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New research on monkeys has shown that drinking during adolescence and early adulthood can lead to brain growth retardation.
The brain is undergoing very important developments in these years, as we move from adolescence to adulthood, a period during which many people start drinking for the first time.
The authors of this new research, published in eNeuro, attempted to determine what alcohol had done to the brains of adolescents by examining its effects on 71 rhesus macaque monkeys.
The monkeys had unlimited access to alcohol and the researchers examined what effect it had on their brains.
They discovered that excessive consumption of alcohol had reduced the brain growth rate of these monkeys by an alarming amount.
It was exactly 0.25 milliliters per year for every gram of alcohol consumed per kilogram of body weight, which equates to roughly four beers a day.
They were very rigorous in their control of this experiment and were careful to measure and monitor monkeys' food and feeding habits, as well as their daily activities.
"Studies in humans are based on the self-reporting of underage drinkers," says one of the authors of the study, Christopher Kroenke, Ph.D. "Our measurements highlight the consumption of alcohol." alcohol with impaired brain growth. "
Figures released by Alcohol Action Ireland show that 64% of 13- to 17-year-olds have already consumed alcohol and that almost half consume alcohol every month.
In her commentary on the research, the study's lead author, Dr. Tatiana Shnitko, said, "This is the age range where the brain is being fine-tuned to adapt to the responsibilities of the patients. adults.
"The question is whether exposure to alcohol during this age range alters the individual's ability to learn from individuals?"
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