Mechanism Of The Alcohol Impact On The Brain
Annual Trips with the family is an activity that concurs majority part of the year with destination decisions, Airbnb bookings, and tourist attractions research. Last year, I visited the beautiful country of Italy with my family. Vineyards, Orchards, cobbled stones, plantations were a highlight that remains fresh in my memory due to the vivid colors, freshness and scenic constituencies that remained rooted in my photographic memory. Our location of stay consisted of the city of Bologna, a beautiful city built along the different altitudes of a mountain surrounding by endless orchards, plantations and grape vineyards at the foothills. Tour of the vineyards resulted in numerous rounds of wine tasting, an activity that has no age limit or constraints in Italy. However, the haziness that followed 3 rounds of tasting resulted in me halting from proceeding further. “Alcohol kills brain cells”, a popular phrase that scientists use to connote the diffusion of alcohol through the blood brain barrier because its circulation capabilities that may penetrate brain cells. Upon further introspection of the impact of alcohol on the brain, I came up with its following influence on different regions of the brain. Ventral striatum and prefrontal cortex: The things we first see, touch, eat, feel is first passed through as information through the cortex. The tongue consists of sensory mechanisms in the form of taste buds that respond towards different chemicals in food. Messages are sent from the buds to the cortex via spinal fluid.
These parts have networks that make up the brain’s incentive system and order unwary behavior, demeanor and actions. Since Alcohol can impact neural cells, it results in an altered behavior that the intoxicant begins to feel after a while. Alcohol acts as a depressant for the Central Nervous System that cause change in behavior (ScienceNetlinks. com, 2018). This is also the region of the brain that gets impacted first thereby causing an altered change in behavior that one wouldn’t undertake under normal conditions thereby becoming more relaxed, lower inhibition, low security amongst others. Alcohol has the ability to transmute through the blood-brain wall, thereby reaching neurons openly thereby resulting in a changed altered behavior. Hippocampus: This part of the brain is responsible for storing long term memory or instances of prior time frame as well as retrieval. During adolescent stage, the hippocampus is still under the process of progression and even a limited amount of alcohol may instigate them to forget periods of time during which they were intoxicated (Gizewski et. al. , 2013).
As Alcohol penetrates the blood brain barrier, they reduce storing and retrieval capability through neural pathways thereby hazing out the time from the individual’s brain. Cerebellum and Frontal lobe: Cerebellum, part of hindbrain, works in conjunction with primary motor cortex that controls our actions, movement and poise (ScienceNetlinks. com, 2018). Drinking alcohol slows down this process with lowered reaction time. For example, inability to maintain one upright position and continue in a straight direction. The Frontal lobe, part of the cerebrum (the forebrain) controls decision, conduct, and sentiment which may result in heightened emotional response, distress, crying and hostility (Gizewski et. al. , 2013). Reticular activating system and Medulla: This part is in the midbrain, and it maintains activities related to slumbering and wakening. In extreme cases, alcohol weakens the system into a state of unconsciousness. Medulla,part of the hindbrain, controls breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, absorbing, ingestion (Gizewski et. al. , 2013). Although drinking is not an activity I engage in on a continuous basis, the sensation that followed during the tasting sensation lives afresh in mind thereby prompting me to vow to never drink again.z
