Thaindian News

London, May 17 (IANS) Binge drinking can attack memory even in adults as young as 18 years of age, a Spanish study has found.

Heavy alcohol consumption makes it more difficult to build new memories because the hippocampus, a brain area which plays a vital role in learning and memory, succumbs to its poisonous effects, researchers at the Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Spain claim.

“Binge drinking could affect memory of young adults, which might affect their day-to day lives,” said researcher Maria Parada.

The study examined 122 Spanish university students aged 18 to 20 years of age divided into two groups — those who engaged in binge drinking and those that abstained. They were then subjected to a neuropsychological assessment which included recalling visual and verbal experiences.

“Most attention has focused on negative consequences such as traffic accidents, violence or public disorder, society and students themselves are unaware of the damaging effects binge drinking may have on the brain,” Parada added.

These findings are particularly worrisome as binge drinking is a growing problem in the UK and other European countries — particularly among the young, as published in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research.