Alcohol-Induced Cognitive Impairments Persist After Withdrawal

A new study demonstrates how heavy alcohol use can cause long-term cognitive impairments, particularly affecting decision-making. The research, conducted in rats, shows that chronic alcohol exposure leads to significant damage to brain circuits critical for decision-making, which persists even after an extended withdrawal period.

The experiment and its findings

In an effort to understand the lasting effects of alcohol on the brain, researchers led by Yifeng Cheng at Johns Hopkins University exposed rats to high levels of alcohol over a month. Following nearly three months of withdrawal, the rats were subjected to a complex reward-based decision-making task. This task, designed to test memory and strategy, involved choosing between two levers, with the higher-reward option switching unpredictably.

Rats that had been exposed to alcohol performed notably worse than control rats, struggling to adjust to the shifting reward pattern. The alcohol-exposed rats showed less strategic thinking and slower adaptation, highlighting the cognitive deficits associated with long-term alcohol use. In contrast, control rats learned and adapted much more efficiently.

Brain circuit changes linked to behavioral impairments

The study also examined the brains of the rats, focusing on the dorsomedial striatum, a region linked to decision-making. The alcohol-exposed rats exhibited significant damage to neural circuits in this area, making their decision-related brain signals weaker and less effective. These neural impairments directly correlated with the behavioral difficulties the rats experienced during the task.

Implications for humans with alcohol use disorder

This research provides valuable insight into the brain mechanisms underlying cognitive deficits in humans with alcohol use disorder (AUD). According to lead author Dr. Patricia Janak, the study presents a new animal model that reflects the decision-making difficulties often seen in individuals with AUD. Despite withdrawal, the damage to neural circuits can persist, potentially contributing to the high relapse rates observed in people recovering from alcohol addiction.

"This may give us insight into why relapse rates for people addicted to alcohol are so high. Alcohol-induced neural deficits may contribute to decisions to drink even after going to rehab. We can clearly demonstrate these deficits can be long-lasting."

Dr. Patricia Janak.

Male rats and gender differences in alcohol’s effects

Interestingly, the researchers noted that the behavioral and neural impairments were observed only in male rats. This does not suggest that female rats are immune to alcohol's effects but instead points to potential sex-related differences in how long-term alcohol use impacts the brain. Future research will explore how alcohol affects other brain regions and investigate the potential gender-based disparities in these effects.

Next steps for the research team

The next phase of the research will focus on understanding how alcohol influences other brain regions that interact with the dorsomedial striatum. Additionally, the researchers plan to investigate the underlying mechanisms that might explain the differences in the effects of alcohol on male and female rats.

Reference: Cheng Y, Magnard R, Langdon AJ, Lee D, Janak PH. Chronic ethanol exposure produces sex-dependent impairments in value computations in the striatum. Sci Adv. 2025;11(14):eadt0200. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adt0200

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