For this reason, marijuana will often cause short-term memory issues and impaired motor coordination. The psychoactive ingredient THC will attach to receptors in the hippocampus, cerebral cortex, and amygdala regions of the brain. Therefore the more people abuse drugs that cause memory loss, the more likely they’re going to develop memory deficiencies among other cognitive issues. This includes cognitive functions such as decision making, impulse control, memory, learning, and attention.
The center of the brain that causes addiction also significantly overlaps with areas that are responsible for basic functionality. This crash then compels individuals to use more substances. This ultimately results in a crash when the substance leaves the body. The brain tries to balance the flush of dopamine, serotonin, and other neurotransmitters that are created by drugs by no longer creating its own neurotransmitters. The problem with this is that the brain is highly regulated. Drugs provide a euphoric feeling without participating in one of these activities though. Usually, these feelings only occur when we actively participating in things like eating, exercising, or being with a loved one. They also trick the brain into lowering people’s inhibitions and providing people with overall feelings of euphoria. The chemistry inside the brain that regulates decision making, body temperature, mood, compulsions, and reactions are ultimately changed while under the influence.ĭrugs essentially trick the reward center of the brain into providing positive emotions. Once a substance enters the bloodstream it has the power to alter the chemical reactions that take place in the brain. What Does Substance Abuse Do to the Brain? By abstaining from alcohol and drugs that cause memory loss, it’s possible to gain back your brain health. If you or a loved one is looking to reverse the brain damage caused by drug use, it’s important to incorporate activities that rebuild brain functionality into treatment. There are many drugs that cause memory loss, delayed responding, difficulty thinking, and affect many other brain functions. In fact, drugs that cause memory loss are commonly used. Something that is often overlooked though is how drugs can affect your cognitive functions. Individuals that engage in long-term drug abuse will often suffer from things like liver disease, high blood pressure, nerve damage, premature aging, seizures, and heart disease. In the brain, acetylcholine inhibits activities in the memory and learning centers, thereby potentially leading to memory loss.It’s well-known that substance abuse can have a detrimental impact on your health. Similar to incontinence drugs, these allergy medications inhibit the action of acetylcholine, the chemical messenger that mediates many bodily functions.
The risk of memory loss and cognitive decline is exacerbated when patients take incontinence medications for an extended period of time, or when they’re used with other anticholinergic drugs. These anticholinergics may cause memory loss because they block the action of acetylcholine, a chemical messenger involved with many functions in the body. These Parkinson’s medications activate the signaling pathways for the neurotransmitter dopamine, which is key for brain functions like motivation, pleasure, fine motor control, learning, and memory.īecause of this, dopamine agonists may lead to major side effects such as memory loss, confusion, delusions, and compulsive behaviors.īeta-blockers are believed to cause memory issues by interfering with norepinephrine and epinephrine, which are both key chemical messengers in the brain. Opioid analgesics function by stemming the flow of pain signals within the CNS and blunting one’s emotional reaction to pain, which has been shown to increase the risk of memory loss. In 2012, the FDA modified the labels for statins to reflect their increased risk for memory problems.Īnticonvulsants limit seizures by depressing the flow of signals within the central nervous system (CNS), which may in turn lead to the potential for memory loss. Lipids in the blood are essential in the formation of connections between nerve cells, which underlie memory and learning. Statins and other high cholesterol busters may impair memory by lowering cholesterol levels in the brain as well as in the blood. Midazolam, in particular, is believed to have severe amnesic properties. Most notably, the drug’s effects are involved in the transfer of events from short-term to long-term memory. The scary side effect of memory loss is a possibility for many commonly prescribed medications.Īccording to AARP, the following 8 drugs and drug classes may cause memory loss:Īntianxiety agents may cause memory loss due to the sedative effect that they have on certain parts of the brain.
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