New Study Shows Alcoholism Damages Brain Matter
Oscar Wilde, the noted Irish author and humorist, once said that “all excess … brings its own punishmentâ€. He knew what he was talking about for more than one reason. Plenty of experience with drinking too much and suffering from hangovers made him describe himself as an alcoholic and a regular used of absinthe (http://www.absinthe101.com/famous.html). He used his wit to speak of his dependence on alcohol in a humorous vein. Writing in the late 1800s, he may not have known how much punishment alcohol can actually deliver. Scientific research today shows that alcoholism damages brain matter, and it is no laughing matter.
Confirming the Facts
A study by researchers at Harvard, released in December of 2014, (http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/story/life/2014/12/08/scans-show-alcoholism-damages-brains-white-matter/20080209/) extends knowledge about the effects of alcohol on the brain. One of the findings in the report regards the areas that are affected by addiction to alcohol. The report shows that the frontal lobes are affected significantly, and they are essential for self regulating behavior. Affecting the area of the brain that manages impulse control and behavior modification, alcohol limits the brain’s ability to help an alcoholic stop drinking.
Relying on Scientific Method
The areas that are negatively affected show up on brain scans, a scientific method for obtaining reliable information. Researchers’ interpretations of the study results reveal that the chances of having permanent brain damage increase over time. Continued exposure to heavy drinking subjects the brain to damaging effects that may have permanence. With its impulse control function impaired by dependence on alcohol, the brain of an alcoholic is challenged to make decisions that can prevent further harm to white matter (https://www.nmr.mgh.harvard.edu/news/141124/chronic-alcohol-intake-can-damage-white-matter-pathways-across-the-entire-brain). When alcoholism damages brain matter, the consequences can reach significant proportions.
The areas that are negatively affected show up on brain scans, a scientific method for obtaining reliable information. Researchers’ interpretations of the study results reveal that the chances of having permanent brain damage increase over time. Continued exposure to heavy drinking subjects the brain to damaging effects that may have permanence. With its impulse control function impaired by dependence on alcohol, the brain of an alcoholic is challenged to make decisions that can prevent further harm to white matter (https://www.nmr.mgh.harvard.edu/news/141124/chronic-alcohol-intake-can-damage-white-matter-pathways-across-the-entire-brain). When alcoholism damages brain matter, the consequences can reach significant proportions.
Taking a Close Look
The results of the Harvard study draw interest from researchers who study effects of alcohol on the brain. The MGH/HST Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging report, released in November of 2014, confirms the damage that intake of alcohol can deliver to the brain. The report cites evidence that alcohol affects white matter pathways as well. Medical researchers have known that alcohol has a significant effect on the brain, but the basis for obtaining information was often through observation of behavior. In some cases, postmortem studies provide valuable evidence of alcohol’s damage to the brain.Technological advances in neuroimaging give visual evidence of the wide range of alcohol’s effects on the entire brain. Changes that can alter psychological abilities as well as intellectual functionality are visible through the use of technologies that add to the body of knowledge regarding the impact of alcohol on the brain. Researchers regard damage that occurs to the frontal lobes as particularly problematical for alcoholics. The centers that control acquisition of new information may receive damage that prevents changes in behavior. Study results show that alcoholism damages brain matter, and the damage increases as the quantity consumed increases.
The results of the Harvard study draw interest from researchers who study effects of alcohol on the brain. The MGH/HST Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging report, released in November of 2014, confirms the damage that intake of alcohol can deliver to the brain. The report cites evidence that alcohol affects white matter pathways as well. Medical researchers have known that alcohol has a significant effect on the brain, but the basis for obtaining information was often through observation of behavior. In some cases, postmortem studies provide valuable evidence of alcohol’s damage to the brain.Technological advances in neuroimaging give visual evidence of the wide range of alcohol’s effects on the entire brain. Changes that can alter psychological abilities as well as intellectual functionality are visible through the use of technologies that add to the body of knowledge regarding the impact of alcohol on the brain. Researchers regard damage that occurs to the frontal lobes as particularly problematical for alcoholics. The centers that control acquisition of new information may receive damage that prevents changes in behavior. Study results show that alcoholism damages brain matter, and the damage increases as the quantity consumed increases.
