RESOURCES
NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS: ARCHIVE
Our news & announcements offer up-to-date information important and relative for us to share with you. We update often, so check back frequently. Past news and announcements are available in this archive.
01/06/2010 - BRAIN IMPAIRMENT AND REPAIR WITH ABSTINENCE
We have known for many years that the effects of prolonged abuse of alcohol and other drugs can be devastating to normal brain functioning. In order to understand the impact and damage to neurotransmitters, receptors, alterations in glucose usage (which serves as brain fuel), it is important to look at specific areas of the brain and their function.
The cortex, or the outer area of the brain serves to provide higher cognitive function, i.e. abstract thinking and the ability to understand and learn. The prefrontal cortex function includes the ability to inhibit behavior and to understand the consequences of one’s behavior.
The limbic system is a deeper structure within the brain that is part of a biological reward pathway controlling basic drives such as eating, drinking, and sexual behavior. We know from observation that individuals seek out the experience of pleasure and that dopamine is the primary neurotransmitter, although other neurotransmitters and hormones are also involved.
A large number of scientific studies suggest that chronic alcohol use induces neurotoxicity and impairment of problem solving, decision-making, risky behavior and cognitive abilities. In addition several studies have suggested that periods of abstinence (24 hours) followed by drinking affect immediate and delayed memory which may be increased by an earlier start of regular alcohol use progressing to problem/heavy drinking. Other factors to be considered include years of problem drinking, genetic predisposition, and severity of dependence.
What remains unknown is the degree of repair and return to unimpaired ability to think, reason, calculate, short/long term memory function, and neurotransmitter function as a primary benefit of prolonged and uninterrupted abstinence. Are the toxic effects of alcohol damage to the brain permanent? What we do know is that we can prevent further damage to some of the brain’s most important structures (and our quality of life) through abstinence from alcohol and other mind-altering substances.