Specifying alcohol-related brain-damage among heavy socia...( cognitive processes such as decision ma...)

cognitive processes such as decision making, planning, regulation of emotion and motivation, memory, and motor control. "These deficits may have an affect on the heavy drinkers' ability to judge his/her drinking as adversely affecting his/her life," he added, "and can also interfere with the drinker's decision to seek treatment or reduce drinking, thus perpetuating drinking behavior."

Meyerhoff said some of the behaviors that could be associated with the metabolite changes include the inability to apply consequences from past actions, difficulties with abstract concepts of time and money, difficulties with storing and retrieving information, and frequently needing external motivators.

"Ultimately we have to reconcile these two types of findings that have been found among abstinent alcoholics and people who are drinking too much but haven't sought out treatment," said Martin. "We don't know why the results are different. It could be that we're partially studying withdrawal, it could be that we're partially studying the metabolic effects of alcohol being in the brain at the time, it could be that we're studying neuronal damage there are a whole variety of explanations. I think that ultimately this study suggests to me that we need to look at people over time to see what happens as the degree of drinking and the duration of abstinence increase."

Both Martin and Meyerhoff said the study's findings of chemical abnormalities in the brains of heavy social drinkers provide evidence of brain impairment, even if the drinkers cannot see it themselves.

"Our major aim was to detect early adverse effects of alcohol drinking on brain function and to provide useful information to the heavy alcohol drinker, family practitioners, and society," said Meyerhoff. "Our message is: 'Drink in moderation! Heavy drinking damages your brain ever so slightly, reducing your cognitive functioning in ways that may not be readily noticeable. To b
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14-Apr-2004

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