Scientists have found that brain functions in young men and women are changed by long-term alcohol use, but that these changes are significantly different in men and women. This indicates not only that young people might be at increased risk of long-term harm from alcohol use, but also that the risks are probably different in men and in women, with men possibly more at risk. This work is presented today at the ECNP meeting in Paris.
'Adolescence can be a difficult transitional period and it's when we typically see the first signs of mental health disorders such as schizophrenia and depression. This study gives us a clue why this is the case'
Siobhan Fenton @siobhanfenton The study found that the brain regions which showed the greatest MRI changes during adolescence were those in which genes linked to schizophrenia risk were most strongly expressed. Teenagers’ brains can reveal whether they will develop mental health conditions later in life, research has found. Brain scans can therefore […]
