A Recent Study Shows Why Do People Become Aggressive When Drinking Alcohol

A Recent Study Shows Why Do People Become Aggressive When Drinking Alcohol
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A study done using magnetic resonance technology highlights how alcohol-induced cerebral activity ceases in some neural areas that are linked to human behavior.

The new findings of the study conducted by Dr. Thomas Denson, a professor at the University of New South Wales, Australia, have recently been published in the journal Cognitive, Affective & Behavioral Neuroscience.

Theories about the level of aggression on the background of alcohol consumption

According to the specialized literature, aggression associated with alcohol consumption occurs in the background of changes occurring at the prefrontal cortex level.

However, there is a lack of neuroimaging evidence to support these theories.

Brain scanning shows why do people become aggressive when drinking alcohol

For this study, Dr. Denson and his team of researchers recruited 50 healthy young people.

After drinking several vodka-based drinks, the volunteers were put under MRI examination while they were asked to take a specific test designed to calculate the level of aggression in adults.

The tests have allowed researchers to see which areas of the brain are engaged during the tests.

Although the tests had no influence on the neuronal responses of the participants, when they behaved aggressively, neural activity in the prefrontal cortex of the brain was diminished among volunteers who were given alcohol.

This effect of diminishing brain activity was also observed in the brain areas responsible for the so-called “reward system”.

The scientists have also noticed an increase in the neuronal activity in the hippocampus area, the brain part which is responsible for memory and new neurons production.

The study verifies the specialized literature theories

The results of the research are in total consensus with the specialized literature that targets neural activity associated with aggressive behavior and how this behavior is supported by prefrontal cortex activity, the limbic system, and the reward system.

Scientists encourage large-scale investigations into why do people become aggressive when drinking alcohol, as well as more clinical trials in this regard.


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Jeffrey likes to write about health and fitness topics, being a champion fitness instructor in the past.

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