Alcohol Stops Brain from Interpreting Social Cues

Alcoholics fail to communicate with people because their brains don't interpret social cues, a new study has found. Researchers said that long-term alcohol exposure can break communication between two areas of the brain that work together to interpret social signals. The study was conducted by researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine who found that alcohol inhibits signalling between amygdala and pre-frontal cortex. The pre-frontal cortex is a region associated with cognitive function, social behavior, decision making and modulation of intense behavior. Previous research too has shown that alcohol suppresses activity in amygdala- a part of the brain associated with processing social signals. Having a large amygdala has been linked with good social communication and larger circle of friends.