New Insights into Alcohol-Induced Blackouts Neuroscientists have
unlocked the secret behind alcohol-induced amnesia, otherwise
known as a blackout, which can last anywhere from a few minutes
to several hours. According to researchers at Washington
University School of Medicine in St. Louis, consuming large
amounts of alcohol does not necessarily destroy brain cells as
once believed. Instead, alcohol interferes with certain
receptors in the brain, which then produce steroids that hinder
long-term potentiation (LTP), a process that strengthens neuron
connections and is critical for learning and memory. The
mechanism involves NMDA receptors that transmit glutamate, which
carries signals between neurons, says Yukitoshi Izumi, MD, PhD,
research professor of psychiatry at Washington University School
of Medicine in St. Louis. An NMDA... [via Psych Central]