A study of binge-drinking rodents suggests that knocking back a few drinks every few days may swiftly reduce one's capacity to control alcohol intake.
They found that the 'binge-drinking' rats were consuming far more than those with a continuous supply of alcohol after only six weeks.
The binge-drinking rats also showed signs of impairment in brain function similar to that of established alcoholics after only a few months.
Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) found signs of cognitive impairment in rats similar to that seen in established alcoholism after the animals had only a few months of intermittent access to alcohol.
The researchers linked the rats' impairment to a small group of neurons that inhibit "executive control" functions in the prefrontal cortex of the brain.
These neurons were unusually active in the periods between drinking binges
