A CRITICAL INSIGHT INTO COMPLICATIONS OF ALCOHOL
*Tapan Behl, Prabhjot Kaur, Deepika Saini, Isha Singh2, Heena Goel, Rajesh K Pandey
ABSTRACT
Alcohol is a cytotoxic agent which causes various kinds of neuronal
damage. It provides an impact on the social, psychological, medical,
economic and religious spheres of our life. Alcohol when administered
affects the release of many neurotransmitters. Dopamine, serotonin and
GABA receptors are some neurotransmitters activated by intake of
alcohol resulting in feeling of pleasure, aggression, anxiolysis,
sedation, and anesthesia where as NMDA receptors are inhibited
causing the increased calcium influx resulting in the production of
reactive oxygen species. This leads to axonal damage and
demyleination of sensory and motor fibres resulting in the damage to
the nervous system. Consumption of alcohol deteriorates the
functioning of nervous system. Alcohol is the main cause of neurological disorders. It exerts
its effect, directly or indirectly, on the developing and the developed brain and has acute and
chronic complications. Developing brain can be damaged when alcohol is consumed in
pregnancy. Neurologic disorders related to long term alcoholism are mainly due to insufficient
nutrition (Thiamine deficiency) which causes Wernicke's encephalopathy and mediates
indirect effects of alcohol. Other disorders involve the neurotoxicity of alcohol on brain
(alcohol withdrawal syndrome and dementia) and peripheral nerves (alcoholic neuropathy and
myopathy). Intake of alcohol also has adverse effects on liver and heart. In this review,
complications arising from alcohol consumption are studied.
Keywords: neurologic, transmembrane, oligomeric, ethanol intoxication, philtrum.
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