Frontal EEG response to alcohol craving elicited by individually tailored video cues

Most findings on the pathophysiology of alcoholism are based on studies using resting-state electroencephalography (EEG). There are few studies on cue-induced craving and on its utility as an electrophysiological index. We examined quantitative EEG (qEEG) activities in alcoholics and social drinkers exposed to video cues and compared their association with subjective alcohol craving and other related psychiatric symptoms, including anxiety and depression.

This is a between-subjects design. Adult male alcoholics (n = 34) and healthy social drinkers (n = 33) participated. In a laboratory, EEGs were recorded while the participants were presented with craving-inducing video stimuli. Measures used were the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for subjective alcohol craving, Alcohol Urge Questionnaire (AUQ), Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test (MAST), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) scores.

One-way analysis of covariance with age showed that alcoholics had significantly increased beta activity in the right DLPFC region (F4) (F = 4.029, p = 0.049), compared to social drinkers when craving-inducing stimuli were presented. Beta activity at the F4 electrode was positively correlated with AUQ (r = .284, p = 0.021), BAI (r = .398, p = 0.001), BDI (r = .291, p = 0.018), and changes in VAS (r = .292, p = 0.017) scores in both alcoholics and social drinkers. In alcoholics, beta activity was significantly correlated with BAI (r = .392, p = 0.024).

These findings imply functional importance of hyperarousal and negative emotions upon exposure to craving-inducing cues. Frontal EEG indices with beta power could serve as an objective electrophysiological index of craving induced by individually tailored video cues in alcohol consumption behavior.