Researchers from a leading U.S. university explored how long-term abstinence from alcohol can influence brain health. The study appeared in a respected scientific journal focused on alcohol research and neuroscience.
Earlier work suggested some brain areas might recover after stopping drinking, but the full extent and shape of this recovery remained uncertain. That gap spurred a new, ongoing investigation into the brain’s capacity to regenerate during sobriety.
To assess the impact of abstinence, scientists used magnetic resonance imaging to examine the brains of individuals seeking treatment for alcohol use disorders. The study enrolled 88 participants with alcohol dependence and included 45 individuals as a control group.
The research team tracked changes in the thickness of the brain’s outer layer, known as cortical thickness, over a period of 7.3 months without alcohol. This measure is associated with a range of cognitive functions critical to everyday life.
Across 34 brain regions analyzed, 26 showed improvement during abstinence. This finding supports the idea that the brain can repair and renew its structure when the effects of alcohol are removed.
Notably, participants who consumed higher amounts of alcohol during the year observed in the study tended to have less recovery in specific regions, including the pars orbitalis, pars triangularis, and pars supramarginal cortex. This pattern suggests that both the quantity and duration of alcohol use may influence the pace of recovery.
The study adds to a long line of research detailing the consequences of alcohol misuse and highlights the potential for brain recovery with sustained abstinence. (Attribution: Stanford University research team; published in a peer-reviewed alcohol neuroscience journal.)