Impact of Alcohol on the Cognition of Individuals Special Emphasis on The Age Group of 15-25

Abstract

Adolescence and early adulthood (ages 15-25) are key times in brain development, with notable changes in cognition, emotional control, and executive functioning. Alcohol intake during this critical developmental window has been demonstrated to impair neurocognitive maturation, although the degree and particular nature of these effects are still being investigated. This study looks at the cognitive and psychological repercussions of alcohol consumption in teenagers, focusing on executive function, attention, memory, and emotional regulation. The Stroop Colour and Word Test (SCWT) and the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), two standardised cognitive tests, were used to evaluate 200 participants, ages 15 to 25, as part of a quantitative study design. To assess the connection between alcohol use and cognitive function, descriptive statistics, linear regression analysis, and Pearson correlation were performed using SPSS. The results show a strong inverse relationship between alcohol use and problem-solving skills, attention span, and cognitive flexibility. Higher alcohol intake was associated with worse performance on tasks involving cognitive switching and inhibitory control. The findings also show that there are gender-based disparities and that chronic and binge drinking have a greater effect than infrequent consumption. The study finds that drinking alcohol throughout adolescence and the early years of adulthood is a quantifiable risk to one's emotional health, academic achievement, and cognitive development. These results highlight the critical need for public policy initiatives, school-based instruction, and early intervention programs to lower alcohol consumption in this age range.