Does the kind of brain damage caused by binge drinking show up on a brain mri? could you have a normal mri result and still have damage?

Yes: Although the damage is microscopic. Whether you binge drink or not alcohol does have a degree of toacicity and damage to your brain.

Brain damage: Fur brain damage to show up on an MRI it would have to be pretty severe. So yes you could have some degree of brain damage and still have a normal MRI. If available a FMRI. functional MRI may be more useful.

It can: repeated episodes over a lengthy period of time WILL lead to changes in the brain that show up on MRI. Yes, one can have an MRI that doesn't show abnormalities and still have problems.

Yes: A regular MRI is not necessarily that sensitive. For instance, there is a form of MRI called "diffusion tensor imaging" which shows brain pathways, and can show other forms of damage not visible on standard MRI. People with binge drinking are often at higher risk for associated injuries including head injuries. For example: http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyt.2013.00053/full

Vermal Atrophy: The anterior lobe of the mid line cerebellar vermis will be atrophied. It looks as if the leaves have fallen off the tree. (in mid saggital view) Also gives what has been called a step ladder appearance on axial cuts through the cerebellum on both CT and MRI. With more advanced alcohol exposure one sees atrophy of the cerebellar hemispheres. Heat stroke and Dilantin can also cause these changes