Introduction
Drug and alcohol use have been a part of human civilization for ages. Still, the effects on the brain are only now becoming completely recognized. While certain medications might be beneficial when used under medical care, others can be extremely harmful to the brain and body. Alcohol, which is legal and socially accepted in many nations, can have both short and long-term effects on the brain and its processes. While drug and alcohol usage can have both short-term advantages and enjoyable effects, they can also cause substantial harm to the brain and body, making a greater knowledge of their effects on the brain necessary.
Impact of Drugs on the Brain
Drug use has become a serious issue as it may have serious consequences for the brain, impacting both physical and psychological well-being. Drug use can cause changes in mood, perception, and behavior in the short term, which can be joyful and desirable for some people. Thus, typically, people consume any kind of drug to generate pleasure or relieve anxiety (de Sousa Fernandes Perna et al., 2016).
On the other hand, repeated drug use can develop into tolerance and dependence, needing bigger dosages to obtain the same results, and resulting in undesirable consequences such as addiction, overdose, and other health issues. Long-term drug use can alter brain chemistry and structure, impairing memory, motivation, and decision-making abilities (de Sousa Fernandes Perna et al., 2016). Drugs can have varying impacts on the brain, and the impact of drug usage can also be altered by variables such as genetic composition, environment, and individual vulnerability. Understanding how drugs affect the brain is, therefore, critical for preventing and treating drug misuse and addiction.
Impacts of Alcohol on Sensations and Perceptions
Short-Term Effects
Alcohol’s short-term impacts on sensations and perceptions can include alterations in sensory input, which can lead to impaired vision, hearing, and touch. Research Briefs (2019) reports that power was reduced in the visual areas of the brain following alcohol consumption. Visual areas also experienced the greatest decreases in activity cost during intoxication, consistent with their dependence on alternate energy sources such as acetate (Research Briefs, 2019).
Alcohol use can also impair sensory processing, resulting in disorientation and difficulty concentrating. Furthermore, alcohol can influence mood and emotions, causing changes in how people perceive their surroundings and interact with others. Furthermore, alcohol can improve confidence and a sense of well-being, which can be nice at first for some people. Excessive alcohol use, on the other hand, can swiftly lead to negative repercussions such as blackouts, memory loss, and violence.
Long-Term Effects
Long-term alcohol misuse can have long-term impacts on the brain’s capacity to interpret sensory information, resulting in a variety of difficulties with sensations and perceptions. Heavy drinking, for example, can produce visual difficulties such as blurred or double vision and decreased depth perception over time. Long-term alcohol misuse causes a severe kind of cognitive impairment known as alcohol-related dementia, also known as alcohol-related brain damage.
Alcohol can also raise the likelihood of neurodevelopmental problems in those who drank heavily as adolescents (Welch et al., 2013). Welch et al. (2013) found that alcohol misuse can seriously affect adolescents’ brain structure. The authors revealed widespread loss of cortical grey and white matter, with the greatest loss in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and white matter in people free of the severe syndromes caused by alcohol drinking (Welch et al., 2013). Thus, long-term alcohol drinking can impair memory, cognition, and motor abilities.
Long-term effects of alcohol also include considerable effects on regional brain activity. Research Briefs (2019) state that alcohol impacts brain-glucose metabolism, or in other words, a measure of energy use. Vrettou et al. (2017) have also linked alcohol to differences in the expression of the indicators of glutamatergic phenotype. Research Briefs (2019) evaluated a sample of light and heavy drinkers and discovered that both acute and chronic alcohol exposure influenced the power of the brain.
Decreased regional power was found in heavy drinkers, such as the thalamus, sensory gateway, and frontal cortex (Research Briefs, 2019). The researchers regarded the power deficits as representing the harmful consequences of long-term alcohol consumption on brain cells. The discoveries might pave the way for a better understanding of the brain’s energy intake and production in good and ill health, as well as the role alcohol plays.
Effects of Alcohol on the Brain
Physical Effects
The physical effects of alcohol on the brain can be severe, especially when used for an extended period or in large quantities. Alcohol is a hazardous chemical that may harm brain cells and impair neuron transmission. Long-term alcohol misuse can result in a variety of physical brain consequences, including brain shrinkage, also known as cerebral atrophy (Rao & Topiwala, 2020). This is caused by brain cell death induced by alcohol poisoning, which can result in a decrease in brain volume and an increase in the gaps between brain cells.
Alcohol misuse can also promote inflammation in the brain, which can lead to a variety of neurological issues. Chronic inflammation can harm the brain’s white matter, which links different parts of the brain, resulting in reduced cognitive performance and motor coordination. Furthermore, excessive drinking can result in Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, which is characterized by a lack of thiamine, a B vitamin required for brain function (Rao & Topiwala, 2020). The illness can cause a variety of neurological issues, including disorientation, memory loss, and coordination and balance issues.
Psychological Effects
Alcohol’s psychological effects on the brain can be just as severe, influencing mood, emotions, and behavior. Alcohol can depress the central nervous system, resulting in a variety of psychological effects that differ from person to person (Rao & Topiwala, 2020). Alcohol’s power to affect mood and emotions, resulting in enhanced relaxation and a sensation of pleasure, is one of its most significant psychological effects. As a result, drinking might be an enticing method to unwind after a hard day or cope with stress. Prolonged alcohol consumption, on the other hand, can cause changes in brain chemistry, increasing the likelihood of anxiety and depression.
Alcohol can also interfere with sleep patterns, resulting in insomnia and other sleep problems. Chronic alcohol misuse can result in a variety of sleep issues, such as sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, and insomnia, which can lead to weariness, irritability, and difficulty focusing. Furthermore, alcohol addiction can result in a variety of behavioral issues such as impulsivity, hostility, and risk-taking behavior. It can also impair decision-making and judgment, leading to bad decisions with serious repercussions.
Conclusion
To conclude, the effects of drugs and alcohol on the brain can be severe and long-term, impacting both physical and psychological health. Short-term impacts of drug and alcohol misuse can result in changes in mood, perception, and behavior. Still, long-term effects can result in changes in brain chemistry and structure, resulting in memory loss, cognitive decline, and an increased risk of mental health issues. Alcohol’s physical effects on the brain might include atrophy, inflammation, and the development of disorders such as Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome.
Meanwhile, alcohol consumption can cause changes in mood, emotions, and behavior, as well as affect sleep patterns and decision-making ability. To avoid the detrimental effects of drugs and alcohol on the brain, it is important to consume wisely and in proportion. Seeking expert counseling is especially important for people dealing with addiction and its consequences on the brain.
References
De Sousa Fernandes Perna, E. B., Theunissen, E. L., Kuypers, K. P. C., Evers, E. A., Stiers, P., Toennes, S. W., Witteman, J., van Dalen, W., & Ramaekers, J. G. (2016). Brain reactivity to alcohol and cannabis marketing during sobriety and intoxication. Addiction Biology, 22, 823-832. Web.
Rao, R. & Topiwala, A. (2020). Alcohol use disorders and the brain. Addiction, 115(8), 1580-1589. Web.
Research Briefs. (2019). A Peer-Reviewed Journal for Managed Care and Hospital Formulary Management, 44(6), 372-374. Web.
Vrettou, M., Nordenankar, K., Segerström, L., Wallén-Mackenzie, Å., Fredriksson, R., Comasco, E., & Nylander, I. (2017). VGLUTS in the mesocorticolimbic brain of adolescent outbred rats exposed to alcohol and nicotine. Alcohol and Alcoholism, 52, 31-49.
Welch, K. A., Carson, A., & Lawrie, S. M. (2013). Brain structure in adolescents and young adults with alcohol problems: Systematic review of imaging studies. Alcohol and Alcoholism, 48(4), 433-444. Web.