Binge Drinking Causes Almost Immediate Neuron Death
Originally published by Reuters Health, April 17, 2002
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) — A few days of binge drinking can lead to brain cell destruction, according to a report published in the April issue of Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.
"Very high alcohol consumption, even for a short period of time, damages the brain," study lead author Dr. Fulton T. Crews, director of the center for alcohol studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, told Reuters Health.
Studies of alcoholics have found that heavy consumption of alcohol can lead to neurodegeneration with subsequent damaging effects such as a lack of impulse control and difficulty in setting goals.
However, it has not been clear why the association between total alcohol consumed over a lifetime and brain damage was not stronger. Dr. Crews and colleagues hypothesized that it is short-term binges, where a person consumes 10 drinks in a day, rather than consistent heavy drinking, that may lead to brain damage.
"I believe it's not the total amount (consumed), it's related to the pattern of consumption," Dr. Crews said. "Binge drinking, where you reach high blood-alcohol levels, is when the damage occurs."
The researchers administered high amounts of alcohol daily for four days to rats and gave a control group of animals an alcohol-free equivalent diet. Animals exposed to alcohol experienced significant death of brain cells within two days.
Dr. Crews said that previous reports suggest that alcohol-induced brain damage occurs after alcohol has been consumed, during the period of recovery or withdrawal. However, he added that he now suspects that much of the damage actually occurs during the intoxication period itself.
"We're seeing peak damage during intoxication," Dr. Crews noted. "In only a few days, we can mimic what's seen in humans after a decade."
Dr. Crews said people who consume moderate amounts of alcohol most likely avoid this phenomenon. "If someone is a two-drinks-a-day drinker, I would not expect them to have any brain damage," he noted.
