Magnetic resonance imaging measures of regional white and gray matter regional volumes were used to quantify N-acetylaspartate (NAA) concentrations—a metabolite biomarker of neural integrity. For bingers (> 100/80 alcohol drinks/month on <21 days in the past 3 years) compared with nonbingers, decreased NAA concentrations were associated with increased metabolism and frontal white matter loss, with higher parietal gray matter NAA. Consumption amount for heavy drinkers (> 100/80 drinks per month over past 3 years, which included binge drinkers) was correlated with lower executive functioning and working memory test scores. In addition, their relative frontal NAA loss was associated with impaired executive functioning and processing speed. Taken together, the results imply that these bingers have less parietal neuron damage than continual heavy drinkers (Meyerhoff et al., 2004), and that binge drinking may result in relatively specific neural deficits that differ from those associated with continual drinking levels.
