<p>Most of the acute neurological effects of ethanol alcohol, such as slurred speech, ataxia, and confusion/sedation, are reversible, and the symptoms will disappear after the blood alcohol level gets down to below the intoxication level. However, in very high dose, alcohol can cause stupor or even coma, with irreversible neurological damages from associated hypoglycemia (from the hypoglycemic effect of alcohol and from concomitantly inadequate food intake) or hypoxemia (from the respiratory depression effect of alcohol). Also, there can be indirect permanent brain damage from falls, car accidents, regurgitation with aspirations, drowning, etc.</p>

<p>Most of the chronic neurological effects of ethanol alcohol, such as Wernicke-Kosakoff syndrome, alcoholic cerebellar degeneration, and alcoholic dementia are irreversible, and at present, there are no effective treatments to reverse neurological damage in these conditions. However, further progression can be halted by quit drinking alcohol. And, in the case of Wernicke’s encephalopathy,  if adequate dose of thiamine is given in time, neurological injuries can be reversed and permanent neurological damage may not occur.</p>

<p><strong>General References.</strong></p>

<p>Healthline. <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/alcohol-related-neurologic-disease" rel="noreferrer">Alcohol-Related Neurologic Disease</a> </p>

<p>Wikipedia. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcohol_intoxication" rel="noreferrer">Alcohol intoxication</a></p>

<p>Wikipedia. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wernicke%E2%80%93Korsakoff_syndrome" rel="noreferrer">Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome</a> </p>

<p><strong>Academic References.</strong></p>

<p>Arts NJM, Walvoort SJW, Kessels RPC. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5708199/" rel="noreferrer">Korsakoff’s syndrome: a critical review</a>. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2017; 13: 2875–2890. doi: 10.2147/NDT.S130078</p>

<p>Harper C. <a href="https://academic.oup.com/alcalc/article/44/2/136/184817" rel="noreferrer">The Neuropathology of Alcohol-Related Brain Damage.</a> Alcohol and Alcoholism. 2009 Mar-Apr; 44(2):136–140. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/alcalc/agn102" rel="noreferrer">https://doi.org/10.1093/alcalc/agn102</a> </p>

<p>Ridley NJ, Draper B, Withall A.<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3580328/" rel="noreferrer">Alcohol-related dementia: an update of the evidence.</a> Alzheimers Res Ther. 2013; 5(1): 3. doi:10.1186/alzrt157 </p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-08-29T10:15:45.903Z
2019-08-29T10:15:45.903Z
user287279
<p>I read online that heavy alcohol consumption can lead to neurological damage, specifically in areas that affect your cognitive performance and memory but what I couldn’t find is if the damage can be reversed.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/alcohol-damages-day-to-day-memory-function-62982" rel="noreferrer">https://www.verywellmind.com/alcohol-damages-day-to-day-memory-function-62982</a></p>

<p><a href="https://www.addictioncampuses.com/blog/alcohol-abuse-cause-brain-damage/" rel="noreferrer">https://www.addictioncampuses.com/blog/alcohol-abuse-cause-brain-damage/</a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-08-29T00:44:46.940Z
No, I don't think so. The neurons die.
As an aside, most damage is caused indirectly by vitamin deficiency.
cosine
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-08-29T07:19:55.987Z
Maybe look up neuroplasticity and alcoholic damage? Unfortunately most of the research is around strokes and car accidents etc.
Poidah
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-08-29T09:32:11.130Z
Most of the research around addiction recovery rather than improving brain damage from alcohol...  - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4476599/, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4476600/, https://www.altamirarecovery.com/blog/the-brain-that-heals-itself-neuroplasticity-and-promise-for-addiction-treatment/
Poidah
<neuroscience><alcohol>
Can the neurological damage done by alcohol be reversed?
crazyfoo
# Can the neurological damage done by alcohol be reversed?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-08-28)

I read online that heavy alcohol consumption can lead to neurological damage, specifically in areas that affect your cognitive performance and memory but what I couldn’t find is if the damage can be reversed.

<https://www.verywellmind.com/alcohol-damages-day-to-day-memory-function-62982>

<https://www.addictioncampuses.com/blog/alcohol-abuse-cause-brain-damage/>

**Tags:** neuroscience, alcohol

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: No, I don't think so. The neurons die. As an aside, most damage is caused indirectly by vitamin deficiency.  
> **username_2**: Maybe look up neuroplasticity and alcoholic damage? Unfortunately most of the research is around strokes and car accidents etc.  
> **username_2**: Most of the research around addiction recovery rather than improving brain damage from alcohol...  - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4476599/, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4476600/, https://www.altamirarecovery.com/blog/the-brain-that-heals-itself-neuroplasticity-and-promise-for-addiction-treatment/  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2019-08-29. Score: 6

Most of the acute neurological effects of ethanol alcohol, such as slurred speech, ataxia, and confusion/sedation, are reversible, and the symptoms will disappear after the blood alcohol level gets down to below the intoxication level. However, in very high dose, alcohol can cause stupor or even coma, with irreversible neurological damages from associated hypoglycemia (from the hypoglycemic effect of alcohol and from concomitantly inadequate food intake) or hypoxemia (from the respiratory depression effect of alcohol). Also, there can be indirect permanent brain damage from falls, car accidents, regurgitation with aspirations, drowning, etc.

Most of the chronic neurological effects of ethanol alcohol, such as Wernicke-Kosakoff syndrome, alcoholic cerebellar degeneration, and alcoholic dementia are irreversible, and at present, there are no effective treatments to reverse neurological damage in these conditions. However, further progression can be halted by quit drinking alcohol. And, in the case of Wernicke’s encephalopathy, if adequate dose of thiamine is given in time, neurological injuries can be reversed and permanent neurological damage may not occur.

**General References.**

Healthline. [Alcohol-Related Neurologic Disease](https://www.healthline.com/health/alcohol-related-neurologic-disease)

Wikipedia. [Alcohol intoxication](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcohol_intoxication)

Wikipedia. [Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wernicke%E2%80%93Korsakoff_syndrome)

**Academic References.**

Arts NJM, Walvoort SJW, Kessels RPC. [Korsakoff’s syndrome: a critical review](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5708199/). Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2017; 13: 2875–2890. doi: 10.2147/NDT.S130078

Harper C. [The Neuropathology of Alcohol-Related Brain Damage.](https://academic.oup.com/alcalc/article/44/2/136/184817) Alcohol and Alcoholism. 2009 Mar-Apr; 44(2):136–140. <https://doi.org/10.1093/alcalc/agn102>

Ridley NJ, Draper B, Withall A.[Alcohol-related dementia: an update of the evidence.](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3580328/) Alzheimers Res Ther. 2013; 5(1): 3. doi:10.1186/alzrt157


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