Minecraft Test Shows Beer Bad For Young Brain

Amentha Rajagobal, Maya Sengupta and Maya Murray, both undergrads, have discovered that alcohol can have a significant effect on the brain's development. This is most likely the hippocampus, which is responsible for spatial navigation and memory formation.

Researchers have known for a long time that alcohol has an impact on the functioning of the brain in adults, but less is known about the effects of alcohol on brains in young children.

The students asked undergraduates questions about their drinking habits to test its efficacy. They wanted to know when they had their first drink, how frequently they drink, and how often they drink.

Then they asked the students to play a game where they had to remember the locations of objects in Minecraft's world. Minecraft.

Researchers discovered that those who began drinking earlier in life experienced more difficulty in remembering the location of objects than those who began drinking later in life.

"The frontal lobe and hippocampus continue to develop into our 20s," says Rajagobal. "They continue to develop and change in ways that the rest of our brains do not, so they are more vulnerable to damage caused by things such as drinking alcohol at a young age."

The effects of this type of injuries, however, could go beyond the diminution of ability to navigate through video games, or even down the street.

"The hippocampus helps form memories," says Sengupta-Murray. Let's say that you have an animal. You can smell it as well as hear it and feel it. Presta live The hippocampus links all those sensations and forms the memories of your dog.