The Effects of Ethanol on the Nervous System in Adolescence and Youth: A Review Article

Adolescent brain development seems to be important for the maturation of brain structures and behavior. Intermittent binge ethanol drinking is common among adolescents, and this type of drinking can induce brain damage. We searched the literature available in Scopus, PubMed, Google scholar and Science Direct databases for English articles published until 1998. For this purpose, we used 3 keywords for ethanol, 4 for animal models and 8 for nervous system disorders. This review article summarized a variety of in vitro and in vivo studies in order to find out the effects of ethanol in nervous system. Based on the findings of this review study, persistent consumption ethanol, can induced memory abnormalities in adolescents. In addition, repeated consumption of ethanol leads to a deficiency of thiamine intake, an excess of β-amyloidpeptide and resulting in oxidative stress in the brain. Even the results showed that brief contact with pregnant women in the second quarter with ethanol would have a negative effect on the neonatal performance of the offspring. Some other studies have shown that theymay have a relationship between acetylcholinesterase, apoptosis and neuro-inflammation of neurons and nerves. Conclusion: These findings indicate that binge pattern exposure to ethanol during adolescence induces brain damage by inflammatory processes and causeslong-lasting neurobehavioural consequences.