Alcohol and the nervous system

Alcohol is a substance that impacts the social, psychological, medical, economic and religious spheres of our existence. It is part of every society. Alcohol in moderation can be beneficial. Alcohol abuse mediates its effects both on the developing and the developed brain, directly or indirectly, and has acute and chronic complications. Damage to the developing brain can result from alcohol consumption in pregnancy. Misuse of alcohol in adults can affect both the central and the peripheral nervous system. Direct effects arise due to the toxic and intoxicating effects of alcohol. Nutritional deficiencies are thought to mediate most of the indirect effects of alcohol, as patients with alcohol dependence tend to eat less and derive most of their caloric intake from the alcoholic beverages they consume. Alcohol-related disease places a burden on our health-care systems. In this review, we examine the pathological effects of alcohol on the nervous system.