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(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- If you think you could handle a couple beers better when you were younger, you may be right. But while adolescent brain development may protect teens from some of the effects of alcohol like intoxication and hangover, the ability to drink more may more likely lead to abuse.
Researchers from Binghamton University in New York report adolescents are less impaired by alcohol's effects on social inhibition. They are also able to have more drinks at one time, which can lead to alcohol abuse.
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Researchers studied the effects of alcohol on rats, which have similar dramatic changes in the brain as humans during adolescence. Younger rodents have nervous systems that quickly adapt to the effects of alcohol, which allows them to consume alcohol heavily.
Researchers took note of social activity and measured brain alcohol concentrations after the rats were given alcohol. They compared the effects on younger and older animals. "Both adolescents and adults showed the same degree of social impairment when tested immediately after or five minutes following alcohol exposure," reports author Elena I. Varlinskaya, a research professor at Binghamton University. "However, the social behavior of adult animals was still severely suppressed 30 minutes after alcohol administration, whereas the social behavior of adolescents was almost similar to that of animals not exposed to alcohol."
Researchers write the findings support the belief that the adolescent brain works very differently than the adult brain, especially in its response to alcohol. They add while binge drinking is unsafe in general, it may be extremely dangerous for adolescents because their brain is especially vulnerable to alcohol-related damage.
This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, who offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, go to: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.
SOURCE: Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, 2006;30:1-12
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