Mayo
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Joined: 03 Mar 2006
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 Posted: 12/18/06 - 08:54 Post subject: Alcohol abuse leads to brain damage |
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A new study done on the alcohol impacts on the brain showed that long-term alcoholics may be at increased risk of permanent brain damage.
The researchers showed that the brain can regenerate after a drink, but longer periods of drinking could post pone the regeneration period.
In the study, the scientists used scanning technology and computer software to analyze how the brains of 15 patients changed over a period of six to seven weeks after they gave up alcohol.
The scanning showed that the size of their brains increased by almost 2% 1, 5 months after the study started. It was also noticed a rise in the levels of chemicals that indicate how intact the brain's nerve cells and sheaths are.
It happened that only one patient continued to lose brain volume but he had been drinking the longest, for 25 years.
At the end of the study, it has been concluded that abstention pays off and enables the brain to repair and perform better. Also, it was shown that the longer the drinking period, the less capacity for regeneration.
The scientists are hoping that this study results will keep the alcoholics motivated to stay sober as long as possible and allow their brains to repair. |
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