When a student is in college, they develop many new habits
and ways of spending their time such as optimizing studying methods, taking
effective notes, learning to manage time, joining clubs, volunteering, etc.
However, we all know that not all college student activities involve school
work or resume building. Students unwinding from the stresses of school by taking
advantage of the party/bar scene is not uncommon as about 60 percent of college
students drink alcohol and almost 2 out of 3 students engage in binge drinking
(1). Us “emerging adults” aging 18-25 show the highest rates of alcohol use and
binge drinking than any other age groups and we actually drink more than
non-college students our age (2). Drinking and going out with friends is a way
to meet new people and create memories, but is there a point where these fun
weekend escapes from school actually hinder one’s academic performance?
There is nothing new or surprising when I say that alcohol
can have short term and long term effects on one’s health. As responsible
college students, we weigh the pros and cons of drinking and rely on our youth
to quickly bounce back and tackle the week ahead. However, new studies show
that even though our hangovers may not be as bad as older adults, the effects of
alcohol on us can be more detrimental.
If I had to pick one characteristic that is vital to passing
my classes it would be memory. Memory memory memory. A study published this
month links college student drinking to effects on the hippocampus and parahippocampus
(the structures in our brain that play major roles in memory and leaning).
The study observed 146 freshman (averaging 18.5 years in
age), taking brain MRI’s their freshman year and again 2 years later. An
alcohol use index (AUI) was used to quantify each student’s monthly intake.
Gray matter volumetric change (GMV-c), hippocampal/para-hippocampal GMV-c, and
memory scores from the California Verbal Learning Test were the data collected
in this study. The results indicated that higher AUI “was associated with an
accelerated GMV decline in the hippocampus/para-hippocampus” and that poorer
memory performance and memory blackouts were associated with a larger decline
in hippocampal volume.
So what does this really mean? Well, heavy drinking in
college is linked with greater hippocampal GMV decline which is associated with
poorer memory scores (2). Our drinking habits could be making it more difficult
to do well in school.
There are lots of changes going on in our brain because we
are at an age of great neuroplasticity. These changes include “extensive
synaptic pruning, myelination and cortical/subcortical reorganization, some of
which extend well into the third decade of life.” (2) Some serious remodeling of
the limbic system occurs at this stage in our lives and this neurodevelopment
is especially vulnerable to the effects of alcohol.
This dose-related association of alcohol consumption and
volume loss of the hippocampus can affect our success as college students and
quality of life in adulthood. We should be more aware of the responsibility of having a brain when indulging in habits and be mindful of our gray matter!
Sources:
1(1) https://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/collegefactsheet/Collegefactsheet.pdf
2(2) https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2451902218300545
I love your conclusion, that we should be aware of the "responsibility of having a brain." We only get one brain and once it's damaged, it's damaged forever. Although college students may enjoy the freedom to drink, we should all be cautious in our use of nervous tissue-altering substances. Good work!
ReplyDeleteYour research makes a lot of sense to me. This is the reason that our drinking age is 21 whereas in the rest of the world it's typically much lower. This is supposedly due to alcohol's effect on under-developed brains. Memory is a brain function that tends to be affected rather easily so it makes sense that alcohol would affect this the most.
ReplyDeleteI feel like my memory is already bad enough that I don't need to add binge drinking to my weekly activities. However, I do understand the appeal of needing to de-stress from college life. I think that students almost need to be trained on how to de-stress in a way that is healthy and in a way that nurishes their brain, not deceases its capacity.
ReplyDeleteWow, I've never thought of alcohol having such long-term deteriorating effects! I did hear about marijuana and its long-term effects, including memory. It's interesting if there are any other lurking variables involved in this, perhaps, students that are often involved in binge drinking also tend to smoke marijuana/other drugs?
ReplyDeleteWow, this is interesting! I agree that we have to be very careful because what we do now has a long-term effect on our health and well-being, especially when it comes to the brain. However, to see the results of the research on it is still very eye-opening.
ReplyDeleteIt appears that as with many things in life, moderation is the key. Going to the bar once a week with friends and enjoying some light drinking? Probably little to no long term impact. Getting blackout drunk 3 days a week? Are you really wondering why you can't remember things? The excessive drinking of college campuses has been the target of several studies and articles, usually going after fraternities. There are ways to de-stress in safe, controlled ways. Getting blackout drunk is not required.
ReplyDeleteIn college, you are exposed to a variety of people. Some people never go out and drink alcohol, some people do it like once a week, and then there are students that seem like they go out more times then they don't. In some of these students, you could already kind've tell that they're having difficulty in class whether it being them not studying enough or like you said in your article about them losing their memory. Only time will tell the long term effects of binge-drinking alcohol multiple times a week.
ReplyDelete