Event-related potential correlates of processing alcohol-related pictures in young adult binge drinkers

Alcohol-dependent individuals exhibit dissociable event-related potential (ERP) responses to alcohol-related cues. Fewer studies have examined if similar effects can be found in non-dependent young adults who binge drink.

To delineate the neurocognitive correlates of inhibiting behavioral responses to alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage cues in social drinkers with differing numbers of binge episodes and instances of intoxication.

ERP data were acquired while 50 participants performed a Go/No-go paradigm consisting of shapes and pictures of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Behavioral and self-report data were also collected.

We grouped participants into those with: 0 binge episodes, 1 ≤ 5 binge episodes, and ≥ 8 episodes. Across participants, alcohol images elicited reduced N200 components and a more positive late slow-wave than non-alcoholic images. While the group with the higher number of binge episodes exhibited altered N100 amplitudes and both groups of binge drinkers exhibited minor differences in P300 topography, these effects were not specifically related to processing alcohol images. However, participants with greater instances of intoxication exhibited an enhanced N200 to alcoholic stimuli compared to individuals with fewer instances of intoxication. This effect was correlated with subjective ratings of alcoholic beverage images.

These data suggest that binge drinking, particularly more severe binge drinking, is associated with functional modifications of cortical systems related to attentional control. Further, the data suggest that young adult social drinkers with riskier patterns of alcohol use (greater instances of intoxication) require the allocation of increased cortical resources to successfully inhibit responses to alcohol-related cues.