One effect of chronic alcoholism is the damage that long-term heavy alcohol consumption does to the brain. Certain regions in the brains of alcoholics shrink, creating lesions that result in deficits in brain function.

Brain imaging research has shown that the prefrontal cortex (in the front of the brain) and regions of the cerebellum (in the lower back of the brain) are particularly vulnerable to the effects oflong-term alcohol abuse.

This means thatheavy alcohol useover a long period of time will damage regions of the brain that control executive function (the prefrontal cortex) and balance and postural stability (the cerebellum).

Alcohol can also cause damage to the white matter of the brain. People with alcohol use disorder who relapse tend to have decreased white matter. Maintained abstinence is associated with increased white matter in certain areas of the brain including the corpus callosum and subcortical white matter.

Brain Damage Due to Alcoholism

Therefore, chronic alcoholics can progress to the point that they no longer have the ability to walk a straight line even when “sober” or stand on one foot, especially in the dark or when their eyes are closed.

Additionally, long-time alcoholics can develop deficits in the executive functioning of their brains, meaning they can demonstrate problems in putting items in order, solving problems, multitasking, andproblems with their working memory.

How Alcohol Damages the Brain

Information from the frontal cortex of the brain flows through the pons to the cerebellum, while in the meantime, information from the cerebellum flows through the thalamus to the frontal cortex.

Previous MRI studies of the brains of alcoholics found significant volume deficits in the cerebellar hemispheres and vermis, pons, and thalamus as well as the prefrontal, frontal, and parietal cortex.

How Alcohol Shrinks Brain Circuitry

Circuitry Deficits Compound the Problem

The cerebellum, through the brain circuitry, could significantly affect the function of the prefrontal cortex, perhaps explaining why a lack of balance in those with alcohol use disorder is a predictor of a loss of executive function.

8 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Shanmugarajah PD, Hoggard N, Currie S, et al.Alcohol-related cerebellar degeneration: not all down to toxicity?.Cerebellum Ataxias. 2016;3:17. doi:10.1186/s40673-016-0055-1Zahr NM, Pfefferbaum A.Alcohol’s effects on the brain: neuroimaging results in humans and animal models.Alcohol Res. 2017;38(2):183-206.Houston RJ, Derrick JL, Leonard KE, Testa M, Quigley BM, Kubiak A.Effects of heavy drinking on executive cognitive functioning in a community sample.Addict Behav. 2014;39(1):345–349. doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2013.09.032Umhau JC, Schwandt M, Solomon MG, Yuan P, Nugent A, Zarate CA, Drevets WC, Hall SD, George DT, Heilig M.Cerebrospinal fluid monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 in alcoholics: support for a neuroinflammatory model of chronic alcoholism.Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2014 May;38(5):1301-6. doi: 10.1111/acer.12367Fama R, Le Berre AP, Hardcastle C, Sassoon SA, Pfefferbaum A, Sullivan EV, Zahr NM.Neurological, nutritional and alcohol consumption factors underlie cognitive and motor deficits in chronic alcoholism.Addict Biol. 2019;24(2):290-302. doi:10.1111/adb.12584Le Berre AP, Fama R, Sullivan EV.Executive functions, memory, and social cognitive deficits and recovery in chronic alcoholism: a critical review to inform future research.Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2017;41(8):1432-1443. doi:10.1111/acer.13431Moulton EA, Elman I, Becerra LR, Goldstein RZ, Borsook D.The cerebellum and addiction: insights gained from neuroimaging research.Addict Biol. 2014;19(3):317–331. doi:10.1111/adb.12101Fama R, Le Berre AP, Sassoon SA, et al.Relations between cognitive and motor deficits and regional brain volumes in individuals with alcoholism.Brain Struct Funct. 2019;224(6):2087-2101. doi:10.1007/s00429-019-01894-wAdditional ReadingBartsch, AJ, et al. “Manifestations of Early Brain Recovery Associated With Abstinence From Alcoholism.“BrainDecember 2006.Mervis, CB, et al. “Visuospatial Construction.“Journal of Human GeneticsOctober 1999.

8 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Shanmugarajah PD, Hoggard N, Currie S, et al.Alcohol-related cerebellar degeneration: not all down to toxicity?.Cerebellum Ataxias. 2016;3:17. doi:10.1186/s40673-016-0055-1Zahr NM, Pfefferbaum A.Alcohol’s effects on the brain: neuroimaging results in humans and animal models.Alcohol Res. 2017;38(2):183-206.Houston RJ, Derrick JL, Leonard KE, Testa M, Quigley BM, Kubiak A.Effects of heavy drinking on executive cognitive functioning in a community sample.Addict Behav. 2014;39(1):345–349. doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2013.09.032Umhau JC, Schwandt M, Solomon MG, Yuan P, Nugent A, Zarate CA, Drevets WC, Hall SD, George DT, Heilig M.Cerebrospinal fluid monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 in alcoholics: support for a neuroinflammatory model of chronic alcoholism.Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2014 May;38(5):1301-6. doi: 10.1111/acer.12367Fama R, Le Berre AP, Hardcastle C, Sassoon SA, Pfefferbaum A, Sullivan EV, Zahr NM.Neurological, nutritional and alcohol consumption factors underlie cognitive and motor deficits in chronic alcoholism.Addict Biol. 2019;24(2):290-302. doi:10.1111/adb.12584Le Berre AP, Fama R, Sullivan EV.Executive functions, memory, and social cognitive deficits and recovery in chronic alcoholism: a critical review to inform future research.Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2017;41(8):1432-1443. doi:10.1111/acer.13431Moulton EA, Elman I, Becerra LR, Goldstein RZ, Borsook D.The cerebellum and addiction: insights gained from neuroimaging research.Addict Biol. 2014;19(3):317–331. doi:10.1111/adb.12101Fama R, Le Berre AP, Sassoon SA, et al.Relations between cognitive and motor deficits and regional brain volumes in individuals with alcoholism.Brain Struct Funct. 2019;224(6):2087-2101. doi:10.1007/s00429-019-01894-wAdditional ReadingBartsch, AJ, et al. “Manifestations of Early Brain Recovery Associated With Abstinence From Alcoholism.“BrainDecember 2006.Mervis, CB, et al. “Visuospatial Construction.“Journal of Human GeneticsOctober 1999.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Shanmugarajah PD, Hoggard N, Currie S, et al.Alcohol-related cerebellar degeneration: not all down to toxicity?.Cerebellum Ataxias. 2016;3:17. doi:10.1186/s40673-016-0055-1Zahr NM, Pfefferbaum A.Alcohol’s effects on the brain: neuroimaging results in humans and animal models.Alcohol Res. 2017;38(2):183-206.Houston RJ, Derrick JL, Leonard KE, Testa M, Quigley BM, Kubiak A.Effects of heavy drinking on executive cognitive functioning in a community sample.Addict Behav. 2014;39(1):345–349. doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2013.09.032Umhau JC, Schwandt M, Solomon MG, Yuan P, Nugent A, Zarate CA, Drevets WC, Hall SD, George DT, Heilig M.Cerebrospinal fluid monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 in alcoholics: support for a neuroinflammatory model of chronic alcoholism.Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2014 May;38(5):1301-6. doi: 10.1111/acer.12367Fama R, Le Berre AP, Hardcastle C, Sassoon SA, Pfefferbaum A, Sullivan EV, Zahr NM.Neurological, nutritional and alcohol consumption factors underlie cognitive and motor deficits in chronic alcoholism.Addict Biol. 2019;24(2):290-302. doi:10.1111/adb.12584Le Berre AP, Fama R, Sullivan EV.Executive functions, memory, and social cognitive deficits and recovery in chronic alcoholism: a critical review to inform future research.Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2017;41(8):1432-1443. doi:10.1111/acer.13431Moulton EA, Elman I, Becerra LR, Goldstein RZ, Borsook D.The cerebellum and addiction: insights gained from neuroimaging research.Addict Biol. 2014;19(3):317–331. doi:10.1111/adb.12101Fama R, Le Berre AP, Sassoon SA, et al.Relations between cognitive and motor deficits and regional brain volumes in individuals with alcoholism.Brain Struct Funct. 2019;224(6):2087-2101. doi:10.1007/s00429-019-01894-w

Shanmugarajah PD, Hoggard N, Currie S, et al.Alcohol-related cerebellar degeneration: not all down to toxicity?.Cerebellum Ataxias. 2016;3:17. doi:10.1186/s40673-016-0055-1

Zahr NM, Pfefferbaum A.Alcohol’s effects on the brain: neuroimaging results in humans and animal models.Alcohol Res. 2017;38(2):183-206.

Houston RJ, Derrick JL, Leonard KE, Testa M, Quigley BM, Kubiak A.Effects of heavy drinking on executive cognitive functioning in a community sample.Addict Behav. 2014;39(1):345–349. doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2013.09.032

Umhau JC, Schwandt M, Solomon MG, Yuan P, Nugent A, Zarate CA, Drevets WC, Hall SD, George DT, Heilig M.Cerebrospinal fluid monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 in alcoholics: support for a neuroinflammatory model of chronic alcoholism.Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2014 May;38(5):1301-6. doi: 10.1111/acer.12367

Fama R, Le Berre AP, Hardcastle C, Sassoon SA, Pfefferbaum A, Sullivan EV, Zahr NM.Neurological, nutritional and alcohol consumption factors underlie cognitive and motor deficits in chronic alcoholism.Addict Biol. 2019;24(2):290-302. doi:10.1111/adb.12584

Le Berre AP, Fama R, Sullivan EV.Executive functions, memory, and social cognitive deficits and recovery in chronic alcoholism: a critical review to inform future research.Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2017;41(8):1432-1443. doi:10.1111/acer.13431

Moulton EA, Elman I, Becerra LR, Goldstein RZ, Borsook D.The cerebellum and addiction: insights gained from neuroimaging research.Addict Biol. 2014;19(3):317–331. doi:10.1111/adb.12101

Fama R, Le Berre AP, Sassoon SA, et al.Relations between cognitive and motor deficits and regional brain volumes in individuals with alcoholism.Brain Struct Funct. 2019;224(6):2087-2101. doi:10.1007/s00429-019-01894-w

Bartsch, AJ, et al. “Manifestations of Early Brain Recovery Associated With Abstinence From Alcoholism.“BrainDecember 2006.Mervis, CB, et al. “Visuospatial Construction.“Journal of Human GeneticsOctober 1999.

Bartsch, AJ, et al. “Manifestations of Early Brain Recovery Associated With Abstinence From Alcoholism.“BrainDecember 2006.

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