A. Nucleus accumbens
B. Hypothalamus
C. Hippocampus
D. All of the above
The right answer is: Hippocampus a part of the brain when impaired by alcohol play an important role in memory.
Introduction:
Alcohol is the most widely used addictive drink all around the world. People use alcohol to run away from stressful life, anxiety or depression. But for a little escape from problems, we allow alcohol to severely damage our health. So for all the alcohol lovers, have a look at what your favorite drink is doing to your health!
Alcohol’s Effect:
Classed as a depressant, alcohol is one of the most toxic and psychoactive substances in the world. Alcohol can seriously toll on your mental health with its short term and long-term effects. Some of these alcohol effects include:
- Slurred Speech
- Losing control
- Impairs judgment
- High Blood Pressure
- Breathing problem
- Violent Behavior
- Car accidents
- Coma
- Death
The Brain:
Our brain is the boss of our bodies. It controls everything we do even when we are unaware of it. Blinking, breathing, or heart beating, all the show is run by the brain. The command center for the human nervous system receives signals from the body and outputs information to the muscles.
Alcohol’s Effect on Brain:
When alcohol is consumed, it affects all the systems of the body but the most gravely is on the brain. The command center of the body is impaired by alcohol as it directly reaches the neurons in the Central Nervous System by passing through the blood-brain barrier. It results in decreasing neuronal activity occurring in the brain parts. This causes a change in the behavior of the consumer with some slow, sedating effect.
Alcohol negatively impacts the neurons and binds two types of receptors found on nerve cells. This causes disruption and the drinker feels intoxicated because nerve impulses are not transmitted in the way they are supposed to be.
The body’s main inhibitory signaler known as ‘GABA’ is a neurotransmitter that blocks impulses between nerve cells. It specifically works to calm down the neurons to relieve anxiety. Alcohol increases the depressing effects of GABA by decreasing the body’s most excitatory neurotransmitter ‘Glutamate’. This is the reason that drinkers feel relaxed after consuming alcohol, but more alcohol may lead to sedation, then unconsciousness, and eventually death.
The Hippocampus:
The Hippocampus is the region of the brain involved in learning and memory. It plays an important role in remembering and recalling information. When this region is impaired by alcohol, learning gets impaired.
Alcohol enters the region and binds specialized proteins decreasing the electrical activity of neurons. The change in the impulses disrupts the formation of short term memory. This is the reason that drinkers experience blackouts the next day.
The hippocampus plays a vital role in the formation of new memories. Alcohol disrupts the normal function and inhibits neuronal activity. Thus, this impairs memory encoding.
Overtime use of alcohol can cause damage to Hippocampus leading to more cognitive and memory problems.
Conclusion:
Alcohol has adverse effects on the human body, but it is really toxic for developing a brain. It can affect your ability to learn and function well. So to protect yourself from these problems, never start drinking at all!