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Will Alcoholics' Brains Recover Once They Quit Drinking?

By , About.com Guide

Updated January 18, 2008

About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by the Medical Review Board

Question: Will Alcoholics' Brains Recover Once They Quit Drinking?
Answer: According to research by Dr. Andreas Bartsch of the University of Wuerzburg, Germany, abstinence from alcohol enables the brain to reverse the shrinkage caused by alcohol and to perform better, but his research also shows that the longer someone drinks excessively, the more the brain loses the capacity for regeneration.

See also: Alcoholic Brains Can Recover With Abstinence.

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