Undoing alcohol's damage to the mind

In addition to claiming lives, marriages, homes and careers, alcoholism has a greedy way of robbing its victims of brainpower, as well. Over time, alcohol dependence literally shrinks the brain and several of its components. And in so doing, it erodes an alcoholic's ability to learn new tasks, remember things and organize for action. Even regular, heavy drinking can take a cognitive toll, researchers have found.

But a new study published in the journal Brain details the remarkable ability of the thinking organ to regenerate itself and regain function when its host chooses the path of sobriety. The research also underscores a key warning -- quit now, or risk damage that could be harder to reverse.

A team of European researchers used magnetic resonance imaging to assess the brains of 15 alcohol-dependent and 10 healthy subjects and tracked the volume of two key brain chemicals that are indicators of cell health and activity. The subjects were given a battery of tests of cognitive function at the beginning and end of the study. As the 10 male and five female alcoholics embarked on a journey of sobriety, the team of radiologists plotted a remarkable story of comeback.

In less than two months without alcohol consumption, the brain volume of alcoholic subjects increased, on average, 1.85%. Cerebellar choline levels -- indicators of how well brain cells are able to relay messages -- increased 20%. Levels of another brain chemical that indicates proper function of the brain cells went up 10%. The more dramatic those changes, the greater the improvement in a subject's performance on tests of cognitive function.

The study is among the first to show where regeneration occurs most robustly in the early days of an alcoholic's recovery -- in the brain's ventricles and in the white matter that helps brain cells and brain regions coordinate and communicate more smoothly with one another.

By comparison, the brains of healthy subjects, who also were asked to abstain from alcohol during the study period -- did not change.

Dr. Andreas Bartsch of the University of Wurzburg, Germany, said the study, when added to several that have shown similar resilience on the part of the brain under assault by alcohol, holds a hopeful message for drinkers beset by lapses of memory, motivation and judgment.

"Abstinence pays off and enables the brain to regain some substance and perform better," Bartsch said. "The adult human brain, and particularly its white matter, seems to possess genuine capabilities for regrowth," he added.