The UK is infamous for its binge drinking culture and, although alcohol can be relatively harmless when consumed in moderation, regularly drinking to excess carries several health implications – including an increased risk of high blood pressure, heart disease and some cancers.

But it also seems that this particular habit could be affecting our brains, too, with new research linking binge drinking to impaired neural development – particularly in young people.

The study

Scientists in Portugal set out to determine whether there are any measurable differences in the brains of binge drinkers "when they are at rest, and not focussed on a task".

To do this, they recruited 80 first-year undergraduate students and split them into two groups – those who had never indulged in binge drinking before and those who had.

Binge drinking is classed as consuming five or more drinks within a two-hour period for both men and women. None of the participants were considered to display any signs of alcoholism.

The brain activity of the two groups was assessed using electrodes attached to the volunteers' heads. When results were compared, it was found that the self-confessed bingers displayed changes not dissimilar to the early signs of brain damage. Lead scientist Dr Eduardo Lopez-Caneda, from the University of Minho in Portugal, said:

"These features might be down to the particularly harmful effects of alcohol on young brains that are still in development, perhaps by delaying neuro-maturational processes."

Caiaimage/Paul Bradbury Getty Images

Worryingly, the changes, displayed in the parahippocampal gyrus and fusiform gyrus areas of the brain (responsible for retrieving memories and recognition, respectively) mirrored the same sort of activity identified in the brains of chronic alcoholics. Notes from the report also highlight previous studies that have drawn links between binge drinking and an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia and ADHD.

This opens up the opportunity for more research to be done into the ways in which alcohol can impair long-term development in the brains of young adults. Dr Lopez-Caneda said:

"It would be a positive outcome if educational and health institutions used these results to try to reduce alcohol consumption in risky drinkers."

The study was published in the journal Frontiers in Behavioural Neuroscience.

Jenny Cook Jenny Cook is a health writer, amateur athlete and full-time foodie.

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