Alcohol consumption throughout the ages of 18-25 leads to lower production of activity regulated cytoskeletal (ARC) protein, which plays a vital role in memory development and consolidation, according to scientists who conducted research on mice and supplemented their findings with data from humans.
According to Bohnsack et al. (2022), who published their findings in Science this month, heavy alcohol use throughout adolescence has an effect on the amygdala, a region of the temporal lobe of the brain involved in memory and emotion processing.
Study shows that there is a link between teen drunkenness and adult brain abnormalities.Bohnsack et al. (2022) also indicate that rodents who use alcohol throughout adolescence exhibit anxiety-like behavior as well as higher alcohol consumption in maturity.
This is accomplished by the ‘epigenetic’ suppression of the synaptic activity response element (SARE), a DNA region near the genetic code that is important for the production of ARC. Epigenetic phenomena occur when the environment in which a person grows and lives, as well as his or her behavior, influences how genes act.
The discovery has huge implications for employing epigenetic methods to reverse the suppression of the SARE site and, as a result, enhance the impacts of teen drinking. But, as the authors point out, the road isn’t easy because these epigenetic tools have a variety of activities that aren’t fully understood, including roles other than SARE site changes.
Source : The Indian Express
