Underage drinking 'causes long term brain injury'RSS Feed

Underage binge drinking has the potential to cause long term brain injury, according to a study.

Researchers from the University of North Carolina found that binge drinking during the critical adolescent period of brain development can affect the frontal cortex, which could affect decision making and linked behaviours in later life.

Dr Fulton Crews, who led the study, said that during adolescence, the brain's developing neural circuits are more vulnerable to damage.

"Our findings suggest that human individuals who drink heavily during adolescence may be more likely to have deficits in being able to adapt successfully to changing life situations as adults, possibly tied to chemical and or structural changes in the frontal cortex," he explained.

Dr Crews explained that drinking impacts on the part of the brain that allows individuals to predict the consequences of actions, control impulses, refine reasoning and evaluate rewards.

Binge drinking is usually defined as the consumption of eight or more units in a single session for men and six or more for women.

News from Serious Law, specialist acquired brain injury solicitors

Posted by Matthew Dixon
 

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