[Itchybottom]

Originally Posted by Hasbinbad [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

However, alcohol still crosses the blood/brain barrier with ease, and alcohol molecules still harvest water from a mixture. Or did I sleep through that day in physiology?

The trauma we're talking about is actually classified by blood brain barrier integrity. Both cerebral and hydrostatic pressure are correlated to that notion. Yes, it [alcohol] still crosses the blood brain barrier. Hydrolysis and hydroxyl go hand in hand. I'm not sure what mixture you are referring to. Plasma? CSF as stated? Either way -- no, I don't think you slept through your physiology class.

Originally Posted by Hasbinbad [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Your body will also harvest water from your CSF if you become dehydrated enough, right?

I believe what you're talking about is hyperosmolar hypernatraemia? I'm not sure how to explain it in lay persons terms, but it functionally causes acidosis (increased acidity in the blood) by method of free water depletion (apace with in sodium concentration elevation.) That eventually leads to paralysis in potential (the medical term is hemiplegia), but you'd have to be SEVERELY dehydrated for this to happen. Out-side of scope, again. Eric Kandel would be the leading research scientist to read to understand the pH relation and turn-over volume of cerebral spinal fluid and it's influence on the body in cases like this. In a healthy person, with slight shock to your system stemming from alcohol dehydration, it's just going to retard the delayed diffusional transcapillary transport (microcirculatory system) causing spikes in insulin. Even that is hotly debated at the moment -- since capillary endothelium (the thin cellular layer in blood vessels) simply doesn't show the evidence of being affected like that under scrutiny in real world conditions. This is actually bordering on the edge of my neurophysiology knowledge and I'd have to brush up on the subject [human brain capillary endothelium] to elaborate further. My apologies.

Originally Posted by Hasbinbad [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

When you decrease the solution, solutes get left behind, creating a more briny environment, which in turn negatively affects your brain tissues.

What solution? Serum CSF? If polar solutes (like alcohol) are left behind, the pH is altered (of the serum) and you begin to deal with things like urea being dispensed by the liver (the cycle also involves the kidneys, but not as much) and leading to right back to things like edema and hypertension in the case of alcoholism. In a nutshell -- yes, it's going to negatively affect brain tissue but not by the transport you're elaborating in the short term.

A lumber puncture would cause what you're talking about, but the only thing that has to do with hydration levels is the amount [of CSF] you can reproduce after loss. The brain in this case would be signalling that your CSF is dangerous low by giving you a nasty headache -- which is often a nice regurgitated falsehood that goes along with hang-over causes. I think I see where you're coming from now! I know the origin of that chest nut too -- Dr. Dan Small (a Canadian neurophysiology research scientist) He was a pretty good research scientist in the field, but like Michio Kaku in physics, he often made unsubstantiated claims based on idea rather than supported evidence.

Originally Posted by Hasbinbad [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Not to mention the ~80/10/10 balance of the brain, and the need for CSF to lubricate nuerological structures..

I presume you are referring to inter-cranial contents? Yeah, wouldn't want the brain to rattle around in there, now would we? I'm impressed you even know about that 2005 publication as a lay-person. Principles of Neurosurgery is a nice text and dismissed a lot of archaic notions in the field (Dr Small actually withdrew a lot of claims, after becoming a pharmaceutical company manager during the publication of this.) If you are further interested in CSF, a generalized document which most neurology students have to cover is Cerebrospinal Fluid in Disease of the Nervous System -- it's a little dated, but it will give you a general outlook of the constituents that make up the muck and how it functions and hopefully nothing in it has really been rebutted (It was published in the 80s) It's not going to cover the ventricular system's relation but it does cover the chemistry associated which a high school student could understand (which you're clearly beyond.)

The three letters after my name used to get me into quite a bit of trouble at first. Expert is a dangerous word, as is becoming comfortable jumping from A to C in scientific method (not validating experimental data and relying on common knowledge) like so many people do after a while. It's so very comfortable... but it shits all over you eventually by letting your peers down when they use erroneous claims you supported.

Originally Posted by Aadill

These things aren't even remotely appealing.

I'll take a good beer, a bottle of gin, or a bottle of scotch any day.

Stop ruining my alcohol with disgusting concoctions.

Fuckin' A right! Throw Ouzo, absinthe and a good brandy into that list and we're talking about truly exceptional enjoyment of the finer things in life. I actually recently acquired a taste for bourbon, particularly Buffalo Trace. I feel almost dirty drinking a non-scotch, but not as dirty as these Four Loko bastards should feel.