We investigated whether Veterans with high compared to low levels of alcohol use experienced changes in the white matter of their brain. White matter are the connecting “wires” that allow for different parts of the brain to talk to each other. We also wanted to see if Veterans with high levels of alcohol would perform differently on attention and memory tests than those with low levels of alcohol consumption. We found that “wires” in the front of the brain are weaker in Veterans with high levels of drinking. Interestingly, we also found that white matter on the sides of the brain is stronger; we believe that it is strengthened in order to compensate for other parts of the brain that have been affected by alcohol. Results also show that high drinkers tend to perform worse on memory and attention tests.
White Matter Increase
White matter Decrease
