how new neurons develop, become integrated in to dentate gyrus and function have not been investigated. Perhaps those cells that are born and survive though alcohol intoxication have impaired functions due to inappropriate synaptic connections or any number of altered neurotransmitter or signaling cascades. In summary, binge alcohol exposure disrupts neurogenesis by decreasing the number of proliferating cells, increasing cell death and thus reducing new cell survival in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. Emerging theories on the contribution of neurogenesis to hippocampal function imply that alcohol dysregulation of neurogenesis likely contributes to impairments in hippocampus associated behaviors such as learning, memory, and mood, and may have implications for the development of alcohol abuse or addiction (Canales, 2007; Eisch and Mandyam, 2004).
