Blackouts from binge drinking may be common in younger crowds, but new research suggests light alcohol consumption after the age of 60 could actually improve memory.
Moderate alcohol consumption was also linked to larger volume of the hippocampus, which is linked to episodic memory (the ability to recall specific events), the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston reported.
To make their findings, researchers looked at over 660 patients from the Framingham Heart Study Offspring Cohort. These patients were asked to complete surveys on their alcohol consumption habits and underwent neuropsychological assessments, such as MRIs and scans for the genetic Alzheimer's disease risk factor, APOE e4.
The team found a link between light and moderate alcohol consumption in older people and higher episodic memory. Past findings in animal studies have suggested moderate alcohol consumption helps preserve the hippocampus by generating new nerve cells in the region; it can also release chemicals involved in information processing functions.
"There were no significant differences in cognitive functioning and regional brain volumes during late life according to reported midlife alcohol consumption status," said lead author Brian Downer, UTMB Sealy Center on Aging postdoctoral fellow. "This may be due to the fact that adults who are able to continue consuming alcohol into old age are healthier, and therefore have higher cognition and larger regional brain volumes, than people who had to decrease their alcohol consumption due to unfavorable health outcomes."
While light to moderate alcohol consumption seems to boost memory in older adults, long-term binge drinking (having five or more drinks in one sitting) can cause permanent damage to the brain.
The findings were published in a recent edition of the American Journal of Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias.
