In Drunk Brain, Emotion Lets Memories Stick, Rutgers University Study

Although intoxication impairs some memory processes, the brain appears to retain emotionally charged images, particularly in unconscious memory processes. This finding, published in the September issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, may have implications for improving alcohol education and treatment programs. The study looked at two types of memory: explicit (or conscious memory, such as answering a question about yesterday’s weather) and implicit (or unconscious memory, such as performing the steps involved in driving a car or having a conditioned emotional response to a frightening situation).