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Alcohol And Brain Cells

KYW Medical Reports Sponsored By Independence Blue Cross

By Dr. Brian McDonough, Medical Editor

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Alcohol can have a major impact on brain cells.

Messages travel between brain cells by way of chemicals called neurotransmitters. When you drink, these chemicals take more time to move from neuron to neuron. This can slow the pace of thoughts and feelings and alter the way your brain communicates with the rest of your body. The result? You feel drowsy and uncoordinated.

Two neurotransmitters particularly sensitive to alcohol are glutamate and serotonin, which affect memory and mood. But the impact can be more dramatic when you drink heavily over time.  The structure of your brain actually changes. Brain cells wither and the inner cavity at the center expands. Areas called your cerebellum, limbic system, and cerebral cortex seem particularly vulnerable to damage. Over time, you may feel less coordinated, have trouble regulating your body temperature, sleep less soundly, and experience mood and memory problems because of these changes.

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