You probably have heard people telling you about what you did on that night when you went out drinking. It must have felt like they weren’t talking about you, but someone else. Did the whole story sound completely alien to you? If you’ve ever been in a situation like this, you’re probably very curious about what really happened and the science behind it all. Just how does alcohol work on the human brain and Which Part(s) of the Brain, When Impaired by Alcohol, Plays an Important Role in Memory? This article puts an end to all this and breaks down to you which parts of the brain alcohol impairs and how the parts play a key role in memory loss and fading.
How is Your Memory Impaired by Alcohol?
When you consume alcohol, you immediately develop a feeling of cognitive impairment between your brain and the body. This may be characterized by staggering, blackout, slow response, blurry vision, and many other similar reactions. This happens because the alcohol you’ve consumed acts on your brain and central nervous system as a depressant.
Depressants impact the communication between the neurotransmitter and neurons. These two are responsible for all major body functions such as speech, thought processing, movement, and more.
Alcohol turns your biological and hormonal system chaotic by acting on a number of hormones.
1. Dopamine
Dopamine is the chemical responsible for mediating reward-seeking behavior and pleasure in your body. When you consume alcohol, you increase the release of this hormone in your body. That’s why you may feel happier and better under the influence of alcohol.
2. Gama-amino Butyric Acid
Known simply as GABA, it’s a transmitter responsible for sending chemicals that reduce your neurons’ and nerve cells’ activity. This ultimately calms your body’s functions and leads to a feeling of drowsiness and slow response.
3. Glutamate
This is a very powerful excitatory neurotransmitter responsible for your brain’s high activities. It also plays a vital role in your learning and memory. In addition to these chemicals, alcohol also suppresses and induces the activity of many other chemicals. This impairs and causes confusion between your body’s functions and the brain. That’s why it’s not uncommon for people to feel drowsy, active, depressed, and happy at the same time.
Which Part of the Brain Does Liquor Affect?
Alcohol affects many parts of the brain. They include the following:
1. Cerebral Cortex
The cerebral cortex has four lobes that are responsible for processing information. This region is associated with language, understanding actions, producing a response, analyzing, and thinking.
2. Limbic System
Also known as the interaction area, the limbic system controls memory, motivation, learning, and emotions.
3. Cerebellum and Others
In addition to the cerebral cortex and the limbic system, alcohol also affects the cerebellum as well as other brain tissues.
Why do You Forget Things after Consuming Alcohol?
Alcohol consumption isn’t the only reason you blackout. Consuming high volumes of it in a short period is what lead may lead to memory loss. In addition, not everybody responds to alcohol in the same way. Some are resistant to it, while others aren’t.
How Do You Solve Blackout?
If you have experienced a blackout before, then you’re more likely to suffer the same in the future. Therefore, you should be cautious and avoid exceeding your limit. Moreover, you should drink fewer amounts of alcohol and put long gaps between drinks to reduce the chances of a blackout.
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