Abstract

Alcohol is a widely used psychoactive substance that is responsible for various effects in a consumer’s body. The consumption of alcohol has been shown to have harmful effects on both the brain and other vital organs. Some of these effects include fibrosis, high blood pressure, irregular heartbeats, as well as multiple type of cancer. It has also been noted that moderate alcohol use can cause changes in multiple brain structures, including the hippocampus, grey matter, ventricles, as well as total brain volume. However, the changes in total brain volume have been debated amongst researchers. In a recent study, a team of researchers investigate the effects of alcohol use on brain volume in early middle age participants. They found that among moderate drinkers, age 39 to 45 years old, a higher amount of alcohol consumption was associated with smaller brain volume. Thus, indicating that increased alcohol usage can impact neurological structures and possibly function. 

Background

In past studies, research has shown that moderate alcohol consumption reduced brain volume in several different regions of the brain. As well as the contrary, where alcohol consumption was found to increase brain volume. The prevalence of alcohol use within most age groups is significantly high. In 2019, it was found that 5.3 % of people 12 and older (nearly 15 million) in the United States, has alcohol use disorder. Alcohol is a very common psychoactive substance that when used in light moderation, has little harm, however, moderate to heavy usage has been linked to many harmful effects. In this current research, the implications of alcohol consumption on total brain volume in those between the age of 39 and 45 were explored.

Methods

Between 1971 and 1974, 1196 participants both healthy and those with birth risks were chosen to participant in this study. Then, between 2014 and 2016, 289 of the birth risks and 64 control participants were re-evaluated. This re-evaluation included, neurological and neuropsychological examinations, MRI, and a 516-item questionnaire.³ To measure alcohol use, the participants completed an Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT-C). This test classified how often in the last year alcohol was consumed, how many drinks are consumed in a typical day, and often in the last year was more than 6 drinks consumed in a day. Then, using MRI scans and an automated MRI volumetry system, volBrain, total brain volume was analyzed in each participant. Then, to control for individual difference in overall size, adjusted total brain volume (aTBV) was calculated by dividing brain volume by intercranial volume and was expressed by a percentage. ³ Similarly, other researchers used MRI scans to calculate and observe changes in grey matter volume in certain brain region, as well as total brain volume.²

Results

A significant difference was found for adjusted total brain volume (aTBV) between moderate drinkers and non-drinkers. They also found that when there is a one-unit increase in AUDIT-C, there was approximately a 0.2% reduction in total brain volume³. These finding suggested that increased alcohol consumption correlates with decreased brain volume among moderate drinkers age 39 to 45 (Fig. 1). The results in this research are comparable to two other studies on alcohols effects on brain volume. In one study, researchers found that there was a significant negative linear relationship between alcohol consumption and total cerebral brain volume (TCBV). In the other study, researchers found that moderate drinkers had a 1.52% significant increase in periventricular white matter lesions; indicating that with more alcohol consumption there is a higher risk of brain atrophy. Other results from the research from Immonen and colleagues include, no significant difference between the birth risk group and the healthy control group, as well as a higher TBV in females compared to males.

Conclusion

There are many harmful substances that can affect brain structure and function. As explored by many researchers, the effects of alcohol consumption can have serious implications. The results reported by Immonen and colleagues suggest that in moderate drinkers, both men and women, increased alcohol consumption has shown a decrease in overall total brain volume. Decreased brain volume is associated with many different potential outcomes. Some of those include stroke, seizures, dementia, and aphasia. The implications of this study are important for educating the general population on the severe impacts of increased consumption of alcohol. This type of study has the potential to influence further research to evaluate additional impacts of alcohol in younger population to determine how these results would affect development. One limitation of this study is that they used individuals with birth risks as part of the experimental group. However, there were no significant differences found with this factor. More research is needed to determine the threshold of alcohol consumption before total brain volume reduction occurs. 

[+] References

[+] Other Work By Taylor Wright