Alcohol's neurotoxicity

Alcohol-related brain damage is the damage that occurs to brain structures or function of the central nervous system as a result of the direct neurotoxic effects of alcohol intoxication or acute withdrawal. The frontal lobes are the most damaged region of the brains of alcohol abusers but other regions of the brain are also affected. The damage that occurs from heavy drinking/high blood alcohol levels causes impairments in judgement and decision making and social skills. These brain changes are linked to poor behavioural control and impulsivity, which tend to worsen the existing addiction problem.

The problems of alcoholism are well known, such as memory disorders, liver disease, high blood pressure, muscle weakness, heart problems, anaemia, low immune function, disorders of the digestive system and pancreatic problems as well as depression, unemployment and family problems including child abuse. Recently attention has been increasingly focused on binge drinking by adolescents and young adults due to neurochemical changes and brain damage which, unlike with alcoholism, can occur after a relatively short period of time; the damage is particularly evident in the corticolimbic region. This brain damage increases the risk of abnormalities in mood and cognitive abilities, increases the risk of dementia and additionally binge drinkers have an increased risk of developing chronic alcoholism.

Individuals who are impulsive are at high risk of addiction due to impaired behavioural control and increased sensation seeking behaviour. Alcohol abuse, especially during adolescence, causes a deterioration of executive functions in the frontal lobe. This brain damage from alcohol actually increases impulsivity and therefore worsens the addictive disorder. With prolonged abstinence neurogenesis occurs which can potentially reverse the damage from alcohol abuse.

Alcohol related brain damage causes a wide range of executive function impairments including, impaired judgment, blunted affect, poor insight, social withdrawal, depression, reduced motivation, distractability, attentional and impulse control deficits.

Dark cell degeneration as well as inhibition of brain neural stem cell proliferation and neurogenesis are among the causes of alcohol related brain damage. Increases in microglia density also occurs in alcohol abusers which is evidence of neurodegeneration. These increases in microglia persist after abstinence from alcohol according to animal research. People with an alcohol use disorder also show an increased expression of proinflammatory cytokine and microglia protein expression.

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