Adolescent drinking may reduce grey matter

30 June,2018 07:53 PM IST |  London  |  IANS

The findings showed that drinking may be associated with changes in the metabolite profile which includes reduced brain grey matter -- involved in muscle control, sensory perception, self-control

Representational Image


Regular consumption of alcohol, even in moderate levels, can adversely affect young people, especially girls -- both their metabolism as well as volume of grey matter, a study has found.

The findings showed that drinking may be associated with changes in the metabolite profile which includes reduced brain grey matter -- involved in muscle control, sensory perception, self-control.

The risk of these changes was found to be higher among heavy drinking adolescent girls.

"The study observed metabolite profile changes even in young people who consumed alcohol at a level that is socially acceptable," said Noora Heikkinen from the University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.

Moreover, heavy-drinking adolescents also showed increased concentrations of 1-methylhistamine -- formed in the brain from histamine produced by immune responses --, which, in turn, was associated with reduced brain grey matter volume.

"Our findings suggest that the production of histamine is increased in the brains of heavy-drinking adolescents. This observation can help in the development of methods that make it possible to detect adverse effects caused by alcohol at a very early stage," Heikkinen said.

"Possibly, it could also contribute to the development of new treatments to mitigate these adverse effects."

In the study, published in the journal Alcohol, the team analysed data on metabolite profiles from heavy and light drinking young adults. They also used MRI to measure their grey matter volumes.

The study sheds light on biological implications of adolescent drinking, and could contribute to the development of new treatments, the researchers said.

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also, download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Except for the change in the headline, the story has been provided "AS-IS," "AS AVAILABLE, without any verification or editing from our side. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.
"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
life and style
Related Stories