“And one important difference we found…was that the kids with the heavy drinking patterns were not able to retain as much information as the kids who were non-drinkers.”
– Susan Tapert, Ph.D.
Duke University recently announced the permanent cancelation of tail-gating at football games after a 14-year-old was found passed out drunk in a port-a-potty before the game. A study by John Hopkins University finds the average age of drinking onset for women is 17.4 and 16.5 for men. What does alcohol do to the developing teenage brain?
Here’s a remarkable number from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration: Nearly 8 percent of Americans over 12 years old need treatment for alcohol abuse … and most aren’t getting it. And, as the number suggests, some of them are children.
16-year-old Veronica is taking part in a long-term study. The National Institutes of Health is examining the effects of alcohol on the teenage brain.
“And one important difference we found…was that the kids with the heavy drinking patterns were not able to retain as much information as the kids who were non-drinkers,” says Susan Tapert, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist involved in the study.
“The subject on the left is a normal, healthy 15-year-old boy,” says Tapert, as she looks as brain images, “and the subject on the right is a 15-year-old boy who is actually a very heavy drinker. You can see that this is a really important area of the brain for remembering locations of things, and over here – nothing. [The heavy drinker] is not using these important brain areas to do this task, and as a result he actually didn’t perform as well on the task.”
Teens who drink twice a week consistently scored an average of 10 percent lower on short-term memory tests, compared to non-drinkers.
In other words, says Tapert, “the heavy drinker is more likely to get a B, whereas the non-drinker would be able to get an A. So it’s kind of that amount of a difference.”
16-year-old K.T. says she’s been drinking heavily for four years. Now in rehab, K.T. says the alcohol has affected her memory.
“Yeah, my memory changed a lot,” she says. “I can’t remember anything anymore. I still do good on my tests – it’s just more effort than I used to have to put into it.”
Has K.T. suffered any long-term damage from drinking? No one knows. But Veronica isn’t taking that risk.
“I personally have never drunken even an entire drink of alcohol,” she says. “A lot of my friends have and I have seen how it affected them. They’re slower in school and that’s all they think about doing. And they become addicted to it in a way and I don’t want to be into that, so I don’t do it.”
What We Need To Know
According to a research study undertaken by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), teens who begin drinking before the age of 15 are four times more likely to suffer from dangerous alcohol side effects like dependency on alcohol than those who begin drinking at 21 years of age or older.
In fact, according to experts at The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, a child who reaches age 21 without smoking, abusing alcohol or using drugs is virtually certain never to do so.
Yet, according to the 2009 Monitoring the Future Study by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, alcohol use remains extremely widespread among today’s teenagers. Nearly three quarters of students (72%) have consumed alcohol (more than just a few sips) by the end of high school, and more than one third (37%) have done so by 8th grade. In fact, more than half (57%) of 12th graders and one sixth (17%) of 8th graders in 2009 report having been drunk at least once in their life.
Research shows that adolescents may be more vulnerable to brain damage from excessive drinking than older drinkers. Alcohol impairs brain activity in the receptors responsible for memory and learning, and young people who binge drink could be facing serious brain damage today and increased memory loss in years to come. If one begins drinking at an early age, he/she is more likely to face alcohol addiction. Consider the following …
- Imaging studies have revealed a connection between heavy drinking and physical brain damage.
- Neither chronic liver disease nor alcohol-induced dementia, the most common symptoms of severe alcoholism, need be present for alcohol-induced, physical brain damage to occur.
- Alcohol-induced brain damage usually includes extensive shrinkage in the cortex of the frontal lobe, which is the site of higher intellectual functions.
- Shrinkage has also been observed in deeper brain regions, including the cerebellum, which helps regulate coordination and balance, and brain structures associated with memory.
- Alcohol abstinence has shown positive results. Even three to four weeks without alcohol can reverse effects on memory loss and problem-solving skills.
Adolescents have a better chance of recovery because they have greater powers of recuperation. If you suspect your child has alcohol-related brain damage, it is imperative to have him or her assessed by a medical doctor or psychologist. Treatment depends on the individual and the type of brain damage sustained. People with impaired brain function can be helped. Often it is necessary to reduce the demands placed on the patient. Also, a predictable routine covering all daily activities can help. Consider the following points when easing your child’s routine …
- Simplify information. Present one idea at a time.
- Tackle one problem at a time.
- Allow your child to progress at his or her own pace.
- Minimize distractions.
- Avoid stressful situations.
- Structure a schedule with frequent breaks and rest periods.
- Consider joining an alcoholism support group.
Resources
- Alcohol Abuse Statistics
- Duke University Cancels Tailgating
- Ways to Stop Teen Drinking from Family Doctor.org
- Monitoring the Future Study Results
- Mothers Against Drunk Driving
- National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence
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