Effects of Drugs on the Brain

1. Effects of Drugs of Abuse on the Developing Brain Ken Winters, Ph.D. Collaborating Investigator, Treatment Research Institute Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota winte001@ umn . edu The Downtown Club of Philadelphia, November 23, 2004

5. Some Background

6. What is adolescence?

7. Grade Alcohol % Marijuana % Any Illicit % 8 20 8 10 10 35 18 21 12 49 22 25 Substance Use by Youth - Prior Month 2002 (Monitoring the Futures, 2003) Substance Abuse/Dependence rates vary: 3-15 %

9. Percentages of Past Year Alcohol Dependence or Abuse Among Adults Aged 21 or Older, by Age of First Use (SAMHSA, 2004) Age Started Drinking Percent

12. Construction Ahead motivation emotion judgment cerebellum amygdala nucleus accumbens Pruning occurs in stages, from back of the brain to the front prefontal cortex physical coordination; sensory processing;

13. motivation emotion judgment Age 24 physical coordination; sensory processing;

19. Supporting Human Studies 1. Reduced sensitivity to intoxication

21. Survey Data Suggest that Adolescents Are Less Sensitive to Alcohol’s Effects Monitoring the Future, 2001

24. Supporting Human Studies 3. Greater adverse effects to cognitive functioning

32. THANK YOU! [email_address]