Heavy alcohol use may slow brain growth

Apr 02, 2019

New Delhi, Apr 02 (ANI): A new study has revealed that heavy use of alcohol among adolescents and young adults can actually slow the rate of growth in developing brains. The research, carried out in nonhuman primates, has been published in the journal eNeuro. The study shows that heavy alcohol use reduced the rate of brain growth by 0.25 millilitres per year for every gram of alcohol consumed per kilogram of body weight. In human terms, it is equivalent to four beers per day. The research involved rhesus macaque monkeys at the Oregon National Primate Research Center. Researchers measured brain growth through magnetic resonance imaging of 71 rhesus macaques that voluntarily consumed ethanol or beverage alcohol. Scientists precisely measured intake, diet, daily schedules, and health care, thus ruling out other factors that tend to confound results in observational studies involving people. However, it's not clear whether there would be long-term effects on mental functions as the adolescent and young adult brain ends its growth phase. The next stage of research will explore that question.