Effects of Alcohol on the Brain

The brain plays a major role in controlling various body functions such as movement, sensation, thinking, memory, and speech. It is divided into two halves with specialized functions. The right-brain’s functions include controlling the left side of the body, visual and spatial skills, memory storage, feelings and intuitions, holistic interpretations, and creativity. The left-brain’s functions include controlling the right side of the body, sequential analysis, memory storage in particular order, logical interpretations, reading and understanding language, and analyzing. Damage to either side of brain can lead to adverse effects on the individual’s body and behavior and any damage caused to a specific side is known to show its adverse effects on the opposite side of the body. For example, damage to the right hemisphere of the brain leads to cognitive-communication problems, such as impaired memory, attention problems, and poor reasoning.

The brain is a very complex structure in our body. The brain is made up of several different parts and each of those parts have different functions. Researchers are investigating the processes and the functions of the different structures of the brain. There is plenty of information that they have found to help us understand a little of the complexity of the human brain. One structure that researchers have paid much attention to is the hippocampus. The hippocampus is a S-shaped structure within the temporal lobe. The word hippocampus comes from the Latin word meaning ‘sea horse’. The hippocampus’s shape resembles a sea horse. The hippocampus serves a critical role in declarative memory which is our capacity to recall everyday facts and events. When alcohol is introduced to this part of the brain it will result in the human not remembering what happened at this time the next day, or two days possibly. Damage to the hippocampus can also lead to amnesia. One of the most famous cases involving amnesia is H.M. whose memory was severely impaired after an operation took out most of his hippocampus and medial temporal lobe. False memories are also formed in the hippocampus which makes people think they remember events or parts of events that never occurred. The hippocampus is part of the limbic system which consists of the cingulate cortex, olfactory cortex, and amygdala. The limbic system is important in motivations and emotions such us eating, drinking, sexual activity, anxiety, and aggression. The hippocampus also receives input from the olfactory which involves the sense of smell. Activation of the amygdala, which is mainly responsible for encoding and retaining emotional memories, can strengthen the memory formation in the hippocampus. The medial temporal lobe which contains the hippocampus, entorhinal cortex, perirhinal cortex and para hippocampal cortex is the main brain area for aspects of memory. Long-term alcohol abuse can permanently damage the hippocampus and will make you not be able to learn anything as easy as before. If this system is damaged, then you can potentially blackout and go unconscious. This can happen just from alcohol alone, so just imagine what will happen if you keep damaging this part of the brain and you get addicted and do this to yourself all the time.

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Another system is the central nervous system. The nervous system is a whole network of specialized cells which coordinate actions by sending signals from one part of the body to another. The signals can either be in form of electrochemical waves or chemical releases. It is comprised of the brain and the spinal cord that make up a large part of the entire nervous system. The spinal cord serves as a conduit for signals between the brain and the rest of the body. It also controls simple musculoskeletal reflexes without input from the brain. The brain is responsible for integrating most sensory information and coordinating body function, both consciously and unconsciously. Complex functions such as thinking and feeling as well as regulation of homeostasis are attributable to different parts of the brain. One function of the central nervous system is regulating body temperature. As we exercise, we create heat and in order to maintain constant temperature the nervous system sends messages to increase blood flow and sweating disperse the heat. When alcohol is introduced, your heart rate can increase and widen blood vessels in your skin making you sweat a lot. The alcohol will affect how signals flow through your body making you think, speak, and move more slowly. This is represented when you have consumed alcohol and you try to speak to someone, and they tell you that you don’t make any sense. You might also try to think of what day it is, and you won’t have any clue.

There is one other system that is affected by alcohol and that is the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus is part of the endocrine system which works together with the nervous system to control the flow of information to the nerves and other regions of the body. Together, the nervous system and the endocrine system ensure proper communication between various organs of the body to maintain a constant internal environment, also called homeostasis. Almost every organ and cell in the body is affected by the endocrine system. Its hormones control metabolism and energy levels, electrolyte balance, growth and development, and reproduction. This system when it is affected by alcohol can decrease your energy and make you more tired and lazy. It will make you very thirsty and will either be quenched by more alcohol, which will not work, or something else to drink. If you have ever heard of people saying that alcohol will stunt your growth it is true. It can harm your liver and bones and make them become weak. In adults, alcohol consumption can disrupt the ongoing balance between the erosion and the remodeling of bone tissue, contributing to alcoholic bone disease. Bone is a living tissue that continues to undergo change and replacement even after a person has attained full stature. Long-term alcohol consumption can interfere with bone growth and remodeling, resulting in decreased bone density and increased risk of fracture.

In conclusion, alcohol is not an ordinary commodity. While it carries connotations of pleasure and sociability in the minds of many, harmful consequences of its use are diverse and widespread. Worldwide, alcohol takes an enormous toll on lives and communities, especially in developing countries and its contribution to the overall burden of disease is expected to increase in the future. Particularly worrying trends are the increases in the average amount of alcohol consumed with more harmful and risky drinking patterns among young people. Young humans’ brains aren’t fully developed yet, and they should therefore sustain themselves from alcohol in the first place. If they don’t, then they will end up right where I am today: having a minor on their record. If they are eighteen it will be even worse than a minor, so I advise other youth to not even think of drinking until they are legally able to. Do the right thing for yourself and for the community around us.

References

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmcarticlesPMC3548359
2. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-the-hippocampus-2795231
3. https://www.christopherreeve.org/living-with-paralysis/healthhow-the-spinal-cord-works
4. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles312628#disorders
5. https://www.verywellmind.com/impact-on-society-63268