It has been recognized for decades that the ingestion of alcohol in large quantities is associated with impaired attention, memory and executive functions in adults (1). These associations have been typically reported in individuals with severe alcohol dependence where high amounts of alcohol lead to neurotoxicity. Brain regions that are most commonly affected include the dorsomedial thalamic region, mammilary bodies, striatum and other periventricular regions that contribute to memory and attention abilities as well as regions of the frontal lobes (2,3). Moreover, chronic alcohol exposure accelerates loss of brain gray and white matter volumes in the context of normal aging (4), supporting the notion that alcohol interferes with expected developmental changes in neuronal structure in the elderly. This observation is further supported by alcohol’s neurotoxic effects in the context of prenatal exposure (5).
