Long-term heavy alcohol use also causes reduced levels of thiamine (vitamin B1), which is necessary for proper brain functioning. This can lead to Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, which begins with Wernicke’s encephalopathy, a swelling of the brain. If left untreated, Wernicke’s encephalophathy leads to Korsakoff syndrome, which results in symptoms similar to those of dementia [3][6]. Finally, intoxication may increase the risk for head injuries, themselves contributors to cognitive symptoms and dementia. A remarkable 78 percent of people with diagnosed alcoholism are found on autopsy to have brain pathology, typically including damage to frontal areas, hypothalamus, and cerebellum. Population-based studies have reported conflicting results on the alcohol-dementia relationship.

Prolonged and heavy alcohol use causes brain cell death, which can cause certain areas of the brain to shrink. For example, research has found that heavy drinkers have a reduced volume of white matter. This damage leads to poorer communication between areas of the brain and impaired cognitive function.

How is Alcohol-Related Dementia Diagnosed?

Patients must also receive proper counsel from professional therapists to discover the root causes of their alcohol addiction and to eliminate them. If proper treatment is administered on time, alcoholic abusers might have a chance of living an alcohol-free can alcoholism cause dementia and happy life. The rehabilitation facility for alcoholics is the best option to contact to learn more about the recovery process. Similarly, the risk of stroke and accidental head injury is increased in these groups, which can also lead to dementia [5].

When alcohol-related brain damage was excluded, alcohol use disorders still doubled the risk of vascular and other dementias. Even when adjusting the data for confounding variables, the link remained significant. Included in the researchers’ analysis were all those over 20 years old who lived in France and were “discharged with alcohol-related brain damage” or any other type of dementia between 2008 and 2013. Recently, researchers from the Translational Health Economics Network in Paris, France, set out to investigate the relationship between alcohol use disorders and early-onset dementia (that which develops before the age of 65).

Alcohol-related brain damage (ARBD): what is it and who gets it?

However, vitamin B1 treatment rarely improves the loss of memory that takes place once Korsakoff psychosis has developed. The age of onset of alcohol-related dementia varies, but it’s often seen in older adults (around 40 to 50 years old). However, it can occur earlier depending on the amount of alcohol a person consumes.

Older people are also more vulnerable to injuries from falls due to changes in eyesight, spatial recognition, and bone health. Alcohol use can increase their risks for falls, as it can affect judgement and perception. Older individuals are more vulnerable to the short- and long-term effects of alcohol use on their brains. Thiamine https://ecosoberhouse.com/ deficiency can cause dementia, which is progressive and permanent memory loss. Alcohol affects short-term memory by slowing down how nerves communicate with each other in a part of the brain called the hippocampus. Keep reading to learn why alcohol can affect short- and long-term memory and what you can do about it.