Longevity & AgingStress Drinking in Your 20s May Permanently Rewire Your Brain by Midlife
Using alcohol to manage stress during early adulthood may cause permanent changes to brain circuitry, according to new research from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Even after years of sobriety, these changes can resurface by middle age, reducing mental flexibility and increasing the likelihood of relapsing into drinking under stress. Researchers also detected patterns of brain damage associated with early dementia and Alzheimer's disease. The study, published in Alcohol Clinical and Experimental Research, used mice whose brain circuits closely mirror those of humans. The combination of stress and alcohol together produced far greater brain alterations than either factor alone, suggesting a compounding effect that outlasts the drinking period itself and has significant implications for long-term cognitive health.
