Alcoholism And Cognitive Aging Research

c) Age-related cognitive impairment (or mild cognitive impairment MCI) – is when an elderly person’s memory starts to wane and they have problems recalling their short term memories, they have difficulty learning new things, their thinking process starts to become reduced and have difficulty concentrating. It is thought that MCI can develop due to alcohol abuse and cognitive decline (poor diet, chronic inflammation, vascular disease and

Alcohol impairs judgment, memory, concentration and coordination, as well as inducing extreme mood swings and emotional

Alcohol can cause alterations in the structure, and the consequences may be evident beyond adolescence. Even though alcohol appears to be a stimulant, really it is a central nervous system depressant, depressing the brains inhibition control center (“too smart to start”). Neuron connectivity is vital to every human. Connectivity can be slowed down by alcohol consumption, which leads the person to think, speak, and move slower (“too smart to start”). Long term effects include memory loss and continuity of poor judgement. The cerebral cortex works with the senses; when the senses are debilitated, information is forgotten and senses do not function properly. The hippocampus regulates a person’s memories. When consuming too much alcohol, or even just one or two drinks, the hippocampus will damage, and a person will struggle remembering minor and large details. Teenagers often gloat over not being able to remember the night before. Even though their night may have been an “awesome blackout” their hippocampus has already been permanently damaged. The person now, can not hold on to knowledge and learn the same as before. The cerebellum controls coordination, thoughts and awareness (“too smart to start”). On most occasions, people have problems with these skills when consuming alcohol. In grade school, D.A.R.E. representatives brought “drunk goggles” to school. Studies show that alcoholism in the cerebellum

Alcohol affects the brain for a short-term– but repeated drinking may have an impact down the road, especially as a person’s brains grow and develop (NIDA, 2016). When a person is under the influence, he or she may feel their bodies having less aware of their surroundings. A person also may feel very relaxed and perform risky behavior, without even realizing. Long- term effects of alcoholism can cause a person to have trouble processing, learning, or a dependence on

Alcohol is classified as a depressant, known to slow the function of the central nervous system. The effects of long-term alcohol use impact the brain 's ability to function properly, while limiting the capacity for comprehension of information and processing of memories. Reports from the National Institute of Health have shown that the deficiency of Thiamine, or vitamin B1, is commonly seen with alcoholism, and can be linked to dementia-like symptoms associated with alcoholic encephalopathy and Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome (U.S. Natl. Library of Medicine). Excessive alcohol consumption is responsible for disturbances

The brain is a crucial area in psychological development. Although the entire organ can be affected the frontal lobes which are responsible for a “higher level” of thinking are most affected. Higher level of thinking can be planning, decision making, and judgement. The other important area of the brain affected is the hippocampus which is a crucial area of learning. People who have severe damage to this part of the brain are unable to retain any new information and have a hard time remembering what they just learned. However, they can still retrieve old memories. When these two areas of the brain are affected because of alcohol consumption, students are unable to be successful in school. Data form several national studies indicate that drinking and academic impairment are associated (Engs et al., 1996; Perkins, 1992; Presley et al., 1996a,b; Wechsler et al., 1994, 1998,2000b). Students that once had a high GPA get lower grades after consuming

Therefore, with the multitude of Substance-Related Disorders (e.g., caffeine; cannabis; hallucinogens; inhalants; opioids; sedatives; hypnotics; and anxiolytics stimulants; tobacco and other substances) that need to be addressed within the older population, I have chosen to discuss the impact of Alcohol Abuse on the older population. Furthermore, I will address the following variables: prevalence and patterns of substance (e.g. Alcohol) exposure, and use and risk factors for addiction. In addition, I will address the following questions, 1 thru 4 posed in this assignment, beginning with the first question.

Alcohol has been considered by many to be a powerful, and sometimes deadly, drug. It is often created during the breakdown process of sugar into ethanol and carbon dioxide during the fermentation of fruits or grain. The consumption of this substance has been restricted by age in most countries, as it has been linked to the harm of the kidneys, brain, and other parts of the human body. Alcohol has been a large presence in the media for centuries, mainly due to its sometimes damaging effects on consumers. However, there are those who believe that consuming alcohol could actually prove to have health benefits as well. A study by Dutch scientists suggests that a low-to-moderate intake of alcohol could actually reduce the risk of dementia in elderly victims from age fifty-five and up.

The ethanol helps the neurons in the brain resist Alzheimer’s and dementia later in life. In France there was a study that found moderate drinkers to have a 75% lower risk from Alzheimer’s disease and an 80% lower risk for senile dementia. Also older people who drink in moderation generally suffer less mental decline.

If a person begins heavy episodic drinking at the age of 12 the behavior increases to 50.5% by the age of 21 and 22 years old. Those of who attended college did not drink as much in adolescents but surpasses the non-college in overall alcohol use and shows a higher genetic influence. The cortical gray and white matter shows changes during normal development. There appears to be improvement in executive function in the frontal lobe, this includes improvement in the white matter connectivity between cortical and subcortical brain regions. The college-age drinker appears to overestimate the amount alcohol is in a standard drink. A biological consequence of heavy drinking includes deficits in memory retention. They used positive family history

For example, the image below presents how alcohol may harm the teenage brain. During a memory task, a 15 year old male with an alcohol problem was compared with a young non-drinker. The 15 year old male with an alcohol problem showed poor brain activity unlike the young

The Parada, Corral, Mota, Crego, Holguín, and Cadaveira, (2012) suggest that the purpose of their research was to observe the relationship between binge drinking (BD) and executive abilities in college undergraduates; furthermore, the significant amount of the maturing of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex that happens during the teenage years, in addition, the frontal lobes are in great peril to the neurotoxic results of booze. There is great probability that the brain region may be particularly susceptible to damage during adolescence (Parada, et al, 2012). The brain is not fully developed until the age of 25 years old; consequently, the adolescents might have irreparable damage to all parts of the brain, which might affect them for the rest

One negative effect on Underage drinking is that it has an adverse effect on the development of memory. A discovery was found that youngsters dependent on alcohol was surely to have poor short-term memory. It has a negative effect on the person’s thinking, planning skills, memory and more. The damaging effects from alcohol focus on the frontal

When neuropsychological testing was performed on an average individual with the most severe alcohol damage it was revealed that they performed more poorly than nonalcoholic individuals in abstracting, problem solving, memory, learning and perceptual –motor speed, (Maisto, Galizio, & Connors, 2015, p224). Moderate drinkers might have the ability to control the amount of alcohol they consume. Moderate drinkers could simply put be misusing alcohol. According to the text the way to determine this is tolerance, which is the need for greater amounts to obtain the desired effect. Chronic drinkers or heavy drinkers may not feel drunk they might have a Blood Alcohol Count of 0.8 %, which is legally drunk, (Maisto, Galizio, & Connors, 2015, p209). Moderate drinkers may feel drunk with that much alcohol in their

alcohol is in the brain that a memory pattern is not formed during a period of time that extends to