We’ve all seen it! The
stumble, the slur, the blackouts. People who have been drinking have
trouble in balance, judgment and coordination. They react slowly, but
thinkthat they can drive a motor vehicle. All of these physical signs
occur because of the way alcohol affects the brain and the central nervous system.
Alcohol affects brain chemistry by altering neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that transmit signals throughout the body that control thought
processes, behavior and emotion. Neurotransmitters can either stimulate the brain’s electrical activity, or inhibit it. So neurotransmitters can also decrease brain’s electrical activity. Alcohol increases the effects of the inhibitor called GABA in the brain.
GABA causes sluggish movements and slurred speech that often occur in alcoholics. At the same time, alcohol inhibits the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate. Suppressing this stimulant results in a similar type of physiological slowdown. In addition to increasing the GABA and decreasing the glutamate in the brain, alcohol increases the amount of the chemical dopamine in the brain's reward center, which creates the feeling of pleasure thatone experiences when he or she takes a drink.
Alcohol affects brain chemistry by altering neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that transmit signals throughout the body that control thought
processes, behavior and emotion. Neurotransmitters can either stimulate the brain’s electrical activity, or inhibit it. So neurotransmitters can also decrease brain’s electrical activity. Alcohol increases the effects of the inhibitor called GABA in the brain.
GABA causes sluggish movements and slurred speech that often occur in alcoholics. At the same time, alcohol inhibits the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate. Suppressing this stimulant results in a similar type of physiological slowdown. In addition to increasing the GABA and decreasing the glutamate in the brain, alcohol increases the amount of the chemical dopamine in the brain's reward center, which creates the feeling of pleasure thatone experiences when he or she takes a drink.