Teens binge drink. We've all been there, done that, and seldom remember much.
Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research which will be published in October, claims that heavy alcohol use decreases the spatial working memory (SWM) and could critically affect teens' ability to perform many tasks, from driving, geometry, sports, to map reading.
According to the new study, the "heavy episodic" drinking prevalent among adolescents can leave a lasting impact on brain function during a time of peak development, particularly for young women.
"Our study found that female teenage heavy drinkers had less brain activation in several brain regions than female non-drinking teens when doing the same spatial task," said one of the study's authors, Susan F. Tapert, acting chief of psychology at the VA San Diego Healthcare System and professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego.
"Male binge drinkers showed some but less abnormality as compared to male non-drinkers. This suggests that female teens may be particularly vulnerable to the negative effects of heavy alcohol use."
Having conducted studies on nearly a hundred 16-19-year-olds from San Diego-area public schools, Tapert and her colleagues were reminded of gender differences in development, particularly during adolescence.
"Females' brains develop one to two years earlier than males, so alcohol use during a different developmental stage -- despite the same age -- could account for the gender differences," she said.
"Hormonal levels and alcohol-induced fluctuations in hormones could also account for the gender differences. Finally, the same amount of alcohol could more negatively affect females since females tend to have slower rates of metabolism, higher body fat ratios, and lower body weight."
Teens examined were said to be 'typical' in their drinking habits, consuming copious amounts on the weekend then abstaining during the week. Though binge drinking is rampant, with almost a quarter of all seniors admitting to drinking heavily in the preceding two weeks, this study suggests long-term damage may continue well beyond the hangover.
So much for mommy brain. I'm thinking, this explains a lot.
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