Dereks Social History Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Dereks Social History - Case Study Example As the discussion outlines aside excessive drinking, moderate drinking causes short-term impairment as can be deduced from the effects of drunk driving. The extent of alcohol damage on the brain is dependent on the following factors: amount and frequency of drinking, age at which the individual began drinking and duration of drinking thereafter. Other factors include genetic background, alcoholism history in the family, prenatal alcohol exposure, and general health status. Alcohol causes impairments in the following brain regions. Impairment of the parietal lobe results to the loss of fine motor skills, shaking and abnormally slows reaction time. Impairment of the frontal lobe leads to loss of caution, inhibitions, reason and exacerbates intelligence, talkativeness and sociability. Impairment of the temporal lobe leads to slurred speech and impaired hearing. Impairment of the occipital lobe results in blurred vision hence poor judgment of distance. Impairment of the cerebellum and br ain stem results in poor muscle coordination and loss of vital functions respectively. This paper highlights that long-term excessive drinking causes the brain to shrink and deficiencies in the fibers of the white matter that relay information to the gray matter. This has been elucidated using techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Intoxicating levels of alcohol lead to vasodilation of blood vessels and at higher levels it leads to vasoconstriction thereby triggering blood pressure and migraine headaches. The effects of alcohol on a developing fetus are well documented. The babies are born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and are highly predisposed to central nervous system (CNS) dysfunctions that are manifested as impaired IQ and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD).