THURSDAY, July 14 (HealthDay News) -- Binge drinking may not
necessarily kill or even damage brain cells, as commonly
thought, a new animal study suggests. But it can block key
receptors in the brain and trigger production of a steroid that
interferes with brain functions critical to learning and memory,
according to researchers. Neuroscientists from Washington
University School of Medicine in St. Louis argued their findings
not only shed light on exactly what is happening when alcohol-
induced "blackouts" occur, but could also lead to strategies to
help improve memory. The scientists examined slices of the
brains of rats exposed to alcohol to determine how it affected
them. The study, published recently in the Journal of
Neuroscience, found that large amounts of alcohol affect the
hippocampus and other areas of the brain involved in cognitive
functions, such as memory formation. Plagued by excessive
alcohol, key receptors in the brain are blocked and later others
are activated, producing steroids that undermi