Booze at young age linked to lasting brain changes

Binge drinking during adolescence may cause lasting changes to brain structure and function, including disrupted communication within the brain, according to a new study. Repeated alcohol exposure during adolescence disrupted communication between astrocytes — brain cells increasingly recognised for their role in neural signalling — and synapses – tiny contact points where neurons communicate with each other – in the hippocampus, a region important for learning and memory, researchers at Marshall University’s Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine found. The changes were still present after prolonged abstinence and were associated with altered fear-related behaviour in adulthood, researchers found in a preclinical rat model. "Understanding why binge drinking specifically during adolescence worsens mental health outcomes and reduces overall quality of life is the goal of this research," Mary-Louise Risher, associate professor at the Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, said in a press release. "From these studies, we aim to increase public awareness and develop new therapeutic approaches to alleviate the long-term consequences of adolescent binge drinking.” The findings suggest that astrocytes may play a larger role in the long-term effects of adolescent alcohol exposure than previously understood. They also raise the possibility that targeting astrocyte function could eventually help address some of the persistent behavioural effects associated with alcohol exposure and substance use. Researchers used a model of adolescent intermittent ethanol exposure to examine how repeated alcohol consumption during adolescence affected the brain following a period of abstinence and into adulthood. “Growing evidence in recent years has highlighted a promising new role of astrocytes in the modulation of synaptic activity and behavioral outcomes,” said Olivia Coulter, first author of the paper and doctoral candidate at the Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine. Coulter said the findings could contribute to the development of astrocyte-targeted approaches to improving brain health, although further research is needed.