Alcohol affects brain connections, even if you don't feel drunk
Even if you're just at the legal limit for driving, alcohol can mess with how different parts of your brain connect.
A new study found that after reaching a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.08 g/dL, your brain's communication becomes more fragmented—even if you don't feel super drunk.
How the study was conducted
Scientists gave 107 adults either alcohol or a placebo and then scanned their brains.
They saw that people who drank had less efficient connections between brain regions, especially in visual brain regions.
Why it matters
These changes in brain wiring predicted how "buzzed" people felt—even when their blood-alcohol levels were the same.
So, feeling tipsy isn't just about how much you drink; it's also about how your brain responds.
The study only looked at resting brains (not while doing stuff like driving), but it helps explain why some people feel more intoxicated than others after drinking the same amount.