Heavy alcohol drinking during adolescence leads to long-lasting structural and genetic changes in the brain that can be reversed with a short course of the Alzheimer's drug donepezil (multiple brands), preliminary research suggests.
The current study identifies both neuromorphologic changes and changes in gene expression that suggest specific mechanisms by which alcohol exposure during adolescence may alter hippocampal function. The researchers, from Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, also identified an anticholinesterase agent that reverses those effects in adulthood, long after the last exposure to alcohol.
The study was published online February 15 in Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research.
Read more: https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/892867