Adolescent Brain Vulnerability and Psychopathology Through the Generations: Role of Diet and Dopamine

Abstract

Early neurodevelopment in utero and in the early adolescence is a key stage during maturation with various structural, neurochemical, and molecular changes taking place in response to genetic and environmental cues (1). These include synaptic pruning, where “redundant” synapses are eliminated, resulting in decreased levels of cortical gray matter as the brain matures. Coinciding with this is the formation of new neuronal connections producing a phase of high plasticity throughout much of the brain. Of note is a key role for dopamine signaling in regulating the formation of appropriate synaptic connections in an age-dependent manner (2). A consequence of this major neuronal rewiring during adolescence is a high level of vulnerability to pathologic insults ranging from stress to drugs of abuse to dietary deficiencies (1). This developmental time point is also the peak time for the onset of numerous psychiatric disorders including schizophrenia, substance abuse disorders, and mood disorders (1), all of which are associated with aberrant dopamine signaling. Thus, pathologic vulnerability of the adolescent brain makes it uniquely susceptible to neurochemical changes that presage the onset of mental illness.