Teen girls more affected by binge drinking
July 16th 2011 22:31
Damage to areas of the brain involving memory and logic are more likely for females
Teen girls are more likely to suffer from brain damage because of excessive alcohol use.
A study by researchers at the University of California has revealed that adolescents who binge drink at at risk of damaging the area of the brain that controls memory and spacial relations. Teen girls are at a higher risk because their brains develop earlier than boys.
“Females’ brains develop one to two years earlier than males, so alcohol use during a different developmental stage – despite the same age – could account for the gender differences,” said Edith Sullivan of Stanford.
Published in the journal, Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, a total of 95 teens aged 16 to 19 were tested , including 27 males and 13 females who were considered “binge-drinkers” and 31 males and 24 females who were not.
Researchers gave them a series of neurophsychological tests as well as spatial memory tests, and measured the results with Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI).
“Male binge drinkers showed some, but less, abnormality as compared to male non-drinkers. This suggests that female teens may be particularly vulnerable to the negative effects of heavy alcohol use,” said Susan Tapert, professor of psychiatry at the university.
Tapert explained that the reduced brain activity could affect activities such as driving, playing sports or using a map. She said the decreased brain activity could also negatively impact other functions, like critical thinking, reasoning, concentration and “working memory”.
And the number of teens using alcohol is climbing. A recent report revealed that 46% of U.S. teens use nicotine, alcohol, illegal drugs or a combination of the three on a regular basis.
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