Teen binging can damage brain permanently

Repeated alcohol exposure during adolescence can cause changes in the part of the brain that controls learning and memory, according to a new study.

Binge drinking before the brain is fully developed can have “enduring, detrimental effects” on behaviour

The research, which was published in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, found that binge drinking before the brain is fully developed that can have “enduring, detrimental effects” on behaviour.

Researchers exposed young rodents to a set level of alcohol during their adolescence for a determined period of time.

By referring to earlier studies, the researchers found that once the rats grew into adulthood – which takes just under one month – animals that had been exposed to alcohol in adolescence were less proficient at memory tasks in comparison to rats who had not been exposed to alcohol at all.

“In the eyes of the law, once people reach the age of 18, they are considered adult, but the brain continues to mature and refine all the way into the mid-20s,” lead author Mary-Louise Risher, PhD, a post-doctoral researcher in the Duke Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences told Medical Xpress.

“It’s important for young people to know that when they drink heavily during this period of development, there could be changes occurring that have a lasting impact on memory and other cognitive functions.”

Researchers indicated that future studies will focus on the longer-term cognitive effects of alcohol on brains.