The developmental perspective of the chronic alcoholism: Who’s holding the burden of proof?

Chronic alcoholism is a public health issue, and several theoretical frameworks have been proposed to explain its nature. The developmental approach to chronic alcoholism has a double contour, with neurobiological theories counting on several aspects of the deleterious effects exerted from ethanol over neural structures. Psychological and neurobiological theories are not intrinsically contradictory to each other. The importance of early experiences and the potential sensory clues leading to ethanol-self administration are integral parts of the developmental neurobiology of an alcoholic. The developmental theories need to consider any further the accumulative and deleterious effects of ethanol during the nervous system maturation.