New South Wales, Australia - The mystery of why alcohol makes people violent has finally been solved.
Scientists recruited 50 young men and asked them to consume either vodka or placebo drinks which were alcohol free.
They found that after just two drinks activity diminished in the prefrontal cortex of the brain - an area which is involved in tempering a person’s level of aggression.
To find out the real-time effects of alcohol on the brain, scientists used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans that measure blood flow and show which areas are most active.
Participants were given alcohol or placebo then asked to complete a provoking task while lying in the scanner to gauge their levels of aggression.
Being provoked was found to have no influence on participants' neural responses.
However, when behaving aggressively, there was a dip in activity in the prefrontal cortex of the brains of those who had consumed alcoholic drinks.
This dampening effect was also seen in the areas of the brain that are involved reward. Also, heightened activity was noted in the hippocampus, the part of the brain associated with people's memory.
"We encourage future, larger-scale investigations into the neural underpinnings of alcohol-related aggression with stronger doses and clinical samples,” Dr Thomas Denson of the University of New South Wales in Australia, said.
“Doing so could eventually substantially reduce alcohol-related harm.” The research was published in the journal Cognitive, Affective & Behavioural Neuroscience.(FA)
