id	author	title	date	pages	extension	mime	words	sentence	flesch	summary	cache	txt
dhrp-116	Acosta, Marisol	Neurodevelopmental Consequences of Alcohol Abuse in Hispanic Adolescents (Ages 13-19) in the Rio Grande Valley: A Review of Cognitive and Structural Brain Impacts	2025	8	.pdf	application/pdf	2954	148	25	No. S2 https://doi.org/10.47488/dhrp.v4iS2.7 DHR Proceedings ǀ http://dhrproceedings.org 57 2024, Vol. 4 No. S1 Pg. 55-62 Structural Brain Impacts of Alcohol Abuse Neuroimaging studies reveal significant structural brain changes associated with alcohol abuse, particularly in adolescents.2,10-11 Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies have documented alterations in both gray and white matter volumes indicating significant structural damage during critical developmental periods.2,10 Specific brain regions, such as the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and cerebellum, show greater vulnerability to alcohol's neurotoxic effects.1,10 Moreover, studies using MRI have demonstrated disrupted cortical volume changes in individuals with prenatal alcohol exposure, suggesting that alcohol's effects on brain structure can begin even before birth.12 In adolescents, alcohol exposure leads to decreased plasticity and increased loss of cortical structure, highlighting the long-term consequences of alcohol abuse on brain development.12 Research using Mendelian randomization suggests a causal relationship between heavy alcohol use and reductions in subcortical brain volumes, specifically impacting the amygdala and hippocampus.11 These subcortical structures play vital roles in emotional regulation and memory, suggesting that alcohol-induced damage in these areas can have significant long-term consequences on mental health and cognitive function.11 The study by Durazzo et al. found that individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD) exhibited significant morphological abnormalities in brain regions, particularly the frontal lobe, before treatment.13 Relapsers after treatment demonstrated greater bilateral frontal gray matter volume deficits compared to those who maintained abstinence, suggesting that persistent frontal gray matter volume deficits may serve as an endophenotype for relapse susceptibility.13 55-63 MANUSCRIPT Neurodevelopmental Consequences of Alcohol Abuse in Hispanic Adolescents (Ages 13-19) in the Rio Grande Valley: A Review of Cognitive and Structural Brain Impacts Marisol Acosta1, Jessica P. Carvajal1,3, Natalia Del Castillo1,3, Valeria I. Garcia1,2,Kaitlyn R. Lewis1,2, Hannah N. Navarro1,2, Dominic R. Policarpio1,2, Kai R. Saenz1,2 1DHR Health High School and Community Outreach 2 South Texas ISD Health Professions 3 South Texas ISD Medical Professions Received: June 21, 2024 Accepted for publication: February 5, 2025 Introduction This literature review examines the neurodevelopmental consequences of alcohol abuse in Hispanic adolescents (ages 13-19) residing in the Rio Grande Valley.	cache/dhrp-116.pdf	txt/dhrp-116.txt