Neurocognitive effects of binge drinking on verbal episodic memory. An ERP study in university students.

Background: Verbal memory may be affected by engagement in alcohol binge drinking during youth, according to the findings of neuropsychological studies. However, little is known about the dynamics of the neural activity underlying this cognitive process in young, heavy drinkers. Aims: To investigate brain event-related potentials associated with cued recall from episodic memory in binge drinkers and controls. Methods: Seventy first-year university students were classified as binge drinkers (32: 17 female) or controls (38: 18 female). The participants completed a verbal paired associates learning task during electroencephalogram (EEG) recording. ERPs elicited by old and new word pairs were extracted from the cued-recall phase of the task by using Principal Component Analysis. Subjects also performed a standardized neuropsychological verbal learning test. Results: Two of the three event-related potentials components indicating old/new memory effects provided evidence for anomalies associated with binge drinking. The old/new effects were absent in the binge drinkers in the two subsequent posterior components, identified with the late parietal component and the late posterior negativity The late frontal component revealed similar old/new effects in both groups. Binge drinkers showed similar behavioural performance to controls in the verbal paired associates task, but performed poorly in the more demanding short-term cued-recall trial of a neuropsychological standardized test. Conclusion: Event-related potentials elicited during a verbal cued-recall task revealed differences in brain functioning between young binge drinkers and controls that may underlie emergent deficits in episodic memory linked to alcohol abuse. The brain activity of binge drinkers suggests alterations in the hippocampal - posterior parietal cortex circuitry subserving recognition and recollection of the cue context and generation of the solution, in relation to verbal information shallowly memorised.

Corrigendum: Neurocognitive effects of binge drinking on verbal episodic memory. An ERP study in university students.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1034248.].

Effects of Persistent Binge Drinking on Brain Structure in Emerging Adults: A Longitudinal Study.

Previous cross-sectional research has largely associated binge drinking (BD) with changes in volume and thickness during adolescence and early adulthood. Nevertheless, the long-term alcohol-related effects on gray matter features in youths who had maintained a BD pattern over time have not yet been sufficiently explored. The present study aimed to assess group differences both cross-sectionally and longitudinally [using symmetric percent change (SPC)] on several structural measures (i.e., thickness, surface area, volume). For this purpose, magnetic resonance imaging was recorded twice within a 2-year interval; at baseline (18-19 years) and a follow-up (20-21 years). The sample included 44 university students who were classified as 16 stable binge drinkers (8 females) and 28 stable controls (13 females). Whole-brain analysis showed larger insular surface area in binge drinkers relative to controls at follow-up (cluster-wise p = 0.045). On the other hand, region of interest (ROI) analyses on thickness also revealed a group by sex interaction at follow-up (p = 0.005), indicating that BD males had smaller right rostral middle frontal gyrus thickness than both control males (p = 0.011) and BD females (p = 0.029). Similarly, ROI-based analysis on longitudinal data showed a group by sex interaction in the right nucleus accumbens (p = 0.009) which revealed a decreased volume across time in BD males than in control males (p = 0.007). Overall, continued BD pattern during emerging adulthood appears to lead to gray matter abnormalities in regions intimately involved in reward processing, emotional regulation and executive functions. Notably, some anomalies varied significantly depending on sex, suggesting a sex-specific impact of BD on typical neurodevelopment processes.

Alcohol-related stimuli modulate functional connectivity during response inhibition in young binge drinkers.

Binge drinking is a pattern of intermittent excessive alcohol consumption that is highly prevalent in young people. Neurocognitive dual-process models have described substance abuse and adolescence risk behaviours as the result of an imbalance between an overactivated affective-automatic system (related to motivational processing) and damaged and/or immature reflective system (related to cognitive control abilities). Previous studies have evaluated the reflective system of binge drinkers (BDs) through neutral response inhibition tasks and have reported anomalies in theta (4-8 Hz) and beta (12-30 Hz) bands. The present study aimed to investigate the influence of the motivational value of alcohol-related stimuli on brain functional networks devoted to response inhibition in young BDs. Sixty eight BDs and 78 control participants performed a beverage Go/NoGo task while undergoing electrophysiological recording. Whole cortical brain functional connectivity (FC) was evaluated during successful response inhibition trials (NoGo). BDs exhibited fast-beta and theta hyperconnectivity in regions related to cognitive control. These responses were modulated differently depending on the motivational content of the stimuli. The increased salience of alcohol-related stimuli may lead to overactivation of the affective-automatic system in BDs, and compensatory neural resources of the reflective system will thus be required during response inhibition. In BDs, inhibition of the response to alcohol stimuli may require higher theta FC to facilitate integration of information related to the task goal (withholding a response), while during inhibition of the response to no-alcoholic stimuli, higher fast-beta FC would allow to apply top-down inhibitory control of the information related to the prepotent response.

Response Inhibition and Binge Drinking During Transition to University: An fMRI Study.

BACKGROUND: Binge Drinking (BD), a highly prevalent drinking pattern among youth, has been linked with anomalies in inhibitory control. However, it is still not well characterized whether the neural mechanisms involved in this process are compromised in binge drinkers (BDs). Furthermore, recent findings suggest that exerting inhibitory control to alcohol-related stimuli requires an increased effort in BDs, relative to controls, but the brain regions subserving these effects have also been scarcely investigated. Here we explored the impact of BD on the pattern of neural activity mediating response inhibition and its modulation by the motivational salience of stimuli (alcohol-related content). METHODS: Sixty-seven (36 females) first-year university students, classified as BDs (n = 32) or controls (n = 35), underwent fMRI as they performed an alcohol-cued Go/NoGo task in which pictures of alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages were presented as Go or NoGo stimuli. RESULTS: During successful inhibition trials, BDs relative to controls showed greater activity in the bilateral inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), extending to the anterior insula, a brain region usually involved in response inhibition tasks, despite the lack of behavioral differences between groups. Moreover, BDs displayed increased activity in this region restricted to the right hemisphere when inhibiting a prepotent response to alcohol-related stimuli. CONCLUSIONS: The increased neural activity in the IFG/insula during response inhibition in BDs, in the absence of behavioral impairments, could reflect a compensatory mechanism. The findings suggest that response inhibition-related activity in the right IFG/insula is modulated by the motivational salience of stimuli and highlight the role of this brain region in suppressing responses to substance-associated cues.

Electrophysiological Correlates of an Alcohol-Cued Go/NoGo Task: A Dual-Process Approach to Binge Drinking in University Students.

Binge drinking is a common pattern of alcohol consumption in adolescence and youth. Neurocognitive dual-process models attribute substance use disorders and risk behaviours during adolescence to an imbalance between an overactivated affective-automatic system (involved in motivational and affective processing) and a reflective system (involved in cognitive inhibitory control). The aim of the present study was to investigate at the electrophysiological level the degree to which the motivational value of alcohol-related stimuli modulates the inhibition of a prepotent response in binge drinkers. First-year university students (n = 151, 54 % females) classified as binge drinkers (n = 71, ≥6 binge drinking episodes, defined as 5/7 standard drinks per occasion in the last 180 days) and controls (n = 80, <6 binge drinking episodes in the last 180 days) performed a beverage Go/NoGo task (pictures of alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks were presented according to the condition as Go or NoGo stimuli; Go probability = 0.75) during event-related potential recording. In binge drinkers but not controls, the amplitude of the anterior N2-NoGo was larger in response to nonalcohol than in response to alcohol pictures. No behavioural difference in task performance was observed. In terms of dual-process models, binge drinkers may require increased activation to monitor conflict in order to compensate for overactivation of the affective-automatic system caused by alcohol-related bias.

Heavy Drinking and Non-Medical Use of Prescription Drugs among University Students: A 9-Year Follow-Up.

Purpose: Investigations suggest non-medical use of prescription drugs (NMUPD) is associated with heavy drinking and polydrug use among university students. Our aim is to determine the prevalence of NMUPD among university students and to analyze its association with alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis use, and to study the role of the age of drinking onset. Methods: Cohort study among university Spanish students (n = 1382). Heavy drinking (HED) and risky consumption (RC) were measured with the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. Questions related to tobacco and cannabis consumption were also formulated. NMUPD refers to sedative, anxiety, or pain medication intake within the last 15 days without medical prescription. All variables were measured at 18, 20, and 27 years. Multilevel logistic regression for repeated measures was used to obtain adjusted OR (odds ratios). We analyzed the results from a gender perspective. Results: Prevalence of NMUPD were higher in students who already partook in NMUPD at the beginning of the study. NMUPD in women at 27 is 3 times higher than at 18, while in men it is twice. Among females, RC (OR = 1.43) and cannabis consumption (OR = 1.33) are risk factors for NMUPD, while later onset of alcohol use (OR = 0.66) constitutes a protective factor. No significant differences were found for males. Conclusions: NMUPD is prevalent among university students. RC and early onset of alcohol use were associated with higher prevalence of NMUPD in females. The prevalence of NMUPD increased with age in both sexes. Strategies for reducing risky drinking and delaying onset of drinking should be provided for university students. Pharmacists and parents should be alerted to the risk of NMUPD.

Punishment-related memory-guided attention: Neural dynamics of perceptual modulation.

Remembering the outcomes of past experiences allows us to generate future expectations and shape selection in the long-term. A growing number of studies has shown that learned positive reward values impact spatial memory-based attentional biases on perception. However, whether memory-driven attentional biases extend to punishment-related values has received comparatively less attention. Here, we manipulated whether recent spatial contextual memories became associated with successful avoidance of punishment (potential monetary loss). Behavioral and electrophysiological measures were collected from 27 participants during a subsequent memory-based attention task, in which we tested for the effect of punishment avoidance associations. Punishment avoidance significantly amplified effects of spatial contextual memories on visual search processes within natural scenes. Compared to non-associated scenes, contextual memories paired with punishment avoidance lead to faster responses to targets presented at remembered locations. Event-related potentials elicited by target stimuli revealed that acquired motivational value of specific spatial locations, by virtue of their association with past avoidance of punishment, dynamically affected neural signatures of early visual processing (indexed by larger P1 and earlier N1 potentials) and target selection (as indicated by reduced N2pc potentials). The present results extend our understanding of how memory, attention, and punishment-related mechanisms interact to optimize perceptual decision in real world environments.

Electrophysiological Anomalies in Face-Name Memory Encoding in Young Binge Drinkers.

A growing body of evidence indicates that the intake of large amounts of alcohol during one session may have structural and functional effects on the still-maturing brains of young people. These effects are particularly pronounced in prefrontal and hippocampal regions, which appear to be especially sensitive to the neurotoxic effects of alcohol. However, to date, few studies have used the event-related potentials (ERPs) technique to analyze the relationship between binge drinking (BD) and associative memory. The objective of this study was to examine brain activity during memory encoding using the Subsequent memory paradigm in subjects who have followed a BD pattern of alcohol consumption for at least 2 years. A total of 50 undergraduate students (mean age = 20.6 years), i.e., 25 controls (12 females) and 25 binge drinkers (BDs; 11 females), with no personal or family history of alcoholism or psychopathological disorders, performed a visual face-name association memory task. The task used enables assessment of the Difference due to memory effect (Dm), a measure of memory encoding based on comparison of the neural activity associated with subsequent successful and unsuccessful retrieval. In ERP studies, study items that are subsequently remembered elicit larger positive amplitudes at midline parieto-frontal sites than those items that are subsequently forgotten. The Dm effect generally appears in the latency range of about 300-800 ms. The results showed a Dm effect in posterior regions in the 350-650 ms latency range in the Control group. However, in the BD group, no significant differences were observed in the electrophysiological brain activity between remembered and forgotten items during the encoding process. No differences between groups were found in behavioral performance. These findings show that young BDs display abnormal pattern of ERP brain activity during the encoding phase of a visual face-name association task, possibly suggesting a different neural signature of successful memory encoding.

The Brain of Binge Drinkers at Rest: Alterations in Theta and Beta Oscillations in First-Year College Students with a Binge Drinking Pattern.

Background: Previous studies have reported anomalous resting brain activity in the electroencephalogram (EEG) of alcoholics, often reflected as increased power in the beta and theta frequency bands. The effects of binge drinking, the most common pattern of excessive alcohol consumption during adolescence and youth, on brain activity at rest is still poorly known. In this study, we sought to assess the pattern of resting-state EEG oscillations in college-aged binge drinkers (BDs). Methods: Resting-state brain activity during eyes-open and eyes-closed conditions was recorded from 60 channels in 80 first-year undergraduate students (40 controls and 40 BDs). Cortical sources activity of EEG rhythms was estimated using exact Low-Resolution Electromagnetic Tomography (eLORETA) analysis. Results: EEG-source localization analysis revealed that BDs showed, in comparison with controls, significantly higher intracranial current density in the beta frequency band over the right temporal lobe (parahippocampal and fusiform gyri) during eyes-open resting state as well as higher intracranial current density in the theta band over the bilateral occipital cortex (cuneus and lingual gyrus) during eyes-closed resting condition. Conclusions: These findings are in line with previous results observing increased beta and/or theta power following chronic or heavy alcohol drinking in alcohol-dependent subjects and BDs. Increased tonic beta and theta oscillations are suggestive of an augmented cortical excitability and of potential difficulties in the information processing capacity in young BDs. Furthermore, enhanced EEG power in these frequency bands may respond to a neuromaturational delay as a result of excessive alcohol consumption during this critical brain developmental period.

Binge Drinking Trajectory and Decision-Making during Late Adolescence: Gender and Developmental Differences.

Objective: Impaired affective decision-making has been consistently related to alcohol dependence. However, less is known about decision-making and binge drinking (BD) in adolescents. The main goal of this longitudinal study was to determine the association between BD and decision-making from late adolescence to early adulthood. A second aim is to assess developmental changes and performance differences in males and females. Method: An initial sample of 155 1st-year university students, (76 non-BDs, 40 females; and 79 BDs, 39 females), was followed prospectively over a 4-year period. The students were classified as stable non-BDs, stable BDs and ex-BDs according to their scores in item 3 of the AUDIT and the speed of alcohol consumption. Decision-making was assessed by the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) three times during the study. Dependent variables were net gain and net loss. Results were analyzed using generalized linear mixed models. Results: A stable BD pattern was not associated with either disadvantageous decision-making or sensitivity to loss frequency. Performance improved significantly in both genders over the study period, especially in the last blocks of the task. Females showed a higher sensitivity to loss frequency than males. No gender-related differences were observed in gains. Conclusion: Performance in affective decision-making continues to improve in late adolescence, suggesting neuromaturational development in both genders. Females are more sensitive to loss frequency. Stable BD during late adolescence and emerging adulthood is not associated with deficits in decision-making. Poor performance of the IGT may be related to more severe forms of excessive alcohol consumption.

Binge drinking during adolescence and young adulthood is associated with deficits in verbal episodic memory.

Binge drinking (BD), a harmful pattern of alcohol consumption, is common during adolescence. Young adults with alcohol use disorders exhibit hippocampal alterations and episodic memory deficits. However, it is not known how these difficulties progress in community BD adolescents. Our objective was to analyze the relationship between BD trajectory and verbal episodic memory during the developmental period spanning from adolescence and to early adulthood. An initial sample of 155 male and female first-year university students with no other risk factors were followed over six years. Participants were classified as stable non-BDs, stable BDs and ex-BDs according to the third AUDIT item. At baseline, participants comprised 36 ♂/ 40 ♀ non-BDs (18.58 years), 40 ♂/ 39 ♀ BDs (18.87 years), and at the third follow-up, they comprised 8 ♂/ 8 ♀ stable non-BDs (25.49 years), 2 ♂/ 2 ♀ stable BDs (25.40) and 8 ♂/ 12 ♀ ex-BDs (24.97 years). Episodic memory was assessed four times with the Logical Memory subtest (WMS-III) and the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT). Generalized linear mixed models were applied. The results showed that, relative to non-BDs, stable BDs presented difficulties in immediate and delayed recall in the Logical Memory subtest. These difficulties remained stable over time. The short-term ex-BDs continued to display difficulties in immediate and delayed recall in the Logical Memory subtest, but long-term ex-BDs did not. The effects were not influenced by age of alcohol onset, frequency of cannabis use, tobacco use or psychopathological distress. In conclusion, BD during adolescence and young adulthood is associated with episodic memory deficits. Abandoning the BD pattern may lead to partial recovery. These findings are consistent with the vulnerability of the adolescent hippocampus to the neurotoxic effects of alcohol.

Binge drinking affects brain oscillations linked to motor inhibition and execution.

INTRODUCTION: Neurofunctional studies have shown that binge drinking patterns of alcohol consumption during adolescence and youth are associated with anomalies in brain functioning. Recent evidence suggests that event-related oscillations may be an appropriate index of neurofunctional damage associated with alcoholism. However, there is no study to date that has evaluated the effects of binge drinking on oscillatory brain responses related to task performance. The purpose of the present study was to examine brain oscillations linked to motor inhibition and execution in young binge drinkers (BDs) compared with age-matched controls. METHODS: Electroencephalographic activity was recorded from 64 electrodes while 72 university students (36 controls and 36 BDs) performed a visual Go/NoGo task. Event-related oscillations along with the Go-P3 and NoGo-P3 event-related potential components were analysed. RESULTS: While no significant differences between groups were observed regarding event-related potentials, event-related oscillation analysis showed that BDs displayed a lower oscillatory response than controls in delta and theta frequency ranges during Go and NoGo conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Findings are congruent with event-related oscillation studies showing reduced delta and/or theta oscillations in alcoholics during Go/NoGo tasks. Thus, BDs appear to show disruptions in neural oscillations linked to motor inhibition and execution similar to those observed in alcohol-dependent subjects. Finally, these results are the first to evidence that oscillatory brain activity may be a sensitive indicator of underlying brain anomalies in young BDs, which could complement standard event-related potential measures.

Heavy episodic drinking and alcohol-related injuries: An open cohort study among college students.

AIM: The objective of this study is to assess the effects of Heavy Episodic Drinking (HED) on the incidence of alcohol-related injuries among university students in Spain, taking sex into consideration. METHODS: We carried out an open cohort study among college students in Spain (992 women and 371 men). HED and alcohol-related injuries were measured by question 3rd and 9th of Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test to every participant at the ages of 18, 20, 22, 24 and 27. For data analysis we used a Multilevel Logistic Regression for repeated measures adjusting for alcohol and cannabis use. RESULTS: The incidence rate of alcohol-related injuries was 0.028year-1 for females and 0.036year-1 for males. The multivariate analysis showed that among females a high frequency of HED and use of cannabis are risk factors for alcohol-related injuries (Odds Ratio [OR]=2.64 and OR=3.68), while being more than 23 is a protective factor (OR=0.34). For males, bivariate analysis also showed HED like risk factor (OR=4.69 and OR=2.51). Finally, the population attributable fraction for HED among females was 37.12%. CONCLUSIONS: HED leads to an increase of alcohol-related injuries in both sexes and being over 23 years old acts as a protective factor among women. Our results suggest that about one third of alcohol-related injuries among women could be avoided by removing HED.

Identifying Predictors and Prevalence of Alcohol Consumption among University Students: Nine Years of Follow-Up.

AIM: To evaluate the prevalence of alcohol consumption among university students during late adolescence and young adulthood and to identify the associated factors. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Cohort study among university students in Spain (n = 1382). Heavy Episodic Drinking (HED) and Risky Consumption (RC) were measured with the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) at ages 18, 20, 22, 24 and 27 years. Data on potential factors associated with alcohol use were obtained with an additional questionnaire. Multilevel logistic regression for repeated measures was used to obtain adjusted OR (Odds Ratios). RESULTS: The rates of prevalence of RC were lower, but not statistically significant, in women. The age-related changes in these rates were similar in both genders, and the prevalence of RC peaked at 20 years. By contrast, the prevalence of HED was significantly lower in women and peaked at 18 years in women and at 22 years in men. Multivariate models showed that early age of onset of alcohol use (OR = 10.6 and OR = 6.9 for women; OR = 8.3 and OR = 8.2 for men) and positive expectations about alcohol (OR = 7.8 and OR = 4.5 for women; OR = 3.6 and OR = 3.3 for men) were the most important risk factors for RC and HED. Living away from the family home was also a risk factor for both consumption patterns among women (OR = 3.16 and OR = 2.34), while a high maternal education level was a risk factor for RC among both genders (OR = 1.62 for women; OR = 2.49 for men). CONCLUSIONS: Alcohol consumption decreases significantly at the end of youth, with higher rates of prevalence and a later peak among men. Prevention strategies should focus on beliefs and expectations about alcohol and on delaying the age of onset. Women are at particular risk for these consumption patterns if they live away from their parents. Belonging to a high-income family is a strong risk factor for RC.

Heavy drinking and alcohol-related injuries in college students / Consumo intensivo y lesiones relacionadas con el alcohol en estudiantes universitarios

Objective. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of heavy drinking on alcohol-related injuries. Material and methods. We carried out an open cohort study among university students in Spain (n = 1,382). Heavy drinking and alcohol-related injuries were measured by administrating AUDIT questionnaires to every participant at the ages of 18, 20, 22 and 24. For data analysis we used a Multilevel Logistic Regression for repeated measures adjusting for consumption of alcohol and cannabis. Results. The response rate at the beginning of the study was 99.6% (1,369 students). The incidence rate of alcohol-related injuries was 3.2 per 100 students year. After adjusting for alcohol consumption and cannabis use, the multivariate model revealed that a high frequency of heavy drinking was a risk factor for alcohol-related injuries (Odds Ratio = 3.89 [95%CI: 2.16 - 6.99]). The proportion of alcohol-related injuries in exposed subjects attributable to heavy drinking was 59.78% [95%CI: 32.75 - 75.94] while the population attributable fraction was 45.48% [95%CI: 24.91 - 57.77]. Conclusion. We can conclude that heavy drinking leads to an increase of alcohol-related injuries. This shows a new dimension on the consequences of this public concern already related with a variety of health and social problems. Furthermore, our results allow us to suggest that about half of alcohol-related injuries could be avoided by removing this consumption pattern (AU)

Objetivo. El objetivo principal del estudio es evaluar el efecto del consumo intensivo de alcohol sobre las lesiones relacionadas con esta droga. Material y métodos. Se ha realizado un estudio de cohorte abierta entre universitarios en España (n = 1.382). El consumo intensivo y las lesiones relacionadas con el alcohol se midieron mediante la administración del cuestionario AUDIT a cada uno de los participantes a las edades de 18, 20, 22 y 24 años. Para analizar los datos se utilizó la Regresión Logística Multinivel para medidas repetidas ajustando por consumo de alcohol y de cannabis. Resultados. La tasa de respuesta al comienzo del estudio fue 99,6% (1.369 estudiantes). La tasa de incidencia de lesiones relacionadas con el alcohol fue de 3,2 por 100 estudiantes año-1. Tras ajustar por consumo de alcohol y de cannabis, el modelo multivariante revela que la alta frecuencia de consumo intensivo fue un factor de riesgo para las lesiones relacionadas con el alcohol (Odds Ratio = 3,89[95%CI:2,16 - 6,99]). La proporción de lesiones relacionadas con el alcohol en expuestos atribuible al consumo intensivo fue 59.78% [95%CI: 32.75 - 75.94] mientras que la fracción atribuible poblacional fue 45.48% [95%CI: 24.91 - 57.77]. Conclusión. Podemos concluir que el consumo intensivo conduce a un aumento de las lesiones relacionadas con el alcohol. Esto muestra una nueva dimensión de las consecuencias de esta preocupación social que ya se ha relacionado con variedad de problemas sociales y de salud. Además los resultados nos permiten sugerir que aproximadamente la mitad de las lesiones relacionadas con el alcohol podrían evitarse eliminando este patrón de consumo (AU)

Evolution of the binge drinking pattern in college students: neurophysiological correlates.

It is well known that alcohol impairs response inhibition and that adolescence is a critical period of neuromaturation where cognitive processes such as inhibitory control are still developing. In recent years, growing evidence has shown the negative consequences of alcohol binge drinking on the adolescent and young human brain. However, the effects of cessation of binge drinking on brain function remain unexplored. The objective of the present study was to examine brain activity during response execution and inhibition in young binge drinkers in relation to the progression of their drinking habits over time. Event-related potentials (ERPs) elicited by a Go/NoGo task were recorded twice within a 2-year interval in 57 undergraduate students (25 controls, 22 binge drinkers, and 10 ex-binge drinkers) with no personal or family history of alcoholism or psychopathological disorders. The results showed that the amplitude of NoGo-P3 over the frontal region correlated with an earlier age of onset of regular drinking as well as with greater quantity and speed of alcohol consumption. Regression analysis showed that NoGo-P3 amplitude was significantly predicted by the speed of alcohol intake and the age of onset of regular drinking. The group comparisons showed that, after maintaining a binge drinking pattern for at least 2 years, binge drinkers displayed significantly larger NoGo-P3 amplitudes than controls, whereas ex-binge drinkers were in an intermediate position between the two other groups (with no significant differences with respect to controls or binge drinkers). These findings suggest that binge drinking in young people may impair the neural functioning related to inhibitory processes, and that the cessation of binge drinking may act as a brake on the neurophysiological impairments related to response inhibition.

Heavy drinking and alcohol-related injuries in college students.

OBJECTIVE: The main objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of heavy drinking on alcohol-related injuries. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We carried out an open cohort study among university students in Spain (n=1,382). Heavy drinking and alcohol-related injuries were measured by administrating AUDIT questionnaires to every participant at the ages of 18, 20, 22 and 24. For data analysis we used a Multilevel Logistic Regression for repeated measures adjusting for consumption of alcohol and cannabis. RESULTS: The response rate at the beginning of the study was 99.6% (1,369 students). The incidence rate of alcohol-related injuries was 3.2 per 100 students year. After adjusting for alcohol consumption and cannabis use, the multivariate model revealed that a high frequency of heavy drinking was a risk factor for alcohol-related injuries (Odds Ratio=3.89 [95%CI: 2.16 - 6.99]). The proportion of alcohol-related injuries in exposed subjects attributable to heavy drinking was 59.78% [95%CI: 32.75 - 75.94] while the population attributable fraction was 45.48% [95%CI: 24.91 - 57.77]. CONCLUSION: We can conclude that heavy drinking leads to an increase of alcohol-related injuries. This shows a new dimension on the consequences of this public concern already related with a variety of health and social problems. Furthermore, our results allow us to suggest that about half of alcohol-related injuries could be avoided by removing this consumption pattern.

[Neurocognitive anomalies associated with the binge drinking pattern of alcohol consumption in adolescents and young people: a review]. / Anomalías neurocognitivas asociadas al consumo intensivo de alcohol (binge drinking) en jóvenes y adolescentes: una revisión.

Binge drinking (BD) is the most common problematic drinking pattern during adolescence and youth. At the same time, it is a period marked by profound structural and functional brain changes, which may be affected by heavy alcohol consumption. In recent years, a considerable number of studies that attempt to characterize the effects of BD on the brain has been published. However, to date there is not any critical review in Spanish language on neurostructural, neurophysiological and cognitive consequences that may result from the maintenance of a BD pattern of alcohol consumption during adolescence and youth. The purpose of this review is to critically summarize the main research results on the effects of BD on the brain. To this end, a literature search in databases Web of Knowledge, PubMed and PsycINFO for the period 2000-2013 was performed. In general, studies agree that BD is associated with 1) lower performance on tasks assessing cognitive processes such as attention, memory and executive functions, 2) structural changes (in white matter and gray matter) in different brain regions and 3) neurophysiological abnormalities (hyper/hypoactivation) linked to different cognitive processes. These results, although still need to be contrasted, warn about important consequences that could result from the persistence of BD on a young and still maturing brain.

Anomalías neurocognitivas asociadas al consumo intensivo de alcohol (binge drinking) en jóvenes y adolescentes: Una revisión / Neurocognitive anomalies associated with the binge drinking pattern of alcohol consumption in adolescents and young people: A review

El consumo intensivo de alcohol o binge drinking (BD) constituye la forma de consumo problemático más común durante la adolescencia y juventud. Al mismo tiempo, es éste un período marcado por profundos cambios, tanto en la estructura como en el funcionamiento cerebral, que pueden verse afectados por el consumo intensivo de alcohol. En los últimos años, se ha publicado un importante número de estudios que tratan de caracterizar los efectos del BD sobre el cerebro. Sin embargo, no existe hasta la fecha ninguna revisión crítica en lengua española de la investigación sobre las consecuencias neuroestructurales, neurofuncionales y cognitivas que pueden derivarse del mantenimiento de un patrón de consumo intensivo de alcohol durante la adolescencia y juventud. El propósito de esta revisión es hacer un resumen crítico de los principales resultados de la investigación sobre los efectos del BD en el cerebro. Para ello, se realizó una búsqueda bibliográfica en las bases de datos Web of Knowledge, PubMed y PsycINFO para el periodo 2000-2013. En general, los trabajos coinciden en señalar que el BD se asocia a1) menor rendimiento en tareas que evalúan procesos cognitivos como la atención, la memoria o las funciones ejecutivas, 2) alteraciones estructurales (en sustancia blanca y en sustancia gris) en distintas regiones cerebrales y 3) anomalías neurofuncionales (hiper- y/o hipoactivación neural) ligadas a distintos procesos cognitivos. Estos resultados, si bien aún necesitan ser contrastados, alertan sobre las importantes consecuencias que podría tener la persistencia del BD sobre un cerebro joven y todavía en maduración

Binge drinking (BD) is the most common problematic drinking pattern during adolescence and youth. At the same time, it is a periodmarked by profound structural and functional brain changes, which may be affected by heavy alcohol consumption. In recent years, a considerable number of studies that attempt to characterize the effects of BD on the brain has been published. However, to date there is not any critical review in Spanish language on neurostructural, neurophysiological and cognitive consequences that may result from the maintenance of a BD pattern of alcohol consumption during adolescence and youth. The purpose of this review is to critically summarize the main research results on the effects of BD on the brain. To this end, a literature search in databases Web of Knowledge, PubMed and PsycINFO for the period 2000-2013 was performed. In general, studies agree that BD is associated with 1) lower performance on tasks assessing cognitive processes such as attention, memory and executive functions, 2) structural changes (in white matter and gray matter) in different brain regions and 3) neurophysiological abnormalities (hyper/hypoactivation) linked to different cognitive processes. These results, although still need to be contrasted, warn about important consequences that could result from the persistence of BD on a young and still maturing brain