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A drug that can reverse brain damage following binge drinking also holds potential to treat disorders like Alzheimer's disease.

According to Daily Mail, binge drinking can cause damage to brain cells, and inflammation which can be lasting if alcohol consumption is not moderated. Teenagers are likely to suffer greater damage as the brain is under development during adolescence. Treating brain damage is not easy owing to the blood-brain barrier which prevents chemicals from reaching the brain.

Binge drinking is defined as consumption twice recommended quantities of alcohol during a single drinking session.  Nearly one in six adults indulge in binge drinking while 90 percent of alcohol is consumed by individuals aged under below 21 during binge drinking sessions.

"One of things that alcohol does is to destroy some of the brain cells which are important for navigation and orientation. But a combination of alcohol and our compound could overcome this damage," said one of the researchers Mike Page at the University of Huddersfield, in a press release.

The chemical, ethane-beta sultam, can cross blood-brain barrier and reduce inflammation, researchers found through mice studies. It manages to enter the barrier by preventing multiplication of a special type of cells called glial cells. During a binge drinking session, the brain increases numbers of these cells to protect itself from alcohol. Ethane-beta sultam prevents the brain from increasing glial-cell count while it enters the brain to counter inflammation, researchers found. 

According to Medical News Today, rats in the study had improved working memory and fared better in a maze test compared to rats which had not received the drug. Researchers also said that the drug's use can be extended to neurological disorders like Alzheimer's disease which also cause brain cell damage and inflammation.

The findings of the study were published in the Journal of Alcoholism and Drug Dependence.