What Parts of the Brain Are Effected by Alcohol?

There are a number of effects that alcohol has on the brain. The severity will depend on a number of factors including the amount of alcohol consumed and how quickly it has been consumed, family health history, sex and weight. Research is ongoing, but it is known that alcohol does affect various parts of the brain, all of which are responsible for actions or functions our bodies use every day.

Cerebral Cortex

• The cerebral cortex is the highest part of the brain that controls behavior and the five senses. Alcohol makes people feel less inhibited causing them to be more self confident and more talkative than normal. Information from the five senses is also slowed down with alcohol consumption.

Limbic System

• The limbic system is an area of the brain that controls memory and emotion. Consumption of alcohol can cause memory loss and displays of exaggerated emotion, especially in regards to anger, withdrawal and aggressiveness. Loss of memory can occur immediately and there can also be a loss of memory over time for those who drink too much, too often.

Cerebellum

• The cerebellum coordinates muscle movement. After alcohol has been consumed, movements become uncoordinated resulting in a loss of balance, stumbling and falling down. Other movements that should normally be liquid or fluid are not. Walking in a straight line or touching a finger to the tip of the nose becomes more difficult which is why they are used in field sobriety tests to determine if people have been drinking or are under the influence of alcohol.

Hypothalamus and Pituitary Gland

• The hypothalamus is the nerve center for sexual performance and arousal. As the blood alcohol level (or BAC) increases, sexual desire will increase as well, but sexual performance will be decreased.

Medulla

• The medulla, also known as the brain stem, controls functions in the body that are performed without us even having to think about. The medulla controls consciousness, body temperature, breathing and heart rate. A high BAC level may influence those same functions and could cause a person to breathe more slowly or to stop breathing altogether, which could result in death.