Teens who frequently drink alcohol, less gray matter in areas of the brain associated with memory, self-control and decision-making.
It is discovered by researchers from the University of Eastern Finland. Their study involved 62 young volunteers who do not suffer from mental illness.
Participants aged 13 years and then after 5 and 10 years, completed the questionnaire. They answered questions about alcohol use. 35 volunteers have abused alcohol during adolescence, for example, drink 4 times a week or more, or drank alcohol less frequently but in larger quantities. The remaining 27 participants had problems with alcohol.
The volunteers did not differ anxiety level, Personality disorders, and did not use drugs. However, participants who abuse alcohol, smoked cigarettes more often. In addition, brain scans showed that volunteers who had problems with alcohol, turned out to be less gray matter in several regions of the brain.
Experts do not believe in the existence of a causal link. It is possible that the decrease in the amount of gray matter is due to genetic factors, and because of the lack of gray matter people abuse alcohol. But scientists note that during adolescence the brain is actively developing. Both alcohol can interfere with this process and cause a devastating effect.
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