Chemical Dependency: Alcoholism
Center for Contining Dental Education
Chemical Dependency: Alcoholism
Center for Contining Dental Education
Utilizing MRI technology, researchers are able to perform non-invasive examinations of the brains of living children who have histories of prenatal alcohol exposure. Studies have shown FAS brains ar an average of 25 percent smaller than the brains of those in a control group. The volume of the cerebellum was reduced by about 20 percent, and other defects were also present.
Another study using MRI technology assessed the corpus callosum in children exposed to significant amounts of alcohol in utero. The corpus callosum is a bundle of fibers that connect the right and left hemispheres of the brain, thus facilitating transmission of information between the hemispheres. In this study, the corpus callosum was completely absent in some children, while the overall area of the corpus callosum in the remaining children was significantly smaller than in a control group of children. Damage to either the corpus callosum, or the right or left hemispheres causes very poor, or inappropriate responses. For example, when the corpus callosum can't access the appropriate information quickly enough, the person's reaction to stimuli will be spontaneous, impulsive, and based on instinct. In effect, the "wiring" to the brain has been severely damaged.
Another recent study reported an elevated risk for brain hemorrhage, or white matter damage in infants whose mothers reported consuming at least seven drinks per week or at least three drinks per occasion during pregnancy. Other studies indicate that alcohol acts as a dessicant and literally dries up the brain of the developing fetus.
