A giant study of the human brain is underway, and early findings suggest that increased alcohol consumption can injure connections in the brain.
UK Biobank will be the world’s largest health imaging study. Launched in April 2016 with the ambitious goal of imaging 100,000 UK Biobank participants, it will create the biggest collection of scans of internal organs, transforming the way scientists study a wide range of diseases.
Professor Karla Miller from The University of Oxford, a member of the brain imaging team said: “We are using cutting-edge MRI scans and Big Data analysis methods to get the most comprehensive window into the brain that current imaging technology allows.”
While there’s no doubt that alcohol has an effect on the brain immediately after it is consumed, the initial study of 5000 brain scans seems to support the theory that high alcohol consumption may impair brain function long after the hangover has worn off.
Alongside poor diet, interrupted sleep and inadequate exercise, alcohol consumption is another significant risk factor for those wanting to maintain talent in organisations. That bright young 25 year old may not be quite so bright at 35 after 10 years of high living. An excellent book we’ve discovered on the wider subject of achieving a successful lifestyle is Eat, Move, Sleep by Tom Rath, based on thorough research it will challenge your beliefs on diet, exercise and rest.
