How Does Alcohol Affect the Brain?

TL;DR

Alcohol has a strongly toxic effect on the brain, damaging structures such as gray matter, the hippocampus, the cerebral cortex, and the cerebellum, leading to nerve tissue atrophy and brain volume reduction. Even after small doses of alcohol, symptoms such as impaired speech, vision, and balance appear; long-term abuse results in persistent memory and sleep problems. Alcohol can lead to the development of serious neurological diseases: Wernicke's encephalopathy, Korsakoff's syndrome, and alcoholic cerebellar degeneration. After quitting alcohol, partial brain recovery is possible — including an increase in hippocampal volume and improvement in cognitive functions — but this requires time (up to 6 months) and supportive treatment. Supplementation (magnesium, B vitamins, coenzyme Q10) and alcohol detoxification can support nervous system regeneration and the recovery process.

Alcohol and the Brain

The effect of alcohol on the brain is unequivocally negative. This substance disrupts the function of neurotransmitters, which are responsible for distributing chemical substances within the human body. The impairment of their functioning means that although the human body receives external stimuli, it cannot properly transform them. As a result, there is a disintegration of all human senses. What does alcohol destroy? This substance attacks, among others:

• gray matter, which is the element of the nervous system responsible for memory, planning, emotions, intellectual functions, thinking processes, and much more

• the cerebral cortex, especially its frontal lobe, whose damage leads to the inability to control impulses

• the cerebellum

• the limbic system

• the mammillary bodies

• the hypothalamic nuclei.

Alcohol also reduces the volume of white matter containing neuronal processes, disrupts the functions of the amygdala, and inhibits its connections with other brain structures. As a result of ethanol's impact on the brain, hippocampal atrophy also occurs, along with widening of the interhemispheric fissure. As a result of these processes, the alcoholic's brain shrinks and significantly reduces in volume. Read also: Headache After Alcohol – Why Does It Occur?

Effects of Alcohol on the Brain – Symptoms

The first signs of how alcohol destroys the brain can be observed after consuming the first drinks. These include, among others, slurred speech, blurred vision, balance disorders, and difficulties in movement. These symptoms usually disappear quickly after stopping drinking, however, in people who abuse alcohol for a long time, more serious damage may occur, manifesting as sleep disorders and short- and long-term memory impairments.

Sleep Disorders

Alcohol causes impairment of the GABA neurotransmitter, whose main function is to slow down brain activity. Alcoholic beverages initially help with falling asleep, inducing a feeling of relaxation. In later stages of sleep, however, consumed alcohol can cause restlessness, irritability, and anxiety. This leads to frequent awakenings and prevents effective rest.

Short-Term Memory Disorders

Alcohol binds to receptors in the hippocampus and reduces the electrical activity of neurons. This results in limited transmission of impulses between nerve cells and impairment of processes related to short-term memory. A person in a state of intoxication loses the ability to remember what is currently being perceived by the senses. The negative effect of ethanol on the hippocampus also causes the gradual loss of learning ability in the drinking person.

Long-Term Memory Disorders

Alcohol-induced memory disorders mean that the brain does not form new memories and is unable to convert short-term memory into long-term memory. Impairment of the information processing process leads to the creation of memory gaps, a phenomenon colloquially called a blackout.

What Brain Diseases Can Alcohol Lead To?

The alcoholic's brain is susceptible to diseases such as Wernicke's encephalopathy, Korsakoff's syndrome, and alcoholic cerebellar degeneration.

Wernicke's Encephalopathy

Wernicke's encephalopathy is a condition manifesting as mental confusion, paralysis of the nerves responsible for eye movement, as well as difficulties in muscle coordination.

Korsakoff's Syndrome

Korsakoff's syndrome, also called amnestic syndrome, is a neuropsychiatric disease resembling amnesia. It manifests through the creation of memory gaps that the alcoholic tries to fill with imaginary content. Korsakoff's syndrome requires appropriate treatment, as if neglected it can lead to permanent complications and, in some cases, death. Learn more from our article: Korsakoff's Syndrome, the Amnestic Syndrome of Alcoholic Psychosis

Alcoholic Cerebellar Degeneration

Alcoholic cerebellar degeneration, or alcoholic brain atrophy, is a syndrome of chronic symptoms resulting from brain damage. This disease has a progressive character. It sometimes develops even after a period of abstinence. As a result of cerebellar degeneration, degenerative changes occur in the alcoholic's brain, causing such ailments as:

• balance disorders

• truncal dyssynergia

• limb ataxia

• clumsiness and excessively wide-ranging movements

• tremor of hands and other body parts

• impaired execution of rapid, coordinated movements

• scanning speech

• nystagmus

• dysarthria.

In the course of the disease, cerebral cortex atrophy in alcoholics is also common. It leads, among other things, to impairment of cognitive functions, language skills, and thinking processes, as well as loss of orientation, consciousness disorders, and emotional instability. As a result of cortical-subcortical atrophy in the alcoholic's brain, infantile, impulsive, and aggressive behaviors incomprehensible to others may also appear. Many of us are still unaware of the devastating effect alcohol can have on our brain.

Changes in the Brain After Quitting Alcohol

In an addicted person who has decided to break free from addiction and maintains abstinence for a longer period, improvement in nervous system functioning can be observed. The main change in the brain after quitting alcohol is an increase in hippocampal volume, leading to improvement in verbal abilities and both short- and long-term memory. This process occurs spontaneously after stopping exposure of the nervous system to ethanol. Other disorders caused by alcohol-induced brain damage, such as:

• impairment of visual-spatial abilities

• lack of attention division

• inability to focus on one activity

• impulsivity

• inability to identify other people's emotions

require additional therapy and pharmacological agents. It is worth noting here that during the first six weeks after stopping drinking, new damage to the brain's white matter can still be observed in addicted individuals. Improvement in the functioning of this organ can be observed after six months from stopping drinking. Read also: Pancreatic Pain After Alcohol – What Can It Mean?

Are Brain Damages Reversible?

Brain damage from alcohol is reversible to some extent. For improvement to be possible, however, complete abstinence from alcohol and comprehensive nutrition of the body are necessary.

Brain Recovery After Alcohol

Brain recovery after alcohol can be supported by additional supplementation that accelerates the regeneration process of the central nervous system. It is recommended to take:

• magnesium

• calcium

• coenzyme Q10

• vitamin C

• B vitamins, especially vitamins B1, B12, and folic acid.

In order to restore damage caused by alcohol and prevent further brain degeneration, the drinking person should undergo alcohol detoxification. This process allows for the replenishment of vitamin and mineral deficiencies in the body and supports the natural regenerative processes of the nervous system and other systems depleted by ethanol.

---

:::cta Need Help Fighting Addiction? Our specialists are ready to help you. Call or schedule an online appointment. Call: 880 808 880 | Schedule Appointment :::