Ask a Question
or
Create a Poll
  1. Home /
  2. Questions /
  3. Food And Dining
  4. / Drinks
  5. / Alcohol And Alcoholic Drinks

by david askari on December 17th, 2004

david askari

Question

Help answer this question below.

Does drinking alcohol really kill brain cells?

  • Like
  • Report
Share:
Other

Answers. 26 helpful answers below.

  • by CathyS on January 1st, 2008

    CathyS

    Up until recently, researchers thought that brain cells do not multiply. But now they see that the brain can, and does, grow and repair itself just a little bit over time.

    You can actually feed, train, and exercise the brain to be bigger, better, faster, stronger.

    So, some brain cells won't actually die, but just pass out for a few months. And then wake up in a strange place, not really knowing how they got there or what they're supposed to do now.

    • Like
    • Report

    No comments. Post one | Permalink

  • by ggonnigan on June 2nd, 2005

    ggonnigan

    Results of autopsy studies show that patients with a history of chronic alcohol consumption have smaller, lighter, more shrunken brains than nonalcoholic adults of the same age and gender

    This finding has been repeatedly confirmed in living alcoholics using structural imaging techniques, such as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Structural imaging reveals a consistent association between heavy drinking and physical brain damage, even in the absence of medical conditions previously considered to be clinical indicators of severe alcoholism (e.g., chronic liver disease or alcohol-induced dementia).

    Alcohol affects various centers in the brain, both higher and lower order. The centers are not equally affected by the same BAC (blood alcohol content) -- the higher-order centers are more sensitive than the lower-order centers. As the BAC increases, more and more centers of the brain are affected.

    Alcohol interferes with communication between nerve cells and all other cells, suppressing the activities of excitatory nerve pathways and increasing the activities of inhibitory nerve pathways.

    The order in which alcohol affects the various brain centers is as follows:


    1. Cerebral Cortex
    The cerebral cortex is the highest portion of the brain. The cortex processes information from your senses, does your "thought" processing and consciousness (in combination with a structure called the basal ganglia), initiates most voluntary muscle movements and influences lower-order brain centers. In the cortex, alcohol does the following:

    • Depresses the behavioral inhibitory centers - The person becomes more talkative, more self-confident and less socially inhibited.
    • Slows down the processing of information from the senses - The person has trouble seeing, hearing, smelling, touching and tasting; also, the threshold for pain is raised.
    • Inhibits thought processes - The person does not use good judgement or think clearly.

    These effects get more pronounced as the BAC increases.

    2. Limbic System
    The limbic system consists of areas of the brain called the hippocampus and septal area. The limbic system controls emotions and memory. As alcohol affects this system, the person is subject to exaggerated states of emotion (anger, aggressiveness, withdrawal) and memory loss.

    3. Cerebellum
    The cerebellum coordinates the movement of muscles. The brain impulses that begin muscle movement originate in the motor centers of the cerebral cortex and travel through the medulla and spinal cord to the muscles. As the nerve signals pass through the medulla, they are influenced by nerve impulses from the cerebellum. The cerebellum controls fine movements. For example, you can normally touch your finger to your nose in one smooth motion with your eyes closed; if your cerebellum were not functioning, the motion would be extremely shaky or jerky. As alcohol affects the cerebellum, muscle movements become uncoordinated. In addition to coordinating voluntary muscle movements, the cerebellum also coordinates the fine muscle movements involved in maintaining your balance. So, as alcohol affects the cerebellum, a person loses his or her balance frequently. At this stage, this person might be described as "falling down drunk."


    4. Hypothalamus and Pituitary Gland
    The hypothalamus is an area of the brain that controls and influences many automatic functions of the brain through actions on the medulla, and coordinates many chemical or endocrine functions (secretions of sex, thyroid and growth hormones) through chemical and nerve impulse actions on the pituitary gland. Alcohol has two noticeable effects on the hypothalamus and pituitary gland, which influence sexual behavior and urinary excretion. Alcohol depresses the nerve centers in the hypothalamus that control sexual arousal and performance. As BAC increases, sexual behavior increases, but sexual performance declines.

    5. Medulla
    The medulla, or brain stem, controls or influences all of the bodily functions that you do not have to think about, like breathing, heart rate, temperature and consciousness. As alcohol starts to influence upper centers in the medulla, such as the reticular formation, a person will start to feel sleepy and may eventually become unconscious as BAC increases. If the BAC gets high enough to influence the breathing, heart rate and temperature centers, a person will breathe slowly or stop breathing altogether, and both blood pressure and body temperature will fall. These conditions can be fatal.


    Reference Links:

    http://science.howstuffworks.com/alcohol.htm

    http://alcoholism.about.com/cs/alerts/l/blnaa47.htm

    • Like
    • Report

    3 comments | Post one | Permalink

  • by TheMan--- on November 2nd, 2007

    TheMan---

    Yes, but not to worry!...

    Cliff Clavens Buffalo Theory:
    "Well you see, Norm, it's like this...A herd of buffalo can only move as fast as the slowest buffalo and when the herd is hunted, it is the slowest and weakest ones at the back that are killed first. This natural selection is good for the herd as a whole, because the general speed and health of the whole group keeps improving by the regular killing of the weakest members. In much the same way, the human brain
    can only operate as fast as the slowest brain cells. Now, as we know, excessive drinking of alcohol kills brain cells. But naturally, it attacks the slowest and weakest brain cells first. In this way, regular consumption of beer eliminates the weaker brain cells, making the brain a faster and more efficient machine. And that, Norm, is why you always feel smarter after a few beers"

    Thats what iv got for my Bebo profile =]

    • Like
    • Report

    4 comments | Post one | Permalink

  • by Yeux on November 2nd, 2007

    Yeux

    That's what the professionals say.

    • Like
    • Report

    3 comments | Post one | Permalink

  • by anonymous on August 6th, 2007

    anonymous

    Some reports have shown that drinking small amoumts of alcohol can actually increase memory, however going out and getting completely b*llocksed every weekend I'm sure definately, erm, thingy, what was I on about?

    • Like
    • Report

    No comments. Post one | Permalink

  • by wNCgal is one of the peculiar people on November 2nd, 2007

    wNCgal is one of the peculiar people

    I'm sure it does because I still cant remember about 15 years of my life...I do get flashbacks....oh those terrible flashbacks!

    • Like
    • Report

    No comments. Post one | Permalink

  • by ChelseaMark on November 2nd, 2007

    ChelseaMark

    Yeah , havn't you read my answers.

    • Like
    • Report

    No comments. Post one | Permalink

  • by Highlander is semi-retired from AB on November 2nd, 2007

    Highlander is semi-retired from AB

    I can't remember. :-)

    • Like
    • Report

    No comments. Post one | Permalink

  • by loveshoes on August 6th, 2007

    loveshoes

    I really, really hope not or else I will be as dumb as a post by the time I'm 30.

    • Like
    • Report

    1 comment | Post one | Permalink

  • by Wild One on November 2nd, 2007

    Wild One

    I hope not

    • Like
    • Report

    No comments. Post one | Permalink

  • by GuitarPlayer92 on November 2nd, 2007

    GuitarPlayer92

    Very much so. But it probably takes alot to have a noticeable impact.

    • Like
    • Report

    No comments. Post one | Permalink

  • by Norman_Outside the lines on August 6th, 2007

    Norman_Outside the lines

    anything in moderation is either ok or good for you, most things in excess cause harm, damage or in my case mental problems. so , yes it can if you drink too much!
    hic !

    • Like
    • Report

    No comments. Post one | Permalink

  • by Cannabis its just a plant on June 17th, 2007

    Cannabis its just a plant

    In moderation probably not.

    Years of alcohol abuse can cause serious neurological damage, including Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wernicke-Korsakoff_syndrome

    • Like
    • Report

    No comments. Post one | Permalink

  • by feelie75 on December 10th, 2006

    feelie75

    Soooo... in summary your answer is "NO"???

    Nowhere did you say that it Kills cells. Alcohol slows the communication in the brain. It can build up calcium between the dendrites between cells, but it does not actually 'kill' cells.

    • Like
    • Report

    No comments. Post one | Permalink

  • by dr james on March 27th, 2008

    dr james

    drinking does kill, driving kills...now wheres my bottle and scalpel

    No comments. Post one | Permalink

  • by Shadow on June 3rd, 2009

    Shadow

    I have no brain cells for it to kill Rofl.

    No comments. Post one | Permalink

  • by dr james on March 27th, 2008

    dr james

    when i sober up, i`ll let you know..now wheres my scalpel

    No comments. Post one | Permalink

  • by dr james on March 27th, 2008

    dr james

    no...swallow, hiccup...no...swallow, hiccup...no...swallow, hiccup....what was the question

    No comments. Post one | Permalink

  • by GuitarPlayer92 on September 30th, 2007

    GuitarPlayer92

    Oh yes that is for certain. If you use alcohol the way it should be used though you shouldn't have a problem. Abuse it and your body will suffer.

    No comments. Post one | Permalink

  • by Lucky on June 3rd, 2009

    Lucky

    No, just acts like it does...pour me another!

    No comments. Post one | Permalink

  • by vera city on June 3rd, 2009

    vera city

    of course, and so do the following:

    watching a pack of cars drive in circles at 200mph for hours at a time

    trying to reason with a teenager

    watching the presidential debates on TV

    teaching a spouse to drive or play poker

    listening to rap music

    No comments. Post one | Permalink

  • by Twisted Taco on June 3rd, 2009

    Twisted Taco

    Yep. Look at George Bush, if that ain't proof, I don't know what is

    No comments. Post one | Permalink

  • by P.M.Lars on June 3rd, 2009

    P.M.Lars

    Yes!

    No comments. Post one | Permalink

  • by bagicide stayed 10 months too long on June 3rd, 2009

    bagicide stayed 10 months too long

    Most of your brain is composed of fat. What does alcohol do to fat?

    No comments. Post one | Permalink

  • by CaRbOnPrOdUcK is Baccuss on June 3rd, 2009

    CaRbOnPrOdUcK is Baccuss

    yes especially when I thirst

    No comments. Post one | Permalink

  • by alexander on September 30th, 2007

    alexander

    one drink of alchohol kills 10,000

    No comments. Post one | Permalink

Want to attach an image to your answer? Click here.

Did this answer your question? If not, then ask a new question or create a poll.

More Questions. Additional questions in this category.

You're reading Does drinking alcohol really kill brain cells? - which can also be phrased in the following ways:

  • Is it true that drinking alcohol kills brain cells?

Follow us on Facebook!

Related Ads

Related Questions

Professionally Researched

ANSWERBAG BUZZ

Does alcohol kill brain cells
Drinking kills brain cells
Does drinking alcohol kill brain cells
Does drinking kill your brain cells
Alcohol kills brain cells
More Popular Searches...

Answerbag

a Demand Media company