs may be linked to higher rates of later SUD, the mechanisms by which early drug exposure may influence the development of SUD still remain poorly understood. Furthermore, new evidence suggests that deficits in reward processing in the brain may represent putative predispositions for SUD development in youth.
Source: Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry - Category: Psychiatry Authors: Source Type: research