The frontal and parietal cortices of the human brain are especially prone to being damaged by excessive alcohol consumption, researches show, but most of that damage can be reversed by simply kicking the habit. However, if patients smoke while quitting drinking, the recovery considerably slows down, a new study published in the August issue of the journal Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research shows. Experts from the University of California in San Francisco (UCSF) and the Yale University have collaborated for the new study.

“The brain's frontal lobes are involved in higher-order cognitive function, such as learning, short-term memory, reasoning, planning, problem solving, and emotional control. The parietal lobes are involved in aspects of attentional regulation and visuospatial processing. Chronic and excessive drinking is associated with neurobiological abnormalities in these regions, which contribute to the cognitive dysfunction frequently observed in those with alcohol-use disorders (AUDs) after detoxification,” UCSF Department of Radiology senior research fellow Anderson Mon explains. He has also been a corresponding author for the published paper.

One of the most important aspects to track in such conditions, the experts say, is the level of cerebral perfusion, which is basically the amount of oxygen-rich blood that reaches the brain in a certain unit of time. Despite the fact that the brain only accounts for about one fiftieth of the mass of the body, it requires about 20 percent of oxygen blood in order to operate within “normal parameters.” Any drop in these levels could lead to some level of hypoxia, which is a condition characterized by the brain starving for oxygen. In addition, with hypoxia, metabolic byproducts of the brain are not laundered away from the cortex, further affecting it.

“In general, AUDs are associated with reduced perfusion. With abstinence from alcohol, brain perfusion abnormalities may recover, but there are several factors that may influence recovery, such as age, diet, exercise, genetic predispositions and – the topic of our research – other substances such as tobacco products,” Mon shares. In the news study, the experts concluded that non-smoking alcohol-dependent (ALC) patients recovered their perfusion rates a whole lot faster than smoking ALC patients.

“At one week of abstinence, both smoking and non-smoking ALC patients had similar frontal and parietal gray matter perfusion; and both groups had lower perfusion than normal controls. However, after five weeks of abstinence, frontal and parietal gray matter perfusion of the non-smoking ALC patients recovered to normal control levels, whereas the smoking ALC group essentially showed no recovery,” Mon adds.

“These results suggest that patients who want to stop drinking should be offered an option to stop smoking. However, any combined cessation has to be designed carefully. One study showed that when patients choose to stop smoking and drinking together, they maintain sobriety longer. Conversely, another study showed the patients who were required to stop smoking at the same time as they stopped drinking did not stay sober as long as those who were not forced,” YU Associate Professor of Diagnostic Radiology and Psychiatry Graeme Mason concludes.