The Effects of Alcohol on Physiological Processes and Biological Development

Research also has found differences in the effects of bingelike drinking in adolescents compared with adults. Normally, as people age from adolescence to adulthood, they become more sensitive to alcohol’s effects on motor coordination. In one study, however, adolescent rats How Alcohol Affects Your Body exposed to intermittent alcohol never developed this increased sensitivity.

1. Behavioral therapies can help people develop skills to avoid and overcome triggers, such as stress, that might lead to drinking.
2. The physical effects of alcohol consumption will also depend on your blood alcohol content (BAC).
3. These varying results may be due to the use of different animal models or different research protocols.

Among the many health complications of long-term alcohol use is the increased risk of alcohol addiction or alcohol use disorder (AUD). Of these, the central nucleus of the amygdala—a brain region important in the regulation of emotional states—is particularly sensitive to suppression of alcohol drinking by compounds that act on the GABA systems (i.e., GABAergic compounds) (Hyytia and Koob 1995). Indeed, acute and chronic alcohol exposure produce increases in GABA transmission in this brain region (Roberto et al. 2003, 2004a). Additionally, compounds that target a specific component of the GABAA receptor complex (i.e., the α1-subunit)3 suppress alcohol drinking when they are injected into the ventral pallidum, an important region that receives signals from neurons located in the extended amygdala (Harvey et al. 2002; June et al. 2003). Opioid systems influence alcohol drinking behavior both via interaction with the mesolimbic dopamine system and also independent of the mesolimbic dopamine system, as demonstrated by alcohol-induced increases in extracellular endorphin content in the nucleus accumbens (see figure 2) (Olive et al. 2001). Opioid receptor antagonists interfere with alcohol’s rewarding effects by acting on sites in the ventral tegmental area, nucleus accumbens, and central nucleus of the amygdala (Koob 2003).

Heavy drinkers who suddenly stop or reduce their alcohol intake will experience mild withdrawal symptoms within 6 hours after their last drink. However, the study did find that people who engaged in binge drinking more often were also more likely to be alcohol dependent. Alcohol dependence is characterized by symptoms of withdrawal when a person tries to quit drinking. Pharmacological compounds that target the serotonin system by inhibiting neuronal reuptake of serotonin,5 thereby prolonging its actions, or by blocking specific serotonin receptor subtypes have been shown to suppress alcohol-reinforced behavior in rats (for a review, see Johnson 2008). However, some researchers are debating whether these compounds can affect alcohol-reinforced behavior without affecting consummatory behavior in general. During alcohol withdrawal, serotonin release in the nucleus accumbens of rats is suppressed, and this reduction is partially reversed by self-administration of alcohol during withdrawal (Weiss et al. 1996).

Studies in rats show that ethanol-induced inhibition of synaptic potentials mediated by N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) and long-term potentiation (LTP) is greater in adolescents than in adults (Swartzwelder et al. 1995a,b; see White and Swartzwelder 2005 for review). Initially, the developmental sensitivity of NMDA currents to alcohol was observed in the hippocampus, but more recently this effect was found outside the hippocampus in pyramidal cells in the posterior cingulate cortex (Li et al. 2002). Behaviorally, adolescent rats show greater impairment than adults in acquisition of a spatial memory task after acute ethanol exposure (Markwiese et al. 1998) in support of greater LTP sensitivity to alcohol in adolescents. Behavioral and neurobiological mechanisms for the ontogenetic differences in alcohol tolerance and sensitivity are unclear, as is the relationship between differential sensitivity to ethanol and onset of alcohol abuse and alcoholism. New technologies are being combined with traditional approaches to identify and track the critical neural circuits in the transition from alcohol use and abuse to dependence.

Behavioral Treatment

Moreover, after receiving some of these medications, animals exhibited lower relapse vulnerability and/or a reduced amount consumed once drinking was (re)-initiated (Ciccocioppo et al. 2003; Finn et al. 2007; Funk et al. 2007; Walker and Koob 2008). Indeed, clinical investigations similarly have reported that a history of multiple detoxifications can impact responsiveness to and efficacy of various pharmacotherapeutics used to manage alcohol dependence (Malcolm et al. 2000, 2002, 2007). Future studies should focus on elucidating neural mechanisms underlying sensitization of symptoms that contribute to a negative emotional state resulting from repeated withdrawal experience. Such studies will undoubtedly reveal important insights that spark development of new and more effective treatment strategies for relapse prevention as well as aid people in controlling alcohol consumption that too often spirals out of control to excessive levels.

What Are the Psychological Effects of Alcohol?

People who experience severe withdrawal symptoms or DTs may require hospitalization or intensive care unit (ICU) treatment during alcohol. When someone drinks alcohol for a prolonged period of time and then stops, the body reacts to its absence. This is alcohol withdrawal, and it causes uncomfortable physical and emotional symptoms.

Social Support and Treatment Programs

Every person has their own reasons for drinking or wanting to reduce their alcohol consumption. Depending on how much you have been drinking, your body may experience physical and psychological changes as you reduce your intake, known as withdrawal. Alcohol’s effects on neurotransmitter systems involved in the brain’s reward pathways. Alcohol, by promoting γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) subtype GABAA receptor function, may inhibit GABAergic transmission in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), thereby disinhibiting (i.e., activating) VTA dopamine.

The table summarizes the effects of interventions with these signaling systems on various aspects of positive and negative reinforcement. Another molecule involved in regulating the body’s stress response is called neuropeptide-Y (NPY). It has a neural and behavioral profile that in almost every aspect is opposite to that of CRF. Moreover, alcohol-dependent rats exhibit decreased NPY content in the central nucleus of the amygdala during withdrawal (Roy and Pandey 2002), whereas, as stated above, CRF levels in this brain region are increased in alcohol-dependent animals. Furthermore, stimulation of NPY activity in this brain structure suppresses anxiety-like behavior (Thorsell et al. 2007) and dependence-induced increases in alcohol drinking (Gilpin et al. 2008a).

The test is free, confidential, and no personal information is needed to receive the result. If you’re worried that you might have alcohol use disorder, don’t try to quit cold turkey on your own. Flupenthixol intramuscular injection,66,67 amisulpride,68 and tiapride69 all performed poorly in placebo-controlled studies on measures of alcohol intake, craving, and abstinence.

If you or someone you know is experiencing alcohol withdrawal symptoms, reach out to emergency services to receive immediate treatment. If you think you might have an alcohol problem, discuss it with a healthcare provider. They can offer advice on how to approach your treatment and assist you with the process of detoxing, withdrawing, and recovering from alcohol use disorder. Everyone’s experience with alcohol is different, but effective treatments are available, whether your condition is mild, moderate, or severe. Many symptoms can be managed at home, but moderate to severe withdrawal should be supervised by a healthcare professional and may require inpatient treatment.