Chronic drinking has been attributed to high levels of cortisol in the body. Cortisol is the stress hormone that the body naturally produces. Withdrawal from alcohol also results in high cortisol levels.
High levels of cortisol are associated with neurotoxicity. Neurotoxicity is a condition that impairs memory, decision-making, attention span and learning. This is according to researchers from the University of Kentucky, the University of London and King’s College London.
Cortisol is a hormone released by the adrenal glands and by the brain during times of high emotional and physical stress. It is also released when drinking alcohol.
"It’s the chronic drinking that causes the neurotoxicity," said H.J. Little, a professor at the National Addiction Centre at King’s College London. "So chronic high levels of alcohol consumption are not good for the brain."
Making the change from chronic drinking to abstinence can also be dangerous. Abstinence can result in degeneration of the brain’s neurons.
"Alcoholics who display the most severe cognitive impairments during withdrawal are those who also have the highest cortisol levels," said Dr. Abi Rose, a professor at the University of Liverpool in England. "Therefore, cortisol function seems to play a significant role in continued alcohol dependence and risk of relapse."
