Journal
PLOS ONE
Volume 10, Issue 10, Pages -Publisher
PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0139186
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Funding
- Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research NWO (Medical Research Council) [GB-MW 940-38-011]
- Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research NWO (ZonMW Brainpower grant) [100-001-004]
- Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research NWO (ZonMw Risk Behavior and Dependence grants) [60-60600-97-118]
- Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research NWO (ZonMw Culture and Health grant) [261-98-710]
- Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research NWO (Social Sciences Council medium-sized investment grants) [GB-MaGW 480-01-006, GB-MaGW 480-07-001]
- Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research NWO (Social Sciences Council) [GB-MaGW 452-04-314, GB-MaGW 452-06-004]
- Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research NWO (NWO large-sized investment grant) [175.010.2003.005]
- Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research NWO (NWO Longitudinal Survey and Panel Funding) [481-08-013]
- Dutch Ministry of Justice (WODC)
- European Science Foundation (EuroSTRESS project) [FP-006]
- Biobanking and Biomolecular Resources Research Infrastructure BBMRI-NL [CP 32]
- Accare Center for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
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Background and Aims Excessive alcohol use is assumed to affect maturation of cognitive functioning in adolescence. However, most existing studies that have tested this hypothesis are seriously flawed due to the use of selective groups and/or cross-sectional designs, which limits the ability to draw firm conclusions. This longitudinal study investigated whether patterns of alcohol use predicted differences in maturation of executive functioning in adolescence. Additionally, gender was tested as a possible moderator. Methods We used data from the Tracking Adolescents' Individual Lives Survey (TRAILS), which comprises a cohort of 2,230 Dutch adolescents. Maturation of executive functioning was measured by assessing the standardized improvement on each of four basic executive functions (i.e., inhibition, working memory, and shift-and sustained attention) between ages 11 and 19. Participants were assigned to one of six (heavy) drinking groups (i.e., non-drinkers, light drinkers, infrequent heavy drinkers, increased heavy drinkers, decreased heavy drinkers, and chronic heavy drinkers). We conducted linear regression analyses, and adjusted for relevant confounders. Results The six drinking groups did not reveal significant differences in maturation between drinking groups. E.g., maturation executive functioning of chronic heavy drinkers in comparison to non-drinkers; inhibition: B = -0.14, 95% CI [-0.41 to 0.14], working memory: B = -0.03, 95% CI [-0.26 to 0.21], shift attention: B = 0.13, 95% CI [-0.17 to 0.41], sustained attention: B = 0.12, 95% CI [-0.60 to 0.36]. Furthermore, gender was not found to be a significant moderator. Conclusions Four years of weekly heavy drinking (i.e., chronic heavy drinkers) did not result in measurable impairments in four basic executive functions. Thus, regular heavy drinking in adolescence does not seem to affect these basic behavioural measures of executive functioning.
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