J. G Freir: Effects Of Alcohol On The Human Brain

J.G Fehr

Effects of Alcohol on the Brain

The Effects of Alcohol on the
Human Brain

By
John Gabriel Fehr

Submitted on April 3, 2013

Prepared for:
Dr. A.M. Wittman
( English 199, Section B02 )

J.G Fehr

Effects of Alcohol on the Brain 2

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations……………………………………………………………………………………………… ii
Abstract……………………………………………………………………………………………………………… iii
Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………..……………… 1
What you’ll need to know about the human brain………………………………..……………. 2
Cerebellum…………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 2
Cerebral Cortex………………………………………………………………………………………………. 2
Hippocampus…………………………………………………………………………………….…………… 3
Hypothalamus……………………………………………………………………………………………….. 3
Medulla…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Over time, the transfer of memory between short term (a few minutes) to long term (just a few months or possibly forever) becomes distorted and the brain is unable to store long term memories or knowledge anymore [2, 12].

Effects on Motor Control

A serious consequence of drinking is damage to the central nervous system (CNR). When a person decides they want their body to perform an action, the CNR sends a signal to the brain which will relay this information to the part of the body needed to perform the action. Since alcohol is a depressant of the CNS, it significantly slows down the signals (neurons) and as a result the person will begin thinking, speaking and moving slower; as you can see in the figure below [19]. After continuous damage to the
CNR, different neurotransmitter receptors will become permanently damaged; to list a couple: serotonin(associated with receptor depression) and dopamine receptor (emotional hormone). When these receptors are damaged, the brain can no longer function properly causing shaking