Scientists never tire of saying: there’s no such thing as a safe dose of alcohol. But who listens to these buzzkills? Meanwhile, alcohol abuse often spirals into addiction, leading to serious consequences, particularly for the brain.
Short-Term Effects of Alcohol
Speech
According to the American Centers for Addiction Treatment, a person typically struggles to string words together when their blood alcohol concentration (BAC) reaches 0.1 percent.
One of the effects of alcohol on the brain is the alteration of the balance between two key neurotransmitters: glutamate, which is excitatory, and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), which is inhibitory. When GABA levels rise and glutamate levels fall, neurons fire more slowly, making every action take longer.
If this imbalance affects areas responsible for motor control, it disrupts movements of the tongue and facial muscles, complicating speech.
Body Imbalance
Interference with motor neuron function can impact not only speech but also walking and coordination. The brain plays a crucial role in this process, as it controls both movement and the coordination of visual and spatial information that helps us maintain an upright position.
This effect is typically observed when BAC levels reach 0.18-0.25. Such a level of drinking affects nearly every part of the brain, according to IFLScience.
Memory
People often refer to memory loss due to alcohol as “drinking until blackout.” A person might arrive at a new location without remembering how they got there. Or, worse yet, they may find themselves in dangerous situations with no recollection of them.
This is believed to be caused by alcohol’s impact on the hippocampus, a brain region that plays a key role in forming new memories.
Inhibitions
Alcohol impairs clear thinking and lowers our inhibitions. It can lead us to say and do things that we would never consider when sober.
In this case, alcohol damages the prefrontal cortex, which governs reasoning, judgment, and all those higher cognitive skills that set humans apart from other species. At least sober humans.
Long-Term Effects of Alcohol Consumption
When alcohol consumption becomes excessive, chronic, and prolonged, the brain suffers from life-threatening damage.
Addiction
Alcoholic beverages can lead to addiction. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), there are three main mechanisms that contribute to the development of alcohol use disorders.
- Alcohol activates the brain’s reward system, mediated by dopamine, which can drive some individuals to increase their intake.
- Drinking can become habitual when the decision to drink is no longer under conscious control, making it difficult for people to stop.
- Alcohol temporarily alleviates pain and negative emotions by reducing activity in the amygdala and relieving stress. When this effect wears off, individuals may start drinking more to regain that pleasant state.
Wernicke’s Encephalopathy
One of the diseases that nearly all alcoholics are prone to is Wernicke’s encephalopathy, caused by a deficiency of vitamin B1, also known as thiamine.
The main symptoms of Wernicke’s encephalopathy include changes in mental status, walking difficulties (even loss of the ability to walk), and eye movement disorders. Without treatment, the condition can be fatal. In 85 percent of cases where individuals did not receive treatment, a chronic complication known as Korsakoff syndrome developed.
Korsakoff Syndrome
This chronic condition often follows episodes of Wernicke’s encephalopathy. Together, these two states are sometimes referred to as Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome.
The primary symptom is short-term memory loss, although some individuals may also experience issues with long-term memory. A notable aspect of this condition is that many people with Korsakoff syndrome are unaware that they have it. They can often continue to lead social lives, go to work, and engage in conversations.
However, over time, they develop problems with blood pressure and cardiovascular health. As a result, they face the prospect of premature death.
Can Brain Damage Caused by Alcohol Be Reversed?
The human body is remarkably resilient and enduring. The brain can indeed recover if one stops drinking. A recent study showed that participants who had abused alcohol for several years experienced a restoration of cortical thickness to levels similar to those of non-drinkers after 7.3 months of abstinence.
Another study found that even 18 days of sobriety is enough to improve cognitive abilities.