What is alcoholic palimpsest?
Palimpsest is a specific memory disorder occurring in people who chronically consume alcohol. It manifests as a loss of ability to reproduce fragments of events that took place while drinking alcoholic beverages. Memory loss after alcohol occurs as a result of a single intake of a large dose of ethanol into the body. Alcoholic palimpsests are the first warning signal indicating drinking problems and pointing to developing dependence.
Symptoms accompanying alcoholic palimpsest
The palimpsest occurring due to excessive alcohol consumption is accompanied by other symptoms that indicate the drinker's inability to control their body and mind. A person under the influence of alcoholic beverages not only doesn't remember their behavior but also commits acts they wouldn't commit in a sober state. People in a state of consciousness loss after alcohol often undress publicly, engage in sexual activities with random partners, and it also happens that they mutilate their body or commit acts inconsistent with applicable law.
Read also: Moral hangover – guilt after alcohol
Effects of alcoholic palimpsest
The appearance of palimpsest is a sign that neuronal migration has been disrupted in the drinker's brain and damage has occurred to the corpus callosum, cerebellum, basal ganglia, hypothalamus, and frontal lobes. Repeated episodes of memory loss after alcohol lead to permanent impairment of memory ability. They also cause temporary inhibition of processes responsible for transferring memories from short-term to long-term memory. Excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages ultimately leads to the death of brain cells.
Where do "memory gaps" after alcohol come from?
Memory gaps after alcohol are the result of the negative impact of this substance on short-term and long-term memory.
Short-term memory
Short-term memory is the ability to remember what is currently being perceived by the senses. It is responsible for absorbing information, learning, and forms the basis for the creation of long-term memory. This type of memory is characterized by impermanence and is susceptible to disorders caused by the negative impact of alcohol.
Long-term memory
Long-term memory is formed in the hippocampus as a result of processing short-term memory. This process is impaired as a result of alcohol's effect on the nervous system – reduction in gray matter volume and ethanol binding to receptors in the hippocampus, i.e., a structure located in the temporal lobe of the cerebral cortex, resulting in limited electrical activity of neurons. Blocking data transmission in the intoxicated state leads to memory gaps, a phenomenon colloquially called blackout.
Memory gaps associated with excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages can occur as a result of high drinking pace, insufficient body hydration during alcohol consumption, and drinking on an empty stomach. A person who experienced a blackout remembers events before starting to consume alcoholic beverages but doesn't form memories during drinking, thus experiencing memory gaps. Memory problems in people who abuse alcohol are often also caused by a vitamin B1 deficiency associated with addiction, which is responsible for proper nervous system functioning. Palimpsests are the first warning signal.
In whom does palimpsest occur?
Alcoholic palimpsest occurs in people who have entered the second phase of alcoholism, called the warning phase, beginning with the first occurrence of alcoholic amnesia. These people are accompanied by a strong need to consume alcoholic beverages, yet they still try to hide this from their surroundings. Alcoholic palimpsest can appear in anyone who takes excessive doses of ethanol, regardless of their level of tolerance to this substance. Amnesia after alcohol appears, however, primarily in people who:
- consume large amounts of alcohol in a short time
- don't ensure proper body hydration while drinking
- consume alcohol on an empty stomach
- combine alcohol with other substances
- consume alcoholic beverages while taking medications.
Alcohol amount and palimpsest
The amount of alcohol that can trigger palimpsest is highly individualized. Conducted studies indicate that memory gaps are facilitated by a blood alcohol concentration of 0.16%, but in some people, memory problems can also appear at significantly lower BAC (Blood Alcohol Content) levels.
Memory loss after alcohol – how to prevent?
Memory loss after alcohol can be prevented by deciding to stop drinking and maintain abstinence. This allows stopping the progressive impairment of cognitive abilities due to ethanol's effect on nerve cells. In many cases, reversal of the degradation process is also possible – in people who broke with alcohol addiction, after just a few months of abstinence, there is an increase in the previously reduced volume of gray matter in the brain, as well as gradual improvement in working memory. Other brain functions also improve, including spatial orientation and concentration ability.
Read also: Korsakoff syndrome, or amnestic syndrome of alcoholic psychosis
How to treat alcoholic palimpsest?
Frequent occurrence of palimpsest is one of the signals indicating alcohol dependence. The only effective treatment method for this condition is stopping drinking, which in the case of people who consume alcoholic beverages chronically means the necessity of undergoing withdrawal therapy. Only a professional facility employing qualified and experienced doctors and psychotherapists can provide the tools necessary to overcome addiction. In case of advanced stage of palimpsest occurrence, consultation with a neurologist and implementation of appropriate neurological treatment may be necessary.
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