Teen Binge Drinking Tied to Adult Brain and Neurotransmission Changes

Utilizing MRI and TMS-EEG technology, the researchers identified lower gray matter thickness and increased N45 potential, indicative of inhibitory GABA and excitatory glutamate neurotransmitter activity.

This study underlines the long-term, detrimental impact of adolescent heavy drinking on adult brain structure and function. More research is required to unveil the underlying mechanisms.

Key Facts:

1. The study demonstrated that heavy drinking in adolescence can lead to a reduction in cortical gray matter thickness in adulthood.
2. Increased N45 potential, representing inhibitory GABA and excitatory glutamate neurotransmitter systems activity, was observed in young adults with a history of heavy drinking.
3. Particularly affected areas due to heavy drinking were the frontal and parietal lobes of the brain.

Source: University of Eastern Finland

During adolescence, the brain undergoes intense development and is particularly susceptible to the deleterious effects of alcohol use.  According to findings from a recent follow-up study in Finland, young adults whose heavy drinking began in adolescence have lower cortical gray matter thickness and altered neurotransmission.

The findings were published in Alcohol: Clinical and Experimental Research.

Previous research has shown that repeated binge drinking in adolescence is associated with changes in the central nervous system in adulthood, including lower gray matter volume and greater inhibitory neurotransmission.

According to the researchers, the results indicate that the thinning of the cerebral cortex observed in young adults with a history of heavy drinking since adolescence is associated with altered neurotransmission, especially in the frontal
and parietal lobes. However, further research is needed to assess the mechanisms underlying these findings.The present study is the first to explore the association between gray matter thickness and neurotransmission.underlying these effects.

Reference