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HOW DOES ALCOHOL AFFECT THE BRAIN
By
Amanda B. Diaz Martin
Chair: Aileen Izquierdo
Committee Member: Faculty Member’s Name
Committee Member: Outside/Faculty Member’s Name
A PROFESSIONAL PROJECT PRESENTED TO
THE SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION+JOURNALISM
OF FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY
IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE
FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY
[Summer&2023]
Introduction
The National Institute of Health researched the impact of alcohol on the brain; the research shows that alcohol can alter brain structure and its functioning causing behavioral changes such as addiction and craving (Nutt et al., 2021). More studies have shown that excessive consumption of alcohol reduces brain activity. This reduced activity affects how the brain communicates, making it difficult for the brain to communicate with areas responsible for memory, judgment, balance, and speech.
Background
The relationship between cerebral atrophy and alcohol was studied many decades ago, with post-mortem findings showing that the impacts of alcohol affect both the cortical and subcortical regions of the brain (Nutt et al., 2021). Over the years, scientists have used more advanced medical techniques, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), to identify specific areas affected by alcohol. According to Martinez-Maldonado et al. (2022), the severity of brain damage is related to the chronicity of alcohol, people with high alcohol dependence are reported to have severe brain damage.
According to a report by World Health Organization (WHO), the prevalence of alcohol is estimated to be at 4% globally, resulting in three million deaths every year (Nutt et al., 2021). Therefore, WHO has flagged alcohol dependence as an international public health emergency. Alcohol dependency and brain damage not only affect alcoholics, but also affect their family and society. Various challenges prevent the proper management of alcohol abuse, they include competing priorities in the health sector and a shortage of healthcare providers (Greene et al., 2018). Therefore, this research will focus on evaluating how to overcome these challenges and the need for WHO to develop substance misuse services to reduce the impact of alcohol on the population, which targets the brain.
Problem
In this research, brain damage is the major challenge that needs to be solved. Moreover, the study will seek to reduce annual alcoholism casualties from the WHO data and increase the number of healthcare personnel responsible for dealing with excessive alcohol consumption and its impact.
Campaign Objectives
The secondary literature shows that alcohol is a global pandemic that takes away the lives of three million people annually. This research aims at creating awareness of the impact of alcohol on the brain to reduce these casualties with a considerable number. The project will also look for ways the WHO can increase medical experts dealing with alcoholism. The study will also seek to understand the alcohol percentage less likely to have significant effects on the brain.
Proposed Research Methods
The primary research method for this project will be in-depth interviews with chronic alcohol drinkers to understand how alcohol has affected their cortisol and subcortical brain regions. The research will be distributed across different races to identify these chronic drinkers easily; the project will use recent admissions into rehabilitation centers. Participation will be voluntary, and there will be no reward for anyone participating in the project.
Anticipated Application of the Results
The results from this project will be useful in deciding how to deal with people suffering from alcohol dependence. Moreover, the outcome will inform healthcare professionals of the urgency of alcoholism and the need to venture into the flagged global health emergency. I will use the findings to spread awareness of alcoholism and the impact of alcohol on the most important part of our body, which is the brain.
References
Greene, M. C., Kane, J. C., Khoshnood, K., Ventevogel, P., & Tol, W. A. (2018). Challenges and opportunities for implementation of substance misuse interventions in conflict-affected populations. Harm reduction journal, 15(1), 1-10.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12954-018-0267-1
Martinez-Maldonado, A., Verdejo-Roman, J., Sion, A., Rubio, G., Perez-Garcia, M., & Jurado-Barba, R. (2022). Effect of chronic alcohol consumption on brain structure in males with alcohol use disorder without a familiar history of alcoholism. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 149, 210-216.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2022.03.005
Nutt, D., Hayes, A., Fonville, L., Zafar, R., Palmer, E. O., Paterson, L., & Lingford-Hughes, A. (2021). Alcohol and the Brain. Nutrients, 13(11), 3938.https://doi.org/10.3390%2Fnu13113938
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