Tomorrow is the big day. Much to my liver’s dismay, I’m turning 21, so I thought it would be appropriate to discuss the effects on alcohol on the brain in this post.
I searched through article databases reading abstracts about how alcohol shrinks the brain, depletes white mater, inhibits growth of and destroys neurons etc…, until I stumbled on a study that examined acutely intoxicated rat brains. Over hour intervals after alcohol exposure, researchers were able to document neuroplastic changes involving tyrosine hydroxylase, proenkephalin and cannabinoid CB(1) receptor gene expressions. That alcohol alters receptor expression in neurons is a sobering thought. It turns “I only like you when I’m drunk,” into “I only like you when I slowly alter the chemical and physical composition of my brain.” The researchers hypothesize this may play a role in addiction and the immediate feel-good affects of alcohol.
I thought about volunteering my services if the authors ever wished to document their findings in human subjects until I learned I’d have to consume 3g/kg of alcohol (which works out to be about 18 standard drinks for me… a bit too life-threatening for comfort) and that the rats were killed by decapitation (I’m attached to my head). I guess the more I think about it the less I’m interested in incurring a great deal of brain damage this weekend; I’m not sure I could make it through the rest of Neurobio firing on a few less cylinders. I might just take my shiny new ID down to the grocery store and pick me up some O’Doul’s.
Reference: Oliva JM, Ortiz S, Pérez-Rial S, Manzanares J.Time dependent alterations on tyrosine hydroxylase, opioid and cannabinoid CB(1) receptor gene expressions after acute ethanol administration in the rat brain. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol. 2007 Oct 24; [Epub ahead of print
I don’t think they even sell Alaskan Amber in Minnesota, so I suppose drinking something else instead is excusable. Congratulations.
screw the science, man, it’s one free drink at every bar you go to!
it’s economics, not biology.
make sure to order drinks you could never afford otherwise.
I recall (gees, was it that long ago), ordering 50 year old cognac at the time.
even 20 years ago, that would have been 40.00 per glass.
bring a good group of friends so they can make “recommendations”.
… and someone who can still drive you home at the end.
Binge drinking with a good group of friends? Shaming, they call the results. It’s a fairly reliable way to get your picture on College Humor. Much more reliable of course, is to submit a picture after you get drunk (presumably) and draw with a felt pen on your torso, given your apparent gender.
And yes, it was because of a link from PZ that I found myself on that site.
happy, happy birthday…
When I turned 21 (translation: “When the world was young, and dinosaurs ruled the Earth…”), I devised a cunning plan. I had a friend who had on more than one occasion said, in his ever-so-bland sardonic way, “I don’t sing, I don’t dance, and I don’t want to be around anyone who does.”
Every time someone tried to foist another birthday shot on me, I said, “No, no, no. I’ve had enough. Besides, all I really want for my birthday is to see Greg dance.” And he’d get the shot instead of me.
Late that night, Greg was out on the dance floor. AND *I* didn’t wake up with a hangover the next day. It was a win all around… except maybe for Greg.
Well-timed: I just got back from an evening of drinking.
That bit about “I only like you…” is a well-turned phrase; I hope you don’t mind my stealing it.
Remember, drink responsibly.
but… isn’t O’Doul’s a non-alcoholic beer ?
Happy Birthday and interesting post.
Well when I turned 21 it was WAAAAAYYY back before the, um, iphone. Yeah.
So to you Katie I raise this glass of chemical composition changing happy porter. May your neurons still fire fast in the morning.
Cool study; thanks for sharing.
And happy birthday!
They say you only use 10% of your brain. Go out and enjoy. You’ve got a 90% buffer. If you happen to be an IDiot, you can push that to 95%.
Also take note of Cliff Claven’s Buffalo Beer Theory:
“Well ya see, Norm, it’s like this… A herd of buffalo can only move as fast as the slowest buffalo. And when the herd is hunted, it is the slowest and weakest ones at the back that are killed first. This natural selection is good for the herd as a whole, because the general speed and health of the whole group keeps improving by the regular killing of the weakest members. In much the same way, the human brain can only operate as fast as the slowest brain cells.
Excessive intake of alcohol, as we know, kills brain cells. But naturally, it attacks the slowest and weakest brain cells first. In this way, regular consumption of beer eliminates the weaker brain cells, making the brain a faster and more efficient machine, which is why you always feel smarter after a few beers.”
Happy B-day.
OEJ
This is an erroneous claim commonly made by psychic woo proponents (of whom it does appear to be true). <.<
For the sake of your little grey cells, please, just smoke a little pot when it’s safe to do so. Stay away from alcohol. It’s poison.
The more brain damage it gives you, the more fun it is. Are you a chicken?
Interesting about the gene expression, however.
The general consensus at the end of an office conversation this morning was that you should drink only good single malts whiskies. This has the advantage that you probably can’t afford to get horribly drunk too often and getting to drink good single malts is a bonus. ;-)
I see Azkyroth is another admirer of Alaskan Amber, you are correct, if you want a beer, why settle on anything else.
Consume a cannabinoid that incurs much the same risks as ethanol but definitely lowers testosterone, compared to consuming a compound that is known to increase life expectancy? Luckily in the context, that is a no-brainer. :-P
[I guess the later finding that preferentially old males benefit from a low alcohol consumption could change the idea of exactly who should consume how much alcohol. But then again, the epidemiological results seems pretty solid.]
Speaking of which, I miss a good drink list among the references. In case I would like to do some field work.
Consume a cannabinoid that incurs much the same risks as ethanol but definitely lowers testosterone, compared to consuming a compound that is known to increase life expectancy? Luckily in the context, that is a no-brainer. :-P
[I guess the later finding that preferentially old males benefit from a low alcohol consumption could change the idea of exactly who should consume how much alcohol. But then again, the epidemiological results seems pretty solid.]
Speaking of which, I miss a good drink list among the references. In case I would like to do some field work.
Very timely for me! I’m in the middle of making my freshman class debate whether the drinking age should be lowered to 18. It’s very sad to see how they don’t have much in the way of critical thinking skills yet, but hopefully a topic they’re interested in will spur them a bit.
I always find it odd that in some States in the USA you can buy a firearm without a licence – even in supermarkets I understand (and not just hunting rifles but military spec jobs too) but you have to be 21 to buy booze !
Ahh, so you believe dinosaurs and early humans lived together? Isn’t that a major heresy around here? ;^)
Actually, by the time I turned drinking-aged, most of the dinosaurs were already extinct. I existed in that sweet spot in time when the drinking age was 18. Because the drinking age was 18, in fact, all college students were generally presumed to be of age, so I actually got to start partaking of adult beverages at 17.
I have one particularly vivid (albeit partial) memory of a night when I arrived at the campus pub several hours early for a performance by a popular local band, so I could snag a good table. Ever industrious, I passed the time by working on physics homework… and drinking red wine! The rest is history, but not all of it is memory.
Happy 21, Katie!
I recall back in the day, when my girlfriend undertook a deliberate program of increasing her alcohol dehydrogenase levels. This was in preparation for her doctoral defense, and the alcohol consumption that would follow.
I seem to remember a study from my youth that showed that small amonts of alcohol actually improved the simulated driving skills of introverts. I think it was too politically incorrect to remain in our kowledge base.
(which works out to be about 18 standard drinks for me… a bit too life-threatening for comfort)
I suggest that you, being a young woman, would benefit greatly from increasing your alcohol tolerance. It’ll cut down on coyote mornings and you never know when you’ll have to put an engineer in their place.
Consume a cannabinoid that incurs much the same risks as ethanol but definitely lowers testosterone, compared to consuming a compound that is known to increase life expectancy?
Lowering testosterone increases life-expectancy, too. ;-)
The 21 year old drinking age didn’t seem to stop the Bush twins.
The legal drinking age is a rite of passage in a way, though I didn’t feel like an adult until I’d had a couple of glasses of whiskey with my grandmother.
However, I can’t shake the feeling that the 21 year limit makes drinking seem more special than it really is.
Oh, and happy birthday.
Graculus: “Varannan vatten!”, or “Make every second drink water” is a catchphrase used by a swedish city heavy in tourism. The kind of tourism that involves binge drinking and LARP getups (don’t ask).
I agree that my introduction might have been too lengthy, but getting a glass of water every other time you go to the bar is a pretty good way of not overdrinking. Plus the hangover won’t be as bad.
#8:
“but… isn’t O’Doul’s a non-alcoholic beer ? ”
Um, I think that was the point.
happy birthday!
If I were you I’d avoid the binge drinking, you probably won’t remember it, be sick and puke (or do even worse things) at night and have a huge hangover the next day. I’d just buy a nice bottle of champagne or a good wine and enjoy that, it won’t get you very drunk since it has relatively low alcohol content and if it’s the first time you drink you’ll like the taste better than beer or most liquors which are quite bitter. Of course it’s also more classy.(stay away from the cheap stuff though or you’ll have a huge hangover). I’ve also found that champagne gives me the nicest feeling while being drunk.
I’ve never had a 21st birthday like you do in America since the legal drinking age here is 16 (but it isn’t enforced) and I’m only 19, so it could be that my advice isn’t really suitable for what you’re about to do.
getting a glass of water every other time you go to the bar is a pretty good way of not overdrinking.
Very good advice!
I recall back in the day, when my girlfriend undertook a deliberate program of increasing her alcohol dehydrogenase levels.
How did she do that? (except for regular drinking)
Have fun!
In many states you can drink legally under 21 as long as it’s not in public; in most of them you have to be in the presence of a legal guardian. Interestingly, in Georgia and Idaho you can drink if you’re under 21 and married, but only if your spouse is present. The only other countries that have 21 as the legal age are Oman, United Arab Emirates, and Pakistan. Of course, we do allow all 18 year olds in the military to drink on base, because nothing says responsible drinking like an 18 year old who is under severe emotional and social pressure and who has access to lots of weaponry and training to use it.
Our drinking laws are all sorts of fucked up.
>>Our drinking laws are all sorts of fucked up.
This is because our drinking laws are a subset of our drug laws.
This implies that alcohol pushes the same buttons that pot does, and a few others besides – or am I reading this wrong?
It might be an interesting experiment to find some way to whack just the tyrosine hydroxylase & proenkephalin receptor gene expressions, just to isolate the effects… but that’s probably not a project on Katie’s Do-list for today.
Happy B-Day, Katie, and don’t forget to chug lots of water (too)!
Carlie, it sounds like you read the same wiki I did. I wholeheartedly agree with your conclusion!
anon1234:
It’s even worse than that: Our drinking laws are in thrall to federal highway funding. 8^(
Happy Birthday!
I had my 21st back before I invented dirt, and in that era… well, let’s just say I seem to have carried the alcohol industry on my back.
I think there was a serious depression in the industry after I went to a party in Chicago and woke up – in the back seat of my own car – in Dallas, 4 days later. With no memory at all of how I got there.
When somebody kicks me in the face, I take notice. As of that day, I became a non-drinker. This is not to say I’ve not had a drink since, but I have absolutely never been even buzzed since that day. My last drink, in fact, now that I think on it, was almost 20 years ago, as part of a training session for miitary police (how to conduct roadside sobriety tests, and what to look for.)
They say once an alcoholic, always an alcoholic. I’m not convinced it’s true – I can, at this stage in my life, have one, two, or five, and walk away. At least the desire for the stuff is gone.
Drinking because you lilke the taste is ok by me. I like lemon merangue pie. Drinking to get drunk is flat, up in your face, might-as-well-be-an-ID-proponent, stupid.
let me broaden that. Deliberately doing *anything* that causes irreperable damage to yourself is stupid*.
Sure, college is stressful. So is life – I don’t think it ever gets better. Succumbing to peer pressure to burn brain cells is.. counter-productive. I found other avenues of rerlease (I did consider – and try – other chemicals. stupid stupid stupid). For me, roller coasters does the trick… and sky diving.
I’m sorry.. I just re-read this and realize I’m coming off like a freakin’ born-again. But, in a sense, that’s how I see myself. I really regret some of the opportunities I missed because I was.. um.. incapacitated at the time they presented.
* am deliberately excluding prescribed medications that have deleterious side effects.. sometimes, to repair the barn you have to damage the fence.
argh. I apologize for the soapboxing.
again, congratulations on surviving 21 years in this mad mad world. and double congrats on choosing O’Douls over.. just about anything else.
This reminded me of the couple of times I’ve asked for (and received) beers in the US, even though I’m under age, simply because I’d forgotten I needed to be 21, not just over 18 (as in Mexico and all great countries ;)), and so wasn’t in the least bit nervous, apprehensive or edgy looking when I’ve asked for a pint at a restaurant.
Wow. Lurchgs sure is a party pooper.
I don’t regret one shot of Partone I’ve ever sipped.
Jack and cuervo on the other hand.
Drink sensibly. Last night was a wild and crazy night with 2 whole glasses of wine. Not sorry in the least.
But heavy binge drinking can take decades off your life. One friend after some traumatic life experiences stayed drunk for a decade. Completely destroyed her memory. She had no idea what happened during that decade and whatever happened before was very hazy. Died in her 40’s from her substitute habit, drugs.
One of our staff members had a serious binge drinking problem. It never interfered with her job. Many people myself included told her to quit. That and a pack a day of cigarettes ruined her cardiovascular system and one day she didn’t wake up, blood clot in the coronary arteries.
My old university averages about 1 acute alcohol intoxication death/year. Many of these are in the 18 to 21 age bracket. Darwin awards are unfortunate, make sure that it isn’t given to you posthumously.
Bill – most likely my students did. I was using what they said in class without even verifying it first (my bad), which means it most likely all came straight from Wikipedia. :)
“I can’t shake the feeling that the 21 year limit makes drinking seem more special than it really is.”
Among other things that have that effect, yes.
Congrats on 21! Your plan sounds like a good one. The most fun for me that day was showing my ID, paying off my bar tabs, and watching the look on the bar tenders’ faces! I must say, I do not remember the end of the evening, or many others before or in the years since ….
Perhaps college was different in the dark ages – I mean if I knew then what I know now (and I have traversed a number of learning curves), it might not have taken so long to the Ph.D. – but then again, we all must do what it takes to finish our tests. But in the end, experience has taught me that O’Douls is non-alcoholic beer for non-alcoholics.
Lurch, I swear I’ve heard that story before… ;-) My favorite was one about a woman who emerged from a blackout only to find herself in a car full of people, going 65 mph on a highway hundreds of miles from home. She didn’t know any of the other people in the car. She was driving. The car was not hers.
Katie, you’re making an impression here. I knew this was your post from the title, before I saw the author.
(“knew” = “felt pretty sure”)
As for alcohol, meh. It’s overrated as “fun” and underrated as “dangerous”. I guess its ubiquity and legality, and the accompanying implication that its not a mind- or mood-altering [cue sinister music] drug, which it is, makes it seem safer than more innocuous playthings like marijuana (which has its own set of drawbacks, but that’s another topic).
Anyways, I doubt you need a lot of advice; if you’ve waited ’til 21 to dive into the bottom of a glass, you’re a very rare creature indeed. If that glass contains O’Doul’s, well, then… even more so. (How many of our peers waited until they were 18, or even 16?) I’m 23 and I did all my drinking before I turned 20. Moderation is the key but, as the child of two recovering alkies, I could feel the pull and know all too well where it leads.
It’s true, of course, that many, many people do drink socially and responsibly, and that alcohol plays a small yet positive role in their lives.
Botton line: Have fun, and keep yourself safe.
And, oh yeah, HAPPY BIRTHDAY! :-)
HAPPY 21!
And yes, drinking both stupid, and fun. Just like many other entertaining activities, the risks run from death to mild fatigue the next day. Don’t do a “power hour”, and stay of of the double black-diamond runs on ski slopes (at least until you can turn), exercise discretion, and you’ll likely be fine.
MORE importantly, thanks for your article. It was one of the more informative (alcohol and cannabinoid receptors? Yikes!), and well-written I’ve seen from PZ’s students.
I think you’ve demonstrated you’ll do just fine, in neurobio and drinking. Enjoy!
The “simple” equation of weight of drug per kilogram body weight needs to be considered advisedly. Since you are a student I’ll let you do the leg work. Suffice it to say that in general terms, smaller bodied mammals can tolerate a higher apparent per-weight dose. There are general estimating equations and of course you can get closer by looking at metabolic data for a given drug…don’t forget to consider route of administration.
Carlie: No criticism intended… I actually think Wikipedia is a pretty good source for simple, objective things like a run-down of legal drinking ages. Especially when you have only the relatively modest goal of making reasonably accurate chit-chat! ;^)
Whenever I see the name “Katie Glasrud,” I know I’m in for a good post. I hope you keep blogging after this project is over.
Have a good 21st! I celebrated mine last month by going to the bar and having a beer while reading the Times. Yeah, I know, I’m boring and antisocial. There’s something to be said for not having a hangover.
I’m in mexico, like santiago. You can drink at 18 here… I celebrated that by drinking a vampiro (a drink made with tequila) with my parents, after getting home from high school. That was weird…
Happy 21st!
You should volunteer your services for the SAHARA Lab:
http://www.psy.utexas.edu/psy/CLINICAL/sahara/
“The bar laboratory is designed to simulate an actual barroom facility in all respects, including dim lighting, music, neon beer signs, and a host of alcohol-related stimuli.”
Not exactly neurobiology, but “stimuli” nonetheless…
Charles
Happy B’day Katie.
Regarding the estimated drinks needed for the project. (“3g/kg of alcohol”) I tried doing the math and it works out to less than 7 oz for me. I am curious how it worked to “about 18 standard drinks” for you.
Can anybody help with the math (if I am wrong)?
If benchmark = 3 grams of alcohol per kilogram of body weight, and I weigh 63.5 kilograms, then I would need to consume 190.5 grams of alcohol, which equate to 6.7 ounces. So it appears to me that I need to consume only one beer to suffice.
Or does the “3g/kg of alcohol” referring to pure alcohol, without the additives i.e. water and grains?
Thanks for your help.
you alter the composition of your brain, but who is to say thats a bad thing.
you alter the chemical composition of your brain when you take asprin too, hell you alter the composition of your brain just from reading.
i recall in a lecture PZ mentioning that the learning process in the brain (the natural connecting and pruning of unused connections) is a nice analog for evolution, so then alchohol mearly changes the environment for the natural forces to take over. so maybe your brain will simply grow to become used to the new environment (which i believe it does…interesting thing how the brain always adapts to new neural environments…such as coke..it changes to the environment..but becomes dependant on that environment to function…) by dancing from sobriety to intoxication you make a changing environment (though i imagine if it must be made to work best in both environments, it will be less efficient in either one)
either way, a little alchohol wont kill you…a LOT will..but not a little..