Study: Teenage binge drinking can have long-term effects

WASHINGTON — Binge drinking can really mess up a teenage brain. Now, there’s evidencethe damage can be long lasting.

Researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago College of Medicine say binging can result in genetic changes that slow brain development at a critical time.

They tested their theory on adolescent rats by feeding them alcohol for two days in a row, followed by two days off and repeating the pattern for 13 days.

The lab animals exposed to the alcohol displayed changes in behavior that lasted into adulthood, including increased anxiety and a higher risk of alcoholism.

When the researchers tested tissue from their brains, they found so-called “epigenetic” changes, or chemical modifications of either the DNA or related proteins. These changes have the ability to delay brain development and maturation.