Results of a recent study have found that the brain may be able to repair itself from the damaging effects of binge drinking.

The study, conducted at the University of Wurzburg in Germany, found that the sooner people stop drinking, the more likely their brain will be able to recover from the damaging effects of alcohol.

Prior to the study, it was thought that the brain's apparent increase in volume after abstaining from drinking was a result of rehydration. But, researchers have found that the brain is able to restore lost volume, metabolites and neuropsychological functioning, especially when people begin to abstain sooner rather than later, said Dr. Andreas Bartsch, principal investigator of the study.

"When alcoholics come to treatments, they're aware of the damage to their brain, and they have the idea that the damage is done and that they're screwed anyway," Bartsch said. "Our data provides [an incentive] for them to stop drinking because the brain is able to regenerate."

Although the study did not find any association between age and the likelihood of brain regeneration, it illustrates that the capacity of the brain to recover diminishes the longer someone has been using alcohol, Bartsch said.

The 15 subjects -- who had been alcoholics ranging from three to 25 years -- were administered magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, magnetic resonance spectroscopy and tests of attention concentration to measure their brain volume, substance and functioning.

Because younger people have faster metabolisms and therefore better blood flow, the brain metabolizes substances, such as alcohol and drugs, more quickly than in older people, said Kevin Alloway, professor of neural and behavioral sciences at Penn State.

Dr. Brian Hyman, neurologist at Centre Medical and Surgical Associates in State College, said once there has been significant damage to the brain, regeneration may not be possible. Most long-term cognitive problems are a result of many years of alcohol use, he said.

"If you're a young college student who goes through binge drinking on the weekends, [the long-term damage] won't be that bad," Hyman said.

Alloway said the damage caused to the brain by alcohol consumption is not repaired in the same way that other parts of the body repair themselves. Scars and abrasions on the skin, for example, have a quick turnover to normalcy.

"You damage your car and you take it to a body shop and you get it repaired," Alloway said. "The brain isn't quite like that."

With age, the reason for drinking starts to change, and young people start to see the potential dangers, said Diana Ramos, alcohol intervention program supervisor at University Health Services.

Ramos said younger students might be more likely to drink if they are on their own for the first time and may lack sufficient information to make smart decisions when consuming alcohol.

"You should always look at alcohol as hazardous to your health when you're doing it excessively," Ramos said. "The beauty of being young is, because of the variables that get you where you are, you grow up to make better choices."