Adolescent Substance Use Risk: A Review of Dopamine and Reward-System Development

Adolescence represents a critical developmental period characterized by increased reward sensitivity, risk-taking, and heightened vulnerability to substance and other addictive behaviors. The literature is becoming increasingly clear that the influence of dopamine pathways, associated brain activity related to reward, and other neural mechanisms play a role in susceptibility to substance use during adolescent development. The reviewed articles present both converging and conflicting findings on dopaminergic sensitivity, functional connectivity of reward circuits, the role of stress and social context, and differences in adolescent development compared to younger adults. Overall, the evidence suggests that adolescent vulnerability to substance use emerges from the interaction of neurodevelopmental processes and emotional, social, and environmental factors.