- A new study reports that heavier drinking corresponds with reduced volume in certain regions of the brain.
- Researchers said that while abstaining from alcohol is healthiest, benefits were also seen in those who curbed their drinking.
- Increased alcohol consumption is associated with a higher risk of a wide range of adverse medical conditions.
A new study reports that reducing drinking – whether that means abstaining completely or just cutting back – is good for the brain health of people who have alcohol use disorder.
Data
Researchers found that people with alcohol use disorder had less cortical volume throughout their brains than those who did not have alcohol use disorder. Those who were heavier drinkers saw the most significant reduction in cortical volume.
The sample size for the study was small and composed mostly of veterans from the U.S. Armed Services.
Still, experts say it offers intriguing insights into some of the lesser-known drawbacks of heavy drinking.
April May, PhD, a postdoctoral scholar at the Sierra Pacific VA Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Centers, along with Stanford University in California, was the first author of the study.
She told Medical News Today that researchers expected to see a correlation between alcohol consumption and reduced brain volume, but she added the data still had some surprises.
“What was surprising was how similar individuals who returned to low risk levels of alcohol use after treatment looked to individuals who achieved abstinence in terms of brain volume,” May explained. “Of the 34 brain regions we examined, these groups only differed in two regions. These results really speak to the…
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