At first, the stranger didn’t laugh much. But when I drank the vodka cranberry drink, the look changed. Not only did they smile more, they caught each other’s smiles and spoke more in a row. And they shared what the researchers called the “Golden Moment,” when all three of his strangers smiled as one.
“It feels like the group is really coming together and I think they’re part of that social and tipsy experience.” Michael Sayettedirector of the Institute for Alcohol and Smoking at the University of Pittsburgh, who was a co-author of the study.
What’s so fun about being tipsy?
alcohol disinhibits the brain
Although drinking is socially acceptable, “alcohol is like any other drug,” he said. Jody Gilman, Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, and Director of Neuroscience, Center for Addiction Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital. “It affects the brain.”
Ethanol, the very simple compound that gives alcoholic beverages their irritant, penetrates the cells of the body and brain within minutes of ingestion. There’s still a lot we don’t know about how alcohol affects the brain. “It has a very wide range of effects on the brain,” he said. Jessica WieferPsychologist at the University of Kentucky. She said that unlike other drugs that affect specific brain regions or act on specific receptors, “alcohol kind of goes all over the brain,” which makes her research difficult, she said.
Alcohol is widely known to be a depressant. In other words, it suppresses neural activity in the brain in general. By acting on the same receptors that neurotransmitters bind to, it amplifies the effects of brain chemicals (GABA and glycine) that inhibit neuronal activity. At the same time, alcohol inhibits the effects of excitatory brain chemicals, creating a double whammy of reducing brain activity.
As most people who drink alcohol know, alcohol has a biphasic effect. At low doses at first, you will feel stimulated and disinhibited so that you can dance and talk forever before drowsiness subsides.
This rise and fall of spirit corresponds to the rise and fall of blood alcohol concentration.
Peeking into the drunken brain
To see what was happening in the inebriated brain, the researchers willingly gave alcohol through an IV line while the participants were lying inside an fMRI neuroimaging scanner.
Alcohol May Disinhibit Us Attenuation activity It is part of the frontal cortex that is important for executive control functions such as inhibiting unwanted behaviors. By suppressing our inhibitions, alcohol makes us feel more stimulated.
You can buzz comfortably release dopamine Increases activity in the striatum, a key brain region associated with rewarding stimulation. Wiefer and her colleagues found that striatal neural activity corresponded to how the stimulated alcohol made participants feel.
The participants were drinking alcohol intravenously, but even so, “it’s like lying in a scanner, but you’re having fun,” Wiefer said.
Alcohol also affects the emotional centers of the brain.of one studyAlcohol attenuated the amygdala’s neural response to negative facial expressions, which may be why drinking can serve as a social lubricant.
A little liquid courage may help you become less sensitive to rejection and social anxiety. But it can also lead to bar fights and inappropriate behavior when someone drinks too much.
Social background is also important
The intoxicating power of alcohol is not only pharmacological.
“The funny thing about the brain is that it likes to be with other brains,” Sayet said. It changes dramatically depending on where you are.”
Being with other people in a social setting can itself be intoxicating and alcohol seems to amplify good feelings. It also provides a signal to others that we are letting our hair down. .
He, 1970s research We asked people how they felt after coming to the laboratory and drinking alone or in groups. was But when I drank socially, I talked more about the feeling of elation rather than the effects on my body.
“It’s not distilled into an extra release of dopamine,” Sayet said. “It’s too simple.”
How to enjoy responsibly
Despite research showing the amount of alcohol is not healthy When alcohol use disorder Many people can enjoy a few drinks from time to time.
When going out for a drink, researchers recommend:
make a plan. how much do you drink how do you get home These decisions are easier to make when unrestrained.
eat food firstThis slows down the metabolism of alcohol. and drink lots of water.
Know your limits. Different people have different tolerance levels. Slurred speech and loss of coordination can be warning signs of slowing down. “You need to know when you’re feeling like you’ve lost control of your drinking,” Gilman said.
Know why you’re drinking If you’re drinking to numb negative emotions, or despite negative consequences, that may be a sign to ask someone for help.
“It’s certainly possible to be a responsible drinker,” Gilman said. “I think there are many people who drink alcohol on their days off and feel energized.”
Have questions about human behavior or neuroscience? Email BrainMatters@washpost.com I may answer that in a future column.
