Alcohol Blackouts, Memory Loss, Brain Effects

0.000000    6.000000     Welcome to every day explained your daily 20-minute dive into the fascinating house and wise of the world around you.
6.000000    11.000000     I'm your host Chris and I'm excited to help you discover something new. Let's get started.
11.000000    13.000000     Okay, let's dive in.
13.000000    17.000000     Have you ever woken up after, let's say, a lively night out?
17.000000    20.000000     And your memory feels patchy.
20.000000    24.000000     Like you remember getting there, maybe bits of conversation, but then there are these weird voids.
24.000000    28.000000     And sometimes maybe days later, a memory just pops back in out of nowhere.
28.000000    33.000000     Oh, absolutely. That feeling of playing detected with your own night is pretty common, actually.
33.000000    38.000000     Exactly. It makes you wonder, you know, does alcohol literally kill your memory?
38.000000    46.000000     And like, why does it sometimes feel like you only forget parts of the night? Why do some bits stick around and others just vanish or maybe reappear later?
46.000000    48.000000     That's what we want to unpack today.
48.000000    53.000000     That's a perfect way to frame it. And our mission for this deep dive is really to get into the science of that.
53.000000    58.000000     We're looking at how alcohol actually impacts your memory, drawing on the latest research and findings.
58.000000    65.000000     We want to get past the common myths and understand the biology, the different ways memory gets hit, and what it really means for you.
65.000000    71.000000     Right. So when people talk about blacking out, it sounds pretty dramatic, but it's not the same as just passing out cold.
71.000000    73.000000     Is it there's a difference there? We need to understand.
73.000000    76.000000     Yes, that's a really crucial distinction.
76.000000    84.000000     And alcohol blackout isn't unconsciousness. It's actually a state where you're awake, you're conscious, you can walk, talk, interact.
84.000000    86.000000     You might even seem fine to others.
86.000000    90.000000     You could be holding a conversation, maybe even driving, unfortunately.
90.000000    91.000000     Exactly.
91.000000    96.000000     But the whole time, your brain isn't creating any new long-term memories of what's happening.
96.000000    102.000000     It's like, think of your brain's recording studio. It's on. The mics are live. Everything's happening.
102.000000    104.000000     But the safe button is totally broken.
104.000000    111.000000     Precisely. The safe function is just offline. The memories aren't being erased later. They simply never get stored permanently in the first place.
111.000000    117.000000     Okay, so the memory files just aren't getting written. What's actually going on inside the brain to cause that specific failure?
117.000000    122.000000     Well, the core mechanism is that alcohol temporarily blocks something called memory consolidation.
122.000000    129.000000     That's the really critical process where your brain takes short-term experiences and transfers them into long-term storage.
129.000000    131.000000     And that happens in a specific place.
131.000000    136.000000     Primarily, yes. It heavily involves a brain area called the hippocampus.
136.000000    140.000000     You could think of it as like the brain's command center for building new memories.
140.000000    145.000000     Now, there was a really interesting study back in 2011 from Washington University School of Medicine.
145.000000    150.000000     What did they find? Did it confirm the alcohol kills brain cells idea?
150.000000    157.000000     Actually, it debunked that, at least for blackouts. What they found is that alcohol doesn't necessarily destroy the cells during a blackout.
157.000000    164.000000     Instead, it interferes with key receptors in the brain, NMDA receptors, causing them to produce certain steroids.
164.000000    172.000000     These steroids then disrupt that memory consolidation process, that long-term potentiation needed to solidify memories.
172.000000    176.000000     So it's more like drugging the memory-making machinery than destroying it.
176.000000    184.000000     Exactly. Dr. Charles Rumsky, one of the researchers, put it really well. He said, "You still process information. You're not anesthetized. You haven't passed out.
184.000000    189.000000     But you're not forming new memories. The immediate experience is happening, but it's not sticking."
189.000000    194.000000     Okay. That makes a lot of sense. But then, going back to that patchy memory thing.
194.000000    202.000000     If the save button is broken, how come sometimes bits and pieces do seem to come back later? What explains those islands of memory you sometimes get?
202.000000    210.000000     Ah, right. That's because there are actually different types of blackouts. It's not always an all-or-nothing thing.
210.000000    215.000000     The experts usually talk about two main categories. First, there are fragmentary blackouts.
215.000000    217.000000     Fragmentary, like fragments.
217.000000    222.000000     Exactly. This is more like a partial blocking of memory formation. You have gaps, pieces are missing.
222.000000    228.000000     But importantly, those memories can sometimes be retrieved later, especially if someone reminds you of something specific.
228.000000    234.000000     Ah, okay. So that's when your friend says, "Hey, remember when you tried to explain quantum physics using interpretive dance?"
234.000000    237.000000     And suddenly you get this vague, horrifying flashback.
237.000000    242.000000     That's precisely. That prompt, that cue, can help you access a memory that was weakly encoded.
242.000000    247.000000     Those are your islands of memory. They exist, but may be disconnected until you get a hint.
247.000000    249.000000     Okay, so that's fragmentary. What's the other type?
249.000000    255.000000     The other type is called an on-block blackout. On-block meaning as a whole, or complete.
255.000000    259.000000     And this is a total loss of memory for a specific period during intoxication.
259.000000    261.000000     So complete wipe for that time?
261.000000    268.000000     Yes. During an on-block blackout, the brain's ability to create any new long-term memories is completely shut down.
268.000000    277.000000     Even though your short-term memory might be working, you can maybe answer a question, ask seconds before that information just never makes the lead to long-term storage.
277.000000    281.000000     And those memories, they're just gone. No amount of prompting brings them back.
281.000000    290.000000     That's the understanding, yes. For that specific on-block period, if the memory wasn't formed, it can't be retrieved later because it simply doesn't exist in long-term storage.
290.000000    297.000000     Wow. That distinction is really key. So what determines whether someone has a fragmentary blackout versus a complete on-block one?
297.000000    299.000000     Is it just about drinking more?
299.000000    302.000000     Not necessarily just the total amount, though that plays a role.
302.000000    308.000000     What the research really points to is the speed at which your blood alcohol content, your B.A.C. rises.
308.000000    314.000000     A rapid spike in B.A.C. seems to be the main trigger for overwhelming the hippocampus and causing these blackouts.
314.000000    316.000000     So gulping drinks, doing shots, that kind of thing.
316.000000    323.000000     Exactly. Or drinking heavily on an empty stomach or when you're dehydrated. These things make your B.A.C. shoot up quickly.
323.000000    331.000000     There was actually a fascinating early study back in 1970, also at Washington University, the 86-proof bourbon experiment.
331.000000    333.000000     Sounds vintage. What happened?
333.000000    339.000000     Well, they found subjects could remember things, like pictures, for about two minutes after seeing them.
339.000000    345.000000     But after 30 minutes, or definitely 24 hours later, many couldn't recall those same images at all.
345.000000    353.000000     It really highlighted that specific failure in transferring memory from short-term holding to long-term storage caused by the alcohol.
353.000000    355.000000     Okay, so the rapid rise is the danger zone.
355.000000    357.000000     Now this makes me think about a common idea.
357.000000    364.000000     You know those stories, maybe urban legends, about people hiding their keys when they're drunk and then they can only find them again when they get drunk again.
364.000000    366.000000     That sounds like state-dependent memory, right?
366.000000    370.000000     Does getting drunk again actually help you remember things from a blackout?
370.000000    377.000000     Ah, that's a really common question. And while the idea of state-dependent memory is a real phenomenon in psychology,
377.000000    384.000000     where memories are easier to retrieve when you're in the same physiological or psychological state as when you form them.
384.000000    387.000000     Like studying in the same room you take the test in?
387.000000    390.000000     Sort of, yeah. Or associating a certain smell with the memory.
390.000000    399.000000     But when it comes to alcohol blackouts, formal research hasn't found clear evidence supporting alcohol-induced state-dependent retrieval for blackout periods.
399.000000    404.000000     So getting drunk again probably won't magically unlock those lost memories.
404.000000    409.000000     Probably not, especially for all blackouts where the memory likely wasn't formed.
409.000000    417.000000     While environmental cues from the night might trigger a fragmentary memory, intentionally getting intoxicated again isn't a reliable way to recover lost time.
417.000000    424.000000     The mechanism of the blackout, the failure to form the memory, kind of overrides the state-dependent retrieval idea.
424.000000    433.000000     Okay, another myth busted. Now let's talk about who experiences these, because you might think it's just hardcore drinkers, but the numbers are actually pretty staggering, aren't they?
433.000000    442.000000     They really are. Get this. Research suggests that more than 50% of adults report having experienced an alcohol blackout at least once in their lives.
442.000000    444.000000     Over half. Wow.
444.000000    454.000000     And it gets more concerning when you look at binge drinking patterns, nearly 25% of adults report binge drinking monthly. And among college students, the rates are even higher.
454.000000    460.000000     One survey found 51% of students had blacked out at some point, and 40% within the past year.
460.000000    467.000000     40% in the last year. That's huge. It suggests it's way more common than people might admit or even realize.
467.000000    474.000000     Absolutely. It's definitely not a rare event. And interestingly, certain factors may some people more susceptible than others. Like what?
474.000000    486.000000     Well, we talked about the rabbit B.A.C. rise, but there are also biological differences. For instance, while men generally drink more often in larger quantities, women are actually at a greater risk for blacking out from a given end of alcohol.
486.000000    490.000000     Why is that? It mainly comes down to differences in body composition and metabolism.
490.000000    499.000000     Women tend to have less body water than men of similar weight, so the alcohol becomes more concentrated, leading to a higher B.A.C. faster.
499.000000    510.000000     Some studies have even indicated that women might experience alcohol-related brain changes, like shrinkage or memory issues, after consuming only about half as much alcohol over time compared to men.
510.000000    515.000000     That's a really important point about biological vulnerability. Are there other factors?
515.000000    522.000000     Yes. Research suggests some individuals might just have a brain that's naturally more susceptible to alcohol's effects on memory consolidation.
522.000000    527.000000     And unfortunately, having one blackout seems to increase your chances of having another one.
527.000000    535.000000     There's also evidence looking at genetic predispositions and even the potential impact of prenatal alcohol exposure, making someone more vulnerable later in life.
535.000000    544.000000     Okay, so there's a mix of behavior, biology, and maybe even history involved. What about mixing alcohol with other things? Does that make blackouts more likely?
544.000000    556.000000     No, absolutely. Combining alcohol with other substances that also depress the central nervous system or affect memory pathways significantly increases the likelihood and the potential severity of a blackout.
556.000000    558.000000     Like what kind of substances?
558.000000    569.000000     Particularly benzodiazepines think medications like Valium or Xanax, but also combining alcohol with marijuana specifically THC can potentiate the memory impairment effects.
569.000000    575.000000     It's like you're hitting those memory circuits from multiple angles, making that save button even more likely to fail.
575.000000    585.000000     That's a dangerous combination, then. You know, sometimes popular culture, movies, TV shows, they kind of treat blackouts like a funny consequence of partying hard, a source of wacky stories.
585.000000    588.000000     But it sounds like the reality is much more serious.
588.000000    595.000000     It really is. And that trivialization is problematic. Dr. Mark Shuckett, who's done a lot of research in this area, stated it very clearly.
595.000000    601.000000     People don't understand how dangerous blackouts are. In fact, people have oodles of misconceptions about drinking.
601.000000    605.000000     So what are those dangers beyond just forgetting embarrassing moments?
605.000000    613.000000     Well, because you're conscious, but your judgment is severely impaired, the risk of engaging in dangerous behaviors skyrockets.
613.000000    619.000000     This includes things like driving under the influence, having unprotected sex, getting into fights, vandalism.
619.000000    624.000000     Basically, making decisions you would never make sober with no memory of doing so later.
624.000000    626.000000     And you might not even realize how impaired you are.
626.000000    635.000000     Exactly. Plus, someone in a blackout state might continue drinking because their ability to gauge their intoxication level is gone.
635.000000    641.000000     This dramatically increases the risk of alcohol poisoning, which can be fatal. It's a medical emergency.
641.000000    650.000000     Okay, those are the immediate dangers. What about the long run? If someone experiences blackouts frequently or just drinks heavily over time, what does that do to memory in the brain long term?
650.000000    658.000000     This is different from just one blackout night, right? Yes, this is moving beyond the acute blackout event to the effects of chronic heavy alcohol use.
658.000000    671.000000     And the picture there is also concerning. Long term heavy drinking is associated with brain shrinkage, particularly in areas vital for memory and higher level thinking, like the frontal lobes, and again, they have a campus.
671.000000    679.000000     Some of these changes can look similar, structurally, to what's seen in conditions like Alzheimer's disease, though alcohol isn't considered a direct cause of Alzheimer's itself.
679.000000    689.000000     So actual physical changes in the brain structure? Yes. And this can lead to what's broadly termed alcohol related brain impairment or ARBI.
689.000000    704.000000     This isn't just about forgetting where you put your keys occasionally. AOBI can involve significant problems with learning new information, difficulties with executive functions, things like planning, organizing problem solving, controlling impulses, and also issues with physical coordination.
704.000000    720.000000     That sounds like it could really impact daily life. Absolutely. And in severe prolonged cases, often linked with poor nutrition, especially vitamin B1 or thiamine deficiency, which is common in heavy drinkers, you can see devastating conditions like Vernecke Corsicaux Syndrome, WKS.
720.000000    733.000000     Vernecke's is the acute phase with confusion and coordination problems. And Corsicaux is the chronic phase characterized by profound memory loss, especially the inability to form new memories and confabulation making up stories to fill the gaps.
733.000000    740.000000     There's also an increased risk for other types of dementia, like vascular dementia, linked to alcohols effects on blood vessels.
740.000000    751.000000     And I add an older adults face even greater risks here. They certainly do. As people age, their bodies generally metabolize alcohol more slowly, meaning it stays in their system longer and has a greater impact.
751.000000    762.000000     Their brains can also become more sensitive to its effects. Plus, older adults are more likely to be taking medications, and alcohol can interact negatively with many common prescriptions, increasing risks like falls,
762.000000    775.000000     confusion, and exacerbating memory problems. Okay, this case is a pretty serious picture. So let's shift to prevention. If you want to avoid blackouts and protect your memory, what are the most effective strategies? What can people actually do?
775.000000    790.000000     Prevention really comes down to controlling that BAC rise and the total amount consumed. So the key practical steps are first, drink slowly, pacing is crucial, aim for no more than one standard drink per hour.
790.000000    803.000000     Your body needs time to process the alcohol. So sipping, not chugging. Yeah, definitely. Second, avoid shots and drinking games. These are designed to get alcohol into your system very quickly, which is exactly what triggers blackouts.
803.000000    811.000000     Third, eat food before you start drinking and while you're drinking, food slows down alcohol absorption. Okay, food is protective. What else?
811.000000    829.000000     Stay hydrated. Alternate alcoholic drinks with water or another non-alcoholic beverage. Dehydration can concentrate alcohol in your blood. And finally, if you're going out with the intention to drink, maybe ask a trusted sober friend to help you keep track and moderate your intake. Having someone looking out for you can make a big difference.
829.000000    838.000000     Those are really concrete tips. Now, how can you tell if maybe you are starting to enter a blackout or if a friend is? Are there warning signs to look out for?
838.000000    858.000000     Yes, there are signs, though they can be subtle, since the person is still awake and interacting. Look for difficulty concentrating, repeating stories or questions, having trouble remembering things that just happened like moments ago or struggling to follow the threat of a conversation.
858.000000    878.000000     I feel like the lights are on, but nobody's home in the memory department. Sort of, yeah. If you notice these signs in yourself, the best thing to do is stop drinking immediately. Find someone you trust and focus on getting home safely. If you see these signs in a friend, you could try asking them about something specific that happened maybe 10 or 15 minutes earlier. If they have no recollection, that's a strong indicator.
878.000000    890.000000     And if you suspect a friend is blacking out, help them stop drinking, make sure they have water and focus on getting them somewhere safe, preferably home or with trusted people. Don't leave them alone.
890.000000    902.000000     And critically, if they seem excessively intoxicated, unresponsive or show signs of alcohol poisoning like slow breathing or vomiting while semi-conscious, you need to seek emergency medical help right away.
902.000000    911.000000     Good advice. And say someone does experience a blackout. What are the best steps for recovery the next day besides just dealing with the potential hangover?
911.000000    922.000000     The focus should be on rehydration and nutrition. Drink plenty of water, maybe something with electrolytes if you have it. Eat nutritious foods to help replenish your body. Rest is also important.
922.000000    929.000000     But what if blackouts aren't just a one-off? What if they start becoming a pattern or if someone is worried about their overall drinking?
929.000000    940.000000     That's a really important point. If blackouts are happening repeatedly, or if you find yourself drinking more than intended, or if alcohol use is causing problems in your life, that's a sign that it's time to seek professional help.
940.000000    944.000000     This could indicate an underlying alcohol use disorder, AUD.
944.000000    946.000000     And where can people turn for that help?
946.000000    964.000000     There are many resources. A good first step is talking to your primal care doctor. They can assess the situation and provide referrals. There are confidential helplines, like SAMH-8A, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Their national helpline is 1-800-662-HALP.
964.000000    981.000000     Support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous, AA, offer peer support. And it's worth noting, while some past studies suggested modern drinking might not increase dementia risk, some more recent large-scale studies suggest that any level of alcohol consumption could potentially have negative effects on brain health over time.
981.000000    986.000000     So the safe level might be lower than we thought, or even zero for some people?
986.000000    996.000000     The research is evolving, but it's leaning towards caution. And critically, if someone is a heavy drinker and wants to stop, abruptly quitting can be dangerous due to withdrawal symptoms.
996.000000    1001.000000     Safe withdrawal often requires medical supervision, so reaching out for professional guidance is key.
1001.000000    1014.000000     Okay, so to kind of wrap this up, the big takeaway seems to be that alcohol doesn't so much kill or erase old memories, but it can absolutely slam the door shut on creating new ones while you're intoxicated.
1014.000000    1018.000000     It disrupts that fundamental process of memory formation.
1018.000000    1032.000000     Exactly. It's a temporary but potentially very powerful impairment of your brain's ability to record your life as it's happening, leading to these blackouts which are, as we've seen, far more common and carry more risks than many people realize.
1032.000000    1035.000000     It really reframes the whole idea of just forgetting a night out.
1035.000000    1048.000000     It does, and maybe a final thought to leave you with if we step back and consider the bigger picture, understanding how alcohol specifically targets the hippocampus, this crucial hub for memory, and also affects our frontal lobes, our judgment center.
1048.000000    1053.000000     It really changes the perspective on just having a few too many. It prompts a deeper question, I think.
1053.000000    1070.000000     Well, if our memories fundamentally shape who we are, our identity, our understanding of ourselves in our past, what does it truly mean when we engage in behavior that risks willingly surrendering the ability to form those memories, even just for a single night? What are we losing when we lose that time?
1070.000000    1080.000000     Wow. That's, yeah, that's a powerful thought. Definitely something to reflect on the value we place on our memories and the choices that impact our ability to make them a lot to think about there.
1080.000000    1094.000000     And that wraps up today's episode of Everyday Explained. We love making sense of the world around you, five days a week. If you enjoyed today's deep dive, consider subscribing so you don't miss out on our next discovery. I'm Chris, and I'll catch you in the next one.