In the U.S., binge drinking is the most prevalent pattern of excessive alcohol use. New research published online in Metabolic Brain Disease explored its impact on how the brain functions.
The study, conducted by researchers from the University of Buffalo, showed that binge drinking has significant effects on the adolescent brain of rodents, affecting brain function.
The research examined glucose utilization and used positron emission tomography to assess the rodent subjects.
“This study utilized a binge drinking model in adolescent rats to examine effects on brain function as measured by brain glucose metabolism (BGluM),” according to the study’s authors.
“These results highlight the negative consequences of acute binge drinking on BGluM in many regions of the brain involved in sensory, motor, and cognitive processes,” the authors wrote in their findings.
“Future studies are needed to assess the long-term effects of alcohol binge drinking on brain function as well as its cessation.”
