Quick Facts

Understanding alcohol's effects on the brain is important to make safe decisions. Read about what alcohol does to the different parts of your brain, and then test your knowledge with a Quiz.

 

 

 

Alcohol & Your Brain
What To Know

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cerebral Cortex

The outer surface of the brain, the cerebral cortex, works with information from your senses.

Your cerebral cortex on alcohol:

• Your inhibitions are lowered due to alcohol's depressing effect. A small amount may make you feel relaxed and confident, but before long you're likely to talk too much, act silly and stupid, or have impaired judgment.
• Your cerebral cortex performs more slowly.
• Your vision may get blurry, you may slur your words, and you could have decreased hearing and trouble smelling and tasting.

Central Nervous System

When you think of something you want your body to do, the central nervous system (the brain and the spinal cord) sends a signal to that part of the body.

Your central nervous system on alcohol:

• Alcohol slows down the central nervous system.
• You will think, speak, and move slower.

Frontal Lobes

The brain's frontal lobes are important for planning, forming ideas, making decisions, and using self-control. Drinking alcohol over a long period of time can damage the frontal lobes forever.

Your frontal lobes on alcohol:

• You may find it hard to control your emotions and urges.
• You may become violent or act without thinking.

Hippocampus

Your memories are made in the hippocampus. A damaged hippocampus makes it harder to learn and hold on to knowledge.

Your hippocampus on alcohol:

• You may have trouble remembering something you just learned (e.g. a name or phone number). This can happen after just one or two drinks.
• You could experience a blackout-- not being able to remember entire events, such as what you did last night-- from drinking a lot of alcohol quickly.

Cerebellum

The cerebellum is important for coordination, thinking, and being aware.

Your cerebellum on alcohol:

• Your hands may be so shaky that you can't touch or grab things normally.
• You may lose your balance and fall.
• You may not know where you are.

Hypothalamus

The hypothalamus is a small part of the brain that does an amazing number of your body's housekeeping chores. Alcohol upsets the hypothalamus's work.

Your hypothalamus on alcohol:

• Blood pressure, hunger, thirst, and the urge to urinate increase.
• Body temperature and heart rate decrease.

Medulla

The medulla is your body's automatic pilot. it keeps your heart beating, lets you breate without thinking about it, and keeps your body at the right temperature. People sometimes drink alcohol in an effort to keep warm. Drinking alcohol can seem like it makes you warmer, but alcohol actually chills the body. Drinking a lot of alcohol outdoors in cold weather can cause your body temperature to fall below normal. This dangerous condition is called hypothermia.

Your medulla on alcohol:

• Breathing and heart rate slow.
• Your body temperature lowers.
• Drinking a lot of alcohol in a short time could shut down the medulla. You could go into a coma.

 

 

 

Whats Your Alcohol IQ?

Quiz Yourself. Below are a dozen statements about how alcohol affects a person's brain activities. Some of these are misconceptions or mistaken beliefs. Do you know which are true and which are false?

1. Alcohol is a stimulant.

TRUE or FALSE

 

2. Under the influence of alcohol, everything may appear to be fuzzy; drinkings may slur their words and have difficulty hearing, tasting, and smelling.

TRUE or FALSE

 

3. Under the influence of alcohol, a drinker's ability to think, speak, and move may slow way down.

TRUE or FALSE

 

4. Under the influence of alcohol, drinkers are usually calm, thoughtful, and easygoing.

TRUE or FALSE

 

5. Drinking alcohol over a long period of time may damage a person's self-control and ability to plan, think, and make decisions.

TRUE or FALSE

 

6. Alcohol does not affect memory.

TRUE or FALSE

 

7. Alcohol may make it difficult for drinkers to keep their balance or hold on to things.

TRUE or FALSE

 

8. Under the influence of alcohol, a drinker may be emotional or weepy.

TRUE or FALSE

 

9. Alcohol will help a person sleep.

TRUE or FALSE

 

10. Drinking alcohol will help a person lose weight.

TRUE or FALSE

 

11. People attending a winter football game should drink alcohol to keep warm.

TRUE or FALSE

 

12. The more alcohol people drink, the hungrier and thirstier they become.

TRUE or FALSE

 

 

 

Answer Key

1. FALSE. Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant. It can appear to be a stimulant because, intitially, it depresses the part of the brain that controls inhibitions.
2. TRUE. Alcohol slows down the celebral cortex as it works with information from your senses
3. TRUE. When you think of something you want your body to do, the central nervous sytem (the brain and the spinal cord) sends a signal to that part of the body. Alcohol slows down the central nervous system, making you think, speak, and move slower.
4. FALSE. When alcohol affects the frontal lobes of the brain, you may find it hard to control your emotions and urges. You may act without thinking or even become violent. Drinking alcohol over a long period of time can damage the frontal lobe forever.
5. TRUE. The brain's frontal lobes are important for planning, forming ideas, making decisions, and using self-control. Drinking alcohol over a long period of time can damage the frontal lobes forever.
6. FALSE. When alcohol reaches the hippocampus (where memories are made), you may have trouble remembering something you just learned, such as a name or a phone number. This can happen after just one or two drinks. If alcohol damages the hippocampus, you may find it hard to learn and hold on to knowledge.
7. TRUE. The cerebellum is important for coordination, thinking, and being aware. You may have trouble with these skills when alcohol enters the cerebellum. After drinking alcohol, your hands may be so shaky that you can't touch or grab things normally. You may lose your balance and fall.
8. TRUE. The brain's frontal lobes are important for planning, forming ideas, making decisions, and using self-control. When alcohol affects the frontal lobes of the brain, you may find it hand to control your emotions and urges. You may act without thinking or even become violent. Drinking alcohol over a long period of time can damage the frontal lobes forever.
9. FALSE. The hypothalamus is a small part of the brain that does an amazing number of your body's housekeeping chores. Alcohol upsets the work of the hypothalamus. After a person drinks alchol, blood pressure, hunger, thirst, and the urge to urinate increase while body temperature and heart rate decrease.
10. FALSE. The hypothalamus is a small part of the brain that does an amazing number of your body's housekeeping chores. Alcohol upsets the work of the hypothalamus. After a person drinks alchol, blood pressure, hunger, thirst, and the urge to urinate increase while body temperature and heart rate decrease.
11. FALSE. The medulla controls your body's automatic actions, such as your heartbeat. It also keeps your body at the right temperature. Alcohol actually chills the body. Drinking a lot of alcohol outdoors in cold weather can cause your body temperature to fall below normal. This dangerous condition is called hypothermia.
12. TRUE. The hypothalamus is a small part of the brain that does an amazing number of your body's housekeeping chores. Alcohol upsets the work of the hypothalamus. After a person drinks alchol, blood pressure, hunger, thirst, and the urge to urinate increase while body temperature and heart rate decrease.

 

For more information about alcohol, visit the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board and Students Against Destructive Decisions.