How Alcohol Affects the Brain

Clinical ReferenceHandout

New release

Therapy Insights Member Exclusive

Print Resource — US Letter — 3 pages

Population:

Adult

Discipline:

OTSLP

Diagnosis:

Brain InjuryStroke

Citations:

Daviet, R., Aydogan, G., Jagannathan, K., Spilka, N., Koellinger, P. D., Kranzler, H. R., Nave, G., & Wetherill, R. R. (2022). Associations between alcohol consumption and gray and white matter volumes in the UK Biobank. Nature Communications, 13(1), Article 1175. Topiwala, A., Wang, C., Ebmeier, K. P., Burgess, S., Bell, S., Levey, D. F., … & Nichols, T. E. (2022). Associations between moderate alcohol consumption, brain iron, and cognition in UK Biobank participants: Observational and Mendelian randomization analyses. PLOS Medicine, 19(7), e1004039. Mewton, L., Visontay, R., Hughes, G., Browning, C., Wen, W., Topiwala, A., … & Sachdev, P. (2024). Longitudinal alcohol-related brain changes in older adults: The Sydney Memory and Ageing Study. Addiction Biology, 29(5), e13402. Topiwala, A., Allan, C. L., Valkanova, V., Zsoldos, E., Zammitt, N. L., & Ebmeier, K. P. (2017). Moderate alcohol consumption as risk factor for adverse brain outcomes and cognitive decline: longitudinal cohort study. BMJ, 357, j2353.

This handout explains in simple terms how alcohol affects brain structures and thinking skills, using recent research to clear up confusion about “safe” drinking levels. Use it to guide discussions with patients about recovery, cognition, and practical choices around alcohol use.

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