Individuals with alcohol-related disorders have a lower intelligence test score both in young adulthood and in late midlife, and these disorders, moreover, seem to be associated with more age-related decline in intelligence test scores.
For binge drinking, an increased OR of 1.09 (95% CI = 1.08 to 1.11) was estimated for every step decrease on the stanine scale. Adjustment for confounders attenuated the associations. Also, IQ in adolescence was found to be inversely associated with moderate/high alcohol consumption measured in middle age.
Cognitive effects of alcohol use may include memory loss, problems with learning, dementia, and severely hindered mental functioning in most severe cases. Seeking alcohol addiction treatment is the first step in preventing or reducing the negative effects of alcohol on the brain.
But contrary to popular belief, substance abuse and intelligence have a close 'positive' relationship: such individuals are more likely to abuse alcohol and drugs than the relatively-less intelligent ones, claims Ryan Montgomery based on learnings gleaned from his experience.
“People higher in general intelligence tend to drink more because they're not bothered by the strangeness of the alcohol experience,” said the evolutionary psychologist and professor at the University of Victoria.
According to two long-term studies — one American, one British — there's a correlation between smarts and a thirst for alcohol. The "more intelligent children in both studies grew up to drink alcohol more frequently and in greater quantities than less intelligent children," says Liz Day at Discover.
Nearly 30 years ago, scientists first coined the term "fetal alcohol syndrome" (FAS) to describe a pattern of birth defects found in children of mothers who consumed alcohol during pregnancy (1,2). Today, FAS remains the leading known preventable cause of mental retardation (3).
Alcohol makes it harder for the brain areas controlling balance, memory, speech, and judgment to do their jobs, resulting in a higher likelihood of injuries and other negative outcomes. Long-term heavy drinking causes alterations in the neurons, such as reductions in their size.
What effect does alcohol have on the developing brain? The earlier a person starts drinking alcohol at harmful levels the greater the risk of changing the development of the brain. This can lead to problems with memory and learning and increases the risk of having alcohol-related problems later in life.
Individuals with alcohol‐related hospital diagnoses (8%) had a significantly lower baseline IQ score (95.0 vs. 100.5, p < 0.001) and a larger decline in IQ scores from baseline to follow‐up (−8.5 vs.
“Our research not only showed that those who drank alcohol did better when repeating the word-learning task, but that this effect was stronger among those who drank more.”
According to some sources, alcohol intoxication can affect a person's concentration and memory for up to 48 hours. Given these effects, you will be less likely to ace your exam if you drink too much the night before. Imbibing the night before you study could even affect your ability to prepare for a test.
Alcohol compromises our motor skills, balance, hand-eye coordination, and reaction time, which negatively affect our performance and increases the risk of injury.
Over time, excessive alcohol use can lead to the development of chronic diseases and other serious problems including: High blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, liver disease, and digestive problems. Cancer of the breast, mouth, throat, esophagus, voice box, liver, colon, and rectum.
What do you mean by heavy drinking? For men, heavy drinking is typically defined as consuming 15 drinks or more per week. For women, heavy drinking is typically defined as consuming 8 drinks or more per week.
Physical damage to the brain and other parts of the central nervous system can also kill or disable neurons. Blows to the brain, or the damage caused by a stroke, can kill neurons outright or slowly starve them of the oxygen and nutrients they need to survive.
Alcohol abuse can cause signs and symptoms of depression, anxiety, psychosis, and antisocial behavior, both during intoxication and during withdrawal.
Alcohol primarily disrupts the ability to form new long–term memories; it causes less disruption of recall of previously established long–term memories or of the ability to keep new information active in short–term memory for a few seconds or more.
It takes at least two weeks for the brain to return to normal after drinking. Therefore, this is when the alcohol recovery timeline begins. It is less able to suppress a desire to drink until the brain has recovered. The reason for this is that alcohol has harmed the brain's cognitive function.
Finally, moderate drinkers have the highest IQ. According to the same study of nearly 50,000 Swiss males, ages 18-22, moderation is the smartest course. Why is there so much contradictory research on the relationship between alcohol and intelligence?
Although most scientists today aren't drinking during work hours, alcohol is often still present in labs and scientific settings. Researchers raise a toast to celebrate milestones such as earning a grant or publishing a paper, and attend happy hours to connect with their colleagues.
Whether athletes feel pressure to celebrate with alcohol or they enjoy drinking, research shows college athletes binge-drink more than non-athletes, and serious recreational runners drink more than their sedentary counterparts.
Muscle tissue contains water—and alcohol loves to hang out in H20. So the more muscle mass you have, the more areas to attract booze. But if you've been MIA from the gym over the past few months, you may have lost some of your muscle.
Excessive alcohol use can lead to loss of balance and coordination, reduced reaction time, and increased appetite. The decline in cognitive function can lead to an increase in sports-related injuries.