Black outs
Tired of babysitting your wasted friends every weekend? Upcoming research published in Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research may shed light on why some people are more susceptible to blackouts than others.
In the study, researchers had social drinkers booze up to a 0.08 blood alcohol level. Then they took brain scans of the subjects while they completed memory tasks. Although the participants' brains scans were all very similar when sober, people with a history of blackouts had greater difficulty completing a memory task while buzzed than people who said they didn’t black out while boozing.
The drinks appeared to blunt brain areas associated with memory, attention, and overall executive cognitive function, says lead study author Reagan Wetherill, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California at San Diego’s School of Medicine.
More from MensHealth.com: What Really Happens When You're Drunk
Why does alcohol affect some more than others? We’re all wired slightly different, and some people may just be better at tolerating the effects of alcohol than others, says Wetherill.
What Causes Blackouts
It's still a bit of a mystery to scientists exactly how blackouts happen. “We know that in rodents, alcohol actually causes the neurons in the hippocampus (an area of the brain that is responsible for memory) to shut down,” says Wetherill. “But humans are more complex.”
But the way your body reacts to alcohol isn’t the only factor that plays a role in your bar-like behavior. Wetherill explains that how fast you drink, how much you drink, whether you’re male or female, your weight, and whether or not you ate before you kicked off the night all play a big part in what happens to you when you drink.
Types of Blackouts
The most common type of blackout is called a fragmentary blackout (or as it’s referred to in most literary studies, a brownout). With a brownout, you experience partial memory loss after a drinking episode. But if someone gives you clues—where you were, who you were with, the tune you butchered while doing karaoke— you’ll be able to recall bits and pieces of the night, says Wetherill.
Then there’s an en block, which is when you experience complete memory loss. En blocks usually occur at really high blood alcohol concentrations and typically result in the person passing out and literally having no recollection of the evening even if they’re given cues, says Wetherill.
How to Remember the Fun
So how can you avoid the above scenarios? Pace yourself. “Steering clear of shots and monitoring your drinks at pre-parties are great ways to go about slowing your alcohol consumption,” says Wetherill. “And always make sure to avoid drinking on an empty stomach.”