Our study on the effects of alcohol on grey matter thickness has revealed two key findings. First, the outermost layer of cortex across the entire brain was reduced in a sample of community dwelling recovered alcoholics. Second, alcohol’s effect on the brain is continuous across a wide range of drinking behavior and appears to be dose specific. Pathology is often thought of as occurring as an all or none phenomenon—you either have brain damage or you don’t. This study shows that the damage occurs in gradations, and the more you drink, the greater the damage.
A widespread reduction in cortical tissue in recovered alcoholics indicates that even with abstinence, cognitive abilities are compromised in former drinkers.
The regions that demonstrated the greatest reduction in tissue were the frontal and temporal lobes. Severe reductions in frontal brain regions can result in a dramatic change to personality and behavior taking the form of impulsivity, difficulty with self-monitoring, planning, reasoning, poor attention span, inability to alter behavior, a lack of awareness of in appropriate behavior, mood changes, even aggression. Reductions in temporal brain regions most often results in impairments in memory and language function.