Neurobiological Effects of Binge Drinking Help in Its Detection and Differential Diagnosis from Alcohol Dependence

Abstract

The prevalence of binge drinking in the general population is 3-4 times higher than that of alcohol dependence. Neuroimaging studies show that binge drinking in adolescence impairs brain development and white matter integrity. Regions with reduced functional activity include the limbic system, ventral diencephalon, frontal lobe, and middle and inferior temporal lobes, whereas the right superior frontal and parietal lobes are typically hyperactivated. The observed activation of the frontoparietal areas might reflect the alternative memory system operating, whereas the reduced occipito-hippocampal response is associated with impaired visual and linguistic processing/learning. Some other findings from literature research include a decrease of N-acetylaspartate (NAA) in the frontal lobe and its increase in the parietal lobes, as well as the reduced components of event-related potentials, reflecting deficit in attention, working memory, inhibition, and executive functioning. Animal studies show that even a single day of binge drinking results in a neurodegeneration and reactive gliosis in the limbic cortex as well as in gene expression dysregulation and histone acetylation. Another biological evidence on binge drinking effect include inflammatory response, oxidative stress, formation of toxic ceramides, activation of caspase 3, and secretion of corticoliberin. Some of the binge drinking-induced cognitive abnormalities can be reversible after three weeks of abstinence. Although binge drinkers have a similar pattern of neuropsychological deficits with chronic alcohol consumers (mainly memory deficits), binge drinkers have prominent impairment of inhibitory control, which may be a marker of binge pattern of alcohol drinking. The optimal therapeutic strategies should target the inhibitory control processes to facilitate discontinuation of alcohol consumption and to block its possible progression to the alcohol dependence syndrome.

Examination of the daily drinking patterns and their relationships with alcohol dependence symptoms among adult users in Burkina Faso

“…Neighbors et al concluded that time-speci c calendar events [29] and event-speci c drinking [30] were associated with increased levels of bingeing. However, neurobiological changes may occur with repetitive binge-drinking conditions [31,32], and may increase cravings [33]. Ghiţă et al reported a variability of the levels of alcohol craving in relation to the day of the week, and drinking during weekends in Spain (Friday, Saturday, or Sunday) was associated with greater craving levels in patients with alcohol use disorder [17].…”

Diagnostic Value of Salivary Markers in Neuropsychiatric Disorders

“…The world's population of adults suffering from alcohol abuse is estimated at about 4.9%. More than 2% of the world's population is alcohol dependent, while in Europe, it is estimated at 4% and in America 3.4% [47]. The World Health Organization assessed that the problem of binge drinking concerns more than 7% of the world's population (over 16% in Europe and 13% in America).…”

“…The World Health Organization assessed that the problem of binge drinking concerns more than 7% of the world's population (over 16% in Europe and 13% in America). In the last years, binge drinking has become the dominant pattern of alcohol consumption among adults [47].…”

“…So far, some chronic alcohol markers have been found in saliva, namely, aminotransferases and gamma-glutamyl-transferase, ethanol, sialic acid, hexosaminidase A, and glucuronidase. Waszkiewicz et al [11, 47, 48] suggested that alcohol such as methanol, diethylene, ethylene, and glycol and salivary glycoproteins like oral peroxidase, α -amylase, clusterin, haptoglobin, heavy and light chains of immunoglobulins, and transferrin may be possible alcohol markers. In addition, chronic drinking leads to disturbances in adaptive and innate immunities, like immunoglobulin A, peroxidase, and lactoferrin [11, 48].…”

Choline Compounds of the Frontal Lobe and Temporal Glutamatergic System in Bipolar and Schizophrenia Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Study

“…Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ( 1 H MRS) is a useful tool that detects brain metabolites such as NAA (N-acetylaspartate), a marker for neuronal integrity or neuronal-glial homeostasis; Glx (GABA, glutamine, and glutamate); Cho (choline containing compounds), a measure of cellular density; Cr (creatine plus phosphocreatine), a marker of cellular energy level; and mI (myo-inositol), a marker of brain osmotic balance and glial cells [5, 6]. It is known that not only MRI brain imaging or neurophysiological measures but also the neurochemical changes detected by MRS may be biomarkers of schizophrenia and other neuropsychiatric disorders, e.g., posttraumatic stress disorder, antidepressant treatment response, or binge drinking [7–10].…”