We are interested in studying the effects that binge drinking, particularly at an early age of onset, has on alcohol consumption as well as brain structure and function throughout people's lives. The National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) defines binge drinking as consuming 5 or more drinks for men and 4 or more drinks for women within two hours.
In one study, we began exploring whether the age of first binge drinking episode is related to drinking-related issues throughout peoples’ lives. Our preliminary data shows that individuals who started binge drinking between the ages 9 and 15 years of age, consume larger amounts of alcohol throughout their lives, compared to those who started binge drinking at a later age. In addition to drinking in greater quantities, these individuals also tend to binge drink more often throughout their lives and report more day-to-day drinking related problems.
We are currently in the process of examining neurological changes that occur in early onset binge drinkers.