Alcohol & Dementia: Can Alcohol Cause Memory Loss?

Posted on December 1, 2024

Alcohol & Dementia: Can Alcohol Cause Memory Loss?

You might be wondering whether alcohol has any effect on your memory.

This article will cover all the links between alcohol, Alcohol Use Disorders and memory loss, and if it can cause memory loss or a risk of dementia.

What is Dementia?

Dementia is the name for a number of symptoms. These symptoms are caused by different diseases that can cause damage to the brain. [1]

Symptoms of dementia include:

loss of memory
confusion
issues with language and understanding basic situations
alterations in behaviour

These symptoms usually begin mild, but progressively get worse over time.

There are many types of dementia, but the most common are Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia. However, it is also possible to get alcohol-induced dementia.

Does Alcohol Increase the Risk of Dementia?

Alcohol-related dementia is a form of alcohol-related brain damage, and can happen when severe alcohol abuse or heavy drinking occurs over a long period of time.

It should, however, not be confused with Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. This syndrome is similar to alcohol-related dementia, but is caused by a thiamine (Vitamin B1) deficiency. However, heavy alcohol use can be a cause of a thiamine deficiency.

Symptoms of alcohol-related dementia include:

a lack of focus
issues with memory
trouble organising

Symptoms will usually get worse gradually if you continue to drink.

What Causes Alcohol-related Dementia to Occur?

Various research shows that long-term, excessive alcohol use can lead to brain damage. [2]

Brain damage leads to a number of changes in your cognitive function, including:

memory issues or gaps in memory
alterations in spatial awareness
cognitive impairment
reduced social skills

These changes can affect your daily life, such as completing simple tasks like cooking or shopping.

A study in 2022 of 36,678 largely healthy middle-aged and older adults confirmed this link between regular alcohol use and brain changes. [3]

Participants’ brains in the study were found with reduced white and grey matter following moderate alcohol consumption, drinking three units of alcohol per day over a month.

How Do I Get Diagnosed with Alcohol-related Dementia?

You should speak to your doctor if you think you may have symptoms of alcohol-related dementia, especially if you regularly participate in binge drinking, moderate or heavy drinking.

They’ll ask you about your symptoms and carry out a physical exam. You may also need a brain scan in order to rule out other conditions such as a tumour, stroke or injury caused by physical trauma.

Other types of dementia will also be ruled out, such as Alzheimer’s disease or vascular dementia.

The type of dementia you might have can only be determined by specialist medical staff.

Can I Be Treated for Alcohol-related Dementia?

Your risk of dementia, or alcohol-related dementia can generally be prevented from progressing or might even be improved entirely once you stop drinking. Therefore, the first step for treatment is to quit drinking.

It can take several weeks to stop drinking alcohol entirely, especially if you have been drinking for a prolonged period of time.

It can be dangerous to suddenly stop drinking alcohol so you may be required to attend a rehab or medical facility to safely cut down on your drinking.

When you stop drinking, you may experience withdrawal symptoms such as mood changes, disorientation or seizures. However, your rehab team can help you manage these symptoms with prescribed medications.

After the withdrawal process, it can be best to work on mental health treatments with a support team. You could also join a 12-step group like Alcoholics Anonymous. This can support you in quitting alcohol permanently.

Can I Completely Reverse Alcohol-related Dementia?

Whilst it is not largely researched just how much alcohol-related dementia can be reversed, it is thought that you can at least partially reverse any effects that drinking alcohol has had on your brain.

Research has demonstrated that it is possible to partially reverse the white matter of your brain. This allows an improvement of cognitive and motor abilities. [4]

Get Help Today

The sooner you get help and stop drinking, the greater your chances you have of reducing the effects of alcohol, improving your cognitive ability and reducing alcohol-related brain damage and early onset dementia.