Estrogen signaling in the dorsal raphe regulates binge-like drinking in mice

Estrogens promote binge alcohol drinking and contribute to sex differences in alcohol use disorder. However, the mechanisms are largely unknown. This study aims to test if estrogens act on 5-hydroxytryptamine neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus (5-HTDRN) to promote binge drinking. We found that female mice drank more alcohol than male mice in chronic drinking in the dark (DID) tests. This sex difference was associated with distinct alterations in mRNA expression of estrogen receptor α (ERα) and 5-HT-related genes in the DRN, suggesting a potential role of estrogen/ERs/5-HT signaling. In supporting this view, 5-HTDRN neurons from naïve male mice had lower baseline firing activity but higher sensitivity to alcohol-induced excitation compared to 5-HTDRN neurons from naïve female mice. Notably, this higher sensitivity was blunted by 17β-estradiol treatment in males, indicating an estrogen-dependent mechanism. We further showed that both ERα and ERβ are expressed in 5-HTDRN neurons, whereas ERα agonist depolarizes and ERβ agonist hyperpolarizes 5-HTDRN neurons. Notably, both treatments blocked the stimulatory effects of alcohol on 5-HTDRN neurons in males, even though they have antagonistic effects on the activity dynamics. These results suggest that ERs' inhibitory effects on ethanol-induced burst firing of 5-HTDRN neurons may contribute to higher levels of binge drinking in females. Consistently, chemogenetic activation of ERα- or ERβ-expressing neurons in the DRN reduced binge alcohol drinking. These results support a model in which estrogens act on ERα/β to prevent alcohol-induced activation of 5-HTDRN neurons, which in return leads to higher binge alcohol drinking.

A new statistical model for binge drinking pattern classification in college-student populations

Background

Binge drinking (BD) among students is a frequent alcohol consumption pattern that produces adverse consequences. A widely discussed difficulty in the scientific community is defining and characterizing BD patterns. This study aimed to find homogenous drinking groups and then provide a new tool, based on a model that includes several key factors of BD, to assess the severity of BD regardless of the individual's gender.

Methods

Using the learning sample (N1 = 1,271), a K-means clustering algorithm and a partial proportional odds model (PPOM) were used to isolate drinking and behavioral key factors, create homogenous groups of drinkers, and estimate the probability of belonging to these groups. Robustness of our findings were evaluated with Two validations samples (N2 = 2,310, N3 = 120) of French university students (aged 18-25 years) were anonymously investigated via demographic and alcohol consumption questionnaires (AUDIT, AUQ, Alcohol Purchase Task for behavioral economic indices).

Results

The K-means revealed four homogeneous groups, based on drinking profiles: low-risk, hazardous, binge, and high-intensity BD. The PPOM generated the probability of each participant, self-identified as either male or female, to belong to one of these groups. Our results were confirmed in two validation samples, and we observed differences between the 4 drinking groups in terms of consumption consequences and behavioral economic demand indices.

Conclusion

Our model reveals a progressive severity in the drinking pattern and its consequences and may better characterize binge drinking among university student samples. This model provides a new tool for assessing the severity of binge drinking and illustrates that frequency of drinking behavior and particularly drunkenness are central features of a binge drinking model.

Nicotine Vaping and Co-occurring Substance Use Among Adolescents in the United States from 2017-2019

Background: The use of electronic cigarettes (or "vaping") among adolescents remains a public health concern given exposure to harmful substances, plus potential association with cannabis and alcohol. Understanding vaping as it intersects with combustible cigarette use and other substance use can inform nicotine prevention efforts. Methods: Data were drawn from 51,872 US adolescents (grades 8, 10, 12, years: 2017-2019) from Monitoring the Future. Multinomial logistic regression analyses assessed links of past 30-day nicotine use (none, smoking-only, vaping-only, and any smoking plus vaping) with both past 30-day cannabis use and past two-week binge drinking. Results: Nicotine use patterns were strongly associated with greater likelihood of cannabis use and binge drinking, particularly for the highest levels of each. For instance, those who smoked and vaped nicotine had 36.53 [95% CI:16.16, 82.60] times higher odds of having 10+ past 2-week binge drinking instances compared to non-users of nicotine. Discussion: Given the strong associations between nicotine use and both cannabis use and binge drinking, there is a need for sustained interventions, advertising and promotion restrictions, and national public education efforts to reduce adolescent nicotine vaping, efforts that acknowledge co-occurring use.

Alterations of theta power and synchrony during encoding in young adult binge drinkers: Subsequent memory effects associated with retrieval after 48 h and 6 months

Introduction

Young emerging adults commonly engage in binge drinking which is associated with a range of neurocognitive deficits, including memory impairments. However, evidence on neural oscillations mediating episodic memory in this population is lacking. To address this gap, we recorded theta oscillatory activity in young binge (BDs) and light drinkers (LDs) during memory encoding and analyzed it prospectively as a function of subsequent retrieval. Theta underlies successful encoding of novel items in memory through corticolimbic integration. Subsequent memory effects (SMEs) are reflected in stronger theta activity during encoding of the items that are later remembered compared to those that are later forgotten.

Methods

In the present study, 23 BDs (age: 23.3 ± 3.3) and 24 LDs (age: 23.4 ± 3.3) rated emotionally evocative images with negative, positive, and neutral themes during implicit encoding. They performed a recognition memory task on two follow-up occasions after a short (48 h), and long retention delay (6 months). Electroencephalography (EEG) signal was recorded during the encoding session and analyzed in time-frequency domain with Morlet wavelets in theta band (4-7 Hz). To evaluate SMEs, the event-related theta oscillations acquired during encoding were analyzed based on recognition outcomes after the two retention intervals.

Results

The BD and LD groups did not differ on recognition memory. However, BDs showed attenuated event-related theta power during encoding of images that were successfully retained after 6 months compared to LDs. In addition, theta synchronous activity between frontal and left posterior regions during encoding successfully predicted recognition of the images after both retention delays in LDs but not in BDs. These SMEs on theta power and synchrony correlated negatively with high-intensity drinking in the previous 6 months. No differences between men and women were observed for any analysis.

Discussion

It has been well established that long-range neural synchrony between cortical and limbic nodes underlies successful memory encoding and retention which, in turn, depends on neural excitation/inhibition (E/I) balance. Given that binge drinking is associated with E/I dysregulation, the observed SME deficiencies are consistent with other evidence of neural hyperexcitability in BDs, and may be indicative of increased risk of developing alcohol use disorders.

Binge Drinking Relates to Worse Neurocognitive Functioning Among Adults Aging with HIV

OBJECTIVE

Given the aging population of people with HIV (PWH), along with increasing rates of binge drinking among both PWH and the general older adult population, this study examined the independent and interactive effects of HIV, binge drinking, and age on neurocognition.

METHOD

Participants were 146 drinkers stratified by HIV and binge drinking status (i.e., ≥4 drinks for women and ≥5 drinks for men within approximately 2 h): HIV+/Binge+ (n = 30), HIV-/Binge+ (n = 23), HIV+/Binge- (n = 55), HIV-/Binge- (n = 38). All participants completed a comprehensive neuropsychological battery measuring demographically-corrected global and domain-specific neurocognitive T scores. ANCOVA models examined independent and interactive effects of HIV and binge drinking on neurocognitive outcomes, adjusting for overall alcohol consumption, lifetime substance use, sex, and age. Subsequent multiple linear regressions examined whether HIV/Binge group moderated the relationship between age and neurocognition.

RESULTS

HIV+/Binge+ participants had worse global neurocognition, processing speed, delayed recall, and working memory than HIV-/Binge- participants (p's < .05). While there were significant main effects of HIV and binge drinking, their interaction did not predict any of those neurocognitive outcomes (p's > .05). Significant interactions between age and HIV/Binge group showed that HIV+/Binge+ participants demonstrated steeper negative relationships between age and neurocognitive outcomes of learning, delayed recall, and motor skills compared to HIV-/Binge- participants (p's < .05).

CONCLUSIONS

Results showed adverse additive effects of HIV and binge drinking on neurocognitive functioning, with older adults demonstrating the most vulnerability to these effects. Findings support the need for interventions to reduce binge drinking, especially among older PWH.

Cortical GABA levels are reduced in young adult binge drinkers: Association with recent alcohol consumption and sex

Binge drinking refers to a pattern of alcohol intake that raises blood alcohol concentration to or above legal intoxication levels. It is common among young adults and is associated with health risks that scale up with alcohol intake. Acute intoxication depresses neural activity via complex signaling mechanisms by enhancing inhibition mediated by gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA), and by decreasing excitatory glutamatergic effects. Evidence primarily rooted in animal research indicates that the brain compensates for the acute depressant effects under the conditions of habitual heavy use. These neuroadaptive changes are reflected in neural hyperexcitability via downregulated inhibitory signaling, which becomes apparent as withdrawal symptoms. However, human evidence on the compensatory reduction in GABA signaling is scant. The neurochemical aspect of this mechanistic model was evaluated in the present study with proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H-MRS) which is sensitive to GABA plus macromolecule signal (GABA + ). Furthermore, we examined sex differences in GABA + levels as a function of a recent history of binge drinking, given interactions between endogenous neurosteroids, GABA signaling, and alcohol. The study recruited young adult women and men (22.2 ± 2.8 years of age) who were classified as binge drinkers (BDs, N = 52) if they reported ≥ 5 binge episodes in the previous six months. Light drinkers (LDs, N = 49) reported drinking regularly, but not exceeding ≤ 2 binge episodes in the past six months. GABA-edited ¹H-MR spectra were acquired from the occipital cortex at 3 T with the MEGA-PRESS sequence. GABA + signal was analyzed relative to water and total creatine (Cr) levels as a function of binge drinking history and sex. Controlling for within-voxel tissue composition, both GABA + indices showed decreased GABA + levels in BDs relative to LDs. The reduced GABA + concentration was associated with occasional high-intensity drinking in the BD group. This evidence is consistent with compensatory GABA downregulation that accompanies alcohol misuse, tipping the excitation/inhibition balance towards hyperexcitability. Analysis of the time course of GABA + neuroplasticity indicated that GABA + was lowest when measured one day after the last drinking occasion in BDs. While the BD vs LD differences were primarily driven by LD women, there was no interaction between Sex and a history of binge drinking. GABA + was higher in LD women compared to LD men. Aligned with the allostasis model, the mechanistic compensatory GABA downregulation observed in young emerging adults engaging in occasional binge drinking complements direct neural measures of hyperexcitability in BDs. Notably, these results suggest that neuroadaptation to alcohol is detectable at the levels of consumption that are within a normative range, and may contribute to adverse health outcomes.

Effects of binge drinking during adolescence and emerging adulthood on the brain: A systematic review of neuroimaging studies

Binge drinking (BD) is a common pattern of alcohol consumption which is generating great concern because of its deleterious consequences. We selected 33 neuroimaging studies of healthy young binge drinkers (BDs) by following PRISMA guidelines. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the relationship between BD and neurocognitive anomalies reported across magnetic resonance studies. Moreover, this work is the first in which results of relatively new imaging techniques, such as resting-state functional connectivity (RS-FC) and neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI), have been reviewed using a systematic procedure. We established strict inclusion criteria in order to isolate the various potential effects of BD on the adolescent brain. Two authors independently evaluated the methodological quality, assessing different aspects related to sample size, and statistical correction methods, which are of particular importance in neuroimaging studies. BD is associated with structural and functional anomalies in several cortical and subcortical brain regions intimately involved in the control and regulation of impulsive or risky behaviours, as well as in the processing of reinforcing stimuli.

Local and network-level dysregulation of error processing is associated with binge drinking

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Go/NoGo performance does not differ between binge (BDs) and light drinkers.

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BDs show greater BOLD activity to inhibition errors primarily in prefrontal areas.

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Greater functional connectivity in the frontal cortex correlates with drinking.

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Observed increase in error-related activity may serve a compensatory role.

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This is consistent with allostatic hyperexcitability reflecting neuroadaptation.

Binge drinking refers to the pattern of alcohol consumption that brings blood alcohol levels to or above legal intoxication levels. Commonly practiced by young adults, it is associated with neurofunctional alterations, raising health-related concerns. Executive deficits may contribute to the inability to refrain from excessive alcohol intake. As a facet of cognitive control, error processing allows for flexible modification of behavior to optimize future outcomes. It is highly relevant to addiction research, as a failure to inhibit excessive drinking results in relapses, which is a hallmark of alcohol use disorder. However, research on local and system-level neural underpinnings of inhibition failures as a function of binge drinking is limited. To address these gaps, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to examine local changes and interregional functional connectivity during response inhibition errors on a Go/NoGo task. Young adult binge drinkers (BDs) performed equally well as light drinkers (LDs), a group of demographically matched individuals who drink regularly but in low-risk patterns. In contrast, BDs exhibited greater fMRI activity to inhibition errors contrasted with correct NoGo trials in the rostral anterior (rACC) and posterior cingulate cortices (PCC), as well as right middle frontal gyrus (R-MFG). Furthermore, BDs showed increased connectivity between the rACC and right lateral prefrontal cortex, in addition to greater connectivity between the R-MFG and the left ventrolateral and superior frontal cortices. Imaging indices were positively correlated only with alcohol-related measures, but not with those related to moods, disposition, or cognitive capacity. Taken together, greater error-related activity and expanded functional connectivity among prefrontal regions may serve a compensatory role to maintain efficiency of inhibitory control. Aligned with prominent models of addiction, these findings accentuate the importance of top-down control in maintaining low-risk drinking levels. They provide insight into potentially early signs of deteriorating cognitive control functions in BDs and may help guide intervention strategies aimed at preventing excessive drinking habits.

Pre-screening Ability of the Functional-Belief-Based Alcohol Use Questionnaire (FBAQ) among Chiang Mai University Undergraduates: An External Validation Study

BACKGROUND

High-risk drinking behavior is common in university students, which often leads to negative consequences. Several standard screening tools to identify high-risk drinkers have been validated in this domain. However, most tools rely on drinking frequency and require standard drink calculations. The Functional-Belief-Based Alcohol use Questionnaire (FBAQ) was recently proposed as a pre-screening tool for high-risk drinkers in the young adult population. We aimed to validate the pre-screening accuracy of the FBAQ when applied to external data of university undergraduates.

METHODS

Data from two prospective cross-sectional surveys of Chiang Mai University undergraduates were used for validation of the FBAQ. A high-risk drinker was defined as a person with the 12-month AUDIT score ≥ 8. Pre-screening performance and accuracy indices were presented separately for dataset I, dataset II, and the combined dataset. The pooled area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AuROC), sensitivity, and specificity were estimated using individual patient data meta-analysis methods.

RESULTS

From the two datasets, 1641 students were included, 811 students in 2019 and 830 students in 2020. Of these, 387 (23.6 %) students were classified as high-risk drinkers. The combined AuROC of the FBAQ score was 0.83 (95 %CI 0.75-0.92) in discriminating high-risk drinkers. The pooled sensitivity and specificity at the FBAQ score cutoff ≥ 6 were 92.8 % (95 %CI 88.0-95.7 %) and 51.6 % (95 %CI 41.1-62.0 %).

CONCLUSIONS

In this external validation, the FBAQ shows excellent discriminative ability and is proven to be highly sensitive in detecting high-risk drinkers among Chiang Mai University undergraduates. Therefore, incorporating the FBAQ as a pre-screening tool to the AUDIT could make the initiation of the screening process easier and reduce extensive AUDIT evaluations in students with low risk.

Alcohol and Brain Development in Adolescents and Young Adults: A Systematic Review of the Literature and Advisory Report of the Health Council of the Netherlands

Young people, whose brains are still developing, might entail a greater vulnerability to the effects of alcohol consumption on brain function and development. A committee of experts of the Health Council of the Netherlands evaluated the state of scientific knowledge regarding the question whether alcohol negatively influences brain development in young people. A systematic literature search for prospective studies was performed in PubMed and PsychINFO, for longitudinal studies of adolescents or young adults ranging between 12 and 24 y of age at baseline, investigating the relation between alcohol use and outcome measures of brain structure and activity, cognitive functioning, educational achievement, or alcohol use disorder (AUD), with measures at baseline and follow-up of the outcome of interest. Data were extracted from original articles and study quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. A total of 77 studies were included, 31 of which were of sufficient quality in relation to the study objectives. There were indications that the gray matter of the brain develops abnormally in young people who drink alcohol. In addition, the more often young people drink or the younger they start, the higher the risk of developing AUD later in life. The evidence on white matter volume or quality, brain activity, cognitive function, and educational achievement is still limited or unclear. The committee found indications that alcohol consumption can have a negative effect on brain development in adolescents and young adults and entails a risk of later AUD. The committee therefore considers it a wise choice for adolescents and young adults not to drink alcohol.

Compensatory neuroadaptation to binge drinking: Human evidence for allostasis

Animal studies have established that acute alcohol increases neural inhibition and that frequent intoxication episodes elicit neuroadaptive changes in the excitatory/inhibitory neurotransmission balance. To compensate for the depressant effects of alcohol, neural hyperexcitability develops in alcohol use disorder and is manifested through withdrawal symptoms. It is unclear, however, whether neuroadaptive changes can be observed in young, emerging adults at lower levels of consumption in the absence of withdrawal symptoms. Here, we used an anatomically constrained magnetoencephalography method to assess cortical excitability in two independent sets of experiments. We measured early visual activity (1) in social drinkers during alcohol intoxication versus placebo conditions and (2) in parallel cohorts of sober binge drinkers (BDs) and light drinkers (LDs). Acute alcohol intoxication attenuated early sensory activity in the visual cortex in social drinkers, confirming its inhibitory effects on neurotransmission. In contrast, sober BDs showed greater neural responsivity compared with a matched group of LDs. A positive correlation between alcohol consumption and neural activity in BDs is indicative of cortical hyperexcitability associated with hazardous drinking. Furthermore, neural responsivity was positively correlated with alcohol intake in social drinkers whose drinking did not reach binge levels. This study provides novel evidence of compensatory imbalance reflected in the downregulation of inhibitory and upregulation of excitatory signaling associated with binge drinking in young, emerging adults. By contrasting acute effects and a history of BD, these results support the mechanistic model of allostasis. Direct neural measures are sensitive to synaptic currents and could serve as biomarkers of neuroadaptation.

Nalmefene alleviates the neuroimmune response to repeated binge-like ethanol exposure: A TSPO PET imaging study in adolescent rats

A large body of preclinical research has shown that neuroimmunity plays a key role in the deleterious effects of alcohol (ethanol) to the brain. Translational imaging techniques are needed to monitor the efficacy of strategies to prevent or mitigate neuroinflammation and alleviate ethanol-induced neurotoxicity. Opioid receptor antagonists such as nalmefene are antagonists of the toll-like receptor 4, which may block the proinflammatory signaling cascade induced by ethanol at this specific target. Male adolescent rats received a validated protocol of ethanol injection (i.p, 3 g/kg daily for two consecutive days followed by two resting days) during 14 days. Positron emission tomography (PET) imaging with the translocator protein 18 kDa (TSPO) radioligand [¹⁸ F]DPA-714 was performed at day-15. Toxicity induced by repeated binge-like ethanol exposure (71% mortality) was drastically reduced by nalmefene pretreatment (0.4 mg/kg, 14% mortality). No mortality was observed in animals that received vehicle (control) or nalmefene alone. Compared with control animals (n = 10), a significant 2.8-fold to 4.6-fold increase in the volume of distribution (V_T ) of [¹⁸ F]DPA-714 was observed among brain regions in animals exposed to ethanol only (n = 9). Pretreatment with nalmefene significantly alleviated the neuroimmune response to ethanol exposure in all brain regions (1.2-fold to 2.5-fold increase in V_T ; n = 5). Nalmefene alone (n = 6) did not impact [¹⁸ F]DPA-714 V_T compared with the control group. Nalmefene may protect against the neuroinflammatory response and overall toxicity associated with binge drinking. [¹⁸ F]DPA-714 PET imaging can be used to noninvasively address the neuroimmune impact of ethanol exposure and its modulation by pharmacological strategies in vivo, with translational perspectives.

Incentive sensitization in binge behaviors: A mini review on electrophysiological evidence

Introduction

Binge behavior not only refers to the consumption of substances such as alcohol or food, but is also used in relation to gaming, watching and gambling. Dependent on context it makes for a widespread, benign recreational activity or can pose a serious mental health problem with deleterious consequences. Incentive sensitization theory describes the attribution of salience towards stimuli strongly associated with dopamine-mediated reward as a result of repeated consumption. The sensitized neural networks cause cue-triggered craving and excessive desire, but thus, this mechanism may also be applicable to stimulus-induced behaviors not associated with classical withdrawal symptoms. Event-related potentials (ERP) are a useful method of examining motivated attention towards incentive stimuli. This mini review aims to synthesize ERP findings from different types of binge behaviors in order to compare cue-reactivity to incentive stimuli.

Methods

Studies investigating binge drinking, binge eating as well as binge watching, gaming and gambling were screened. To limit the influence of concurrent task demands, ERP studies applying picture viewing paradigms with incentive stimuli were selected.

Results

Across binge behaviors, evidence on altered mid-latency ERPs has been mixed. However, studies investigating later stages of attentional processes more consistently find enlarged P300 and late positive potentials (LPP) amplitudes to relevant cues.

Conclusion

An altered attentional processing of incentive stimuli reflecting motivated attention is in line with incentive sensitization theory. Considering the limited number of studies, especially regarding binge behaviors not involving substances, more research is needed to attain a more thorough understanding of incentive sensitization across binge behaviors.

Binge Drinking, Alone or With Cannabis, During Adolescence Triggers Different Effects on Immediate Visual Memory in Men and Women

Background: This study examines the interaction between a history of binge drinking (BD), alone or with cannabis consumption, and the effects of acute alcohol exposure on immediate visual memory (IVM) (faces memory task, scenes memory task and IVM-IQ) in adolescents of both sexes. Method: Two hundred and ninety adolescents, grouped into refrainers, binge drinkers and subjects with a history of simultaneous BD/Cannabis co-use, received a risk dose of alcohol or a control drink. Results: Consumption Pattern (refrainers vs. binge drinkers vs. BD/Cannabis consumers) was not significant, while Treatment (acute alcohol vs. control drink) was significant in both sexes. Also, male binge drinkers' performance in the faces memory task was poorer than that of refrainers and BD/Cannabis consumers who consumed the control drink. BD/Cannabis consumers performed this task as capably as refrainers. In women, binge drinkers performed better than refrainers in scene memory and IVM-IQ tests when given alcohol, and binge drinkers performed worse than refrainers after consuming the control drink. Conclusions: Acute alcohol consumption worsens IVM. Cannabis exerts a buffering effect in men. A cognitive tolerance effect is observed in women. Exposure during adolescence to alcohol, alone or with cannabis, can trigger different cognitive effects in men and women that could endure into adulthood.

Electroencephalographic signatures of the binge drinking pattern during adolescence and young adulthood: A PRISMA-driven systematic review

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Controls and binge drinkers (BDs) do not differ in their behavioral performance.

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BDs show increased neural activity during attention, working memory and inhibition.

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Augmented P3 amplitude in BDs was the most solid electrophysiological finding.

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Evidence does not support specific gender vulnerabilities to the effects of BD.

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Memory, emotional processing and decision-making processes need further exploration.

Research on neurophysiological impairments associated with binge drinking (BD), an excessive but episodic alcohol use pattern, has significantly increased over the last decade. This work is the first to systematically review –following PRISMA guidelines- the empirical evidence regarding the effects of BD on neural activity –assessed by electroencephalography- of adolescents and young adults. A systematic review was conducted in 34 studies (N = 1723). Results indicated that binge drinkers (BDs) showed similar behavioral performance as non/low drinkers. The most solid electrophysiological finding was an augmented P3 amplitude during attention, working memory and inhibition tasks. This increased neural activity suggests the recruitment of additional resources to perform the task at adequate/successful levels, which supports the neurocompensation hypothesis. Similar to alcoholics, BDs also displayed increased reactivity to alcohol-related cues, augmented resting-state electrophysiological signal and reduced activity during error detection –which gives support to the continuum hypothesis. Evidence does not seem to support greater vulnerability to BD in females. Replication and longitudinal studies are required to account for mixed results and to elucidate the extent/direction of the neural impairments associated with BD.

What Can Neuromarketing Tell Us about Food Packaging?

Packaging is a powerful tool for brands, which can not only catch consumers' attention but also influence their purchase decisions. The application of neuromarketing techniques to the study of food packaging has recently gained considerable popularity both in academia and practice, but there are still some concerns about the methods and metrics commercially offered and the interpretation of their findings. This represents the motivation of this investigation, whose objective is twofold: (1) to analyze the methodologies and measurements commonly used in neuromarketing commercial research on packaging, and (2) to examine the extent to which the results of food packaging studies applying neuromarketing techniques can be reproduced under similar methodologies. Obtained results shed light on the application of neuromarketing techniques in the evaluation of food packaging and reveal that neuromarketing and declarative methodologies are complementary, and its combination may strengthen the studies' results. Additionally, this study highlights the importance of having a framework that improves the validity and reliability of neuromarketing studies to eradicate mistrust toward the discipline and provide brands with valuable insights into food packing design.

Effects of Chronic Ethanol Consumption and Ovariectomy on the Spontaneous Alveolar Bone Loss in Rats

Postmenopausal estrogen deficiency and ethanol (EtOH) abuse are known risk factors for different diseases including bone tissues. However, little is known about the synergic effects of EtOH abuse and estrogen deficiency on alveolar bone loss in women. The present study evaluated the effects of EtOH chronic exposure and ovariectomy on the alveolar bone loss in female rats. For this, 40 female Wistar rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: control, EtOH exposure, ovariectomy (OVX), and OVX plus EtOH exposure. Initially, half of the animals were ovariectomized at 75 days of age. After that, the groups received distilled water or EtOH 6.5 g/kg/day (20% w/v) for 55 days via gavage. Thereafter, animals were sacrificed and the mandibles were collected, dissected, and separated into hemimandibles. Alveolar bone loss was evaluated by measuring the distance between the cementoenamel junction and the alveolar bone crest through a stereomicroscope in 3 different anatomical regions of the tissue. One-way ANOVA and post hoc Tukey were used to compare groups (p < 0.05). The results showed that the ovariectomy and EtOH exposure per se were able to induce alveolar bone loss, and their association did intensify significantly the effect. Therefore, OVX associated with heavy EtOH exposure increase the spontaneous alveolar bone loss in rats.

Twenty-first birthday drinking: Extreme-drinking episodes and white matter microstructural changes in the fornix and corpus callosum

The 21st birthday celebration is characterized by extreme alcohol consumption. Accumulating evidence suggests that high-dose bingeing is related to structural brain changes and cognitive deficits. This is particularly problematic in the transition from adolescence to adulthood when the brain is still maturing, elevating the brain's sensitivity to the acute effects of alcohol intoxication. Heavy drinking is associated with reduced structural integrity in the hippocampus and corpus callosum and is accompanied by cognitive deficits. However, there is little research examining changes in the human brain related to discrete heavy-drinking episodes. The present study investigated whether alcohol exposure during a 21st birthday celebration would result in changes to white matter microstructure by utilizing diffusion tensor imaging measures and a quasi-experimental design. By examining structural changes in the brain from pre- to postcelebration within subjects (N = 49) prospectively, we were able to more directly observe brain changes following an extreme-drinking episode. Region of interest analyses demonstrated increased fractional anisotropy in the posterior fornix (p < .0001) and in the body of the corpus callosum (p = .0029) from pre- to postbirthday celebration. These results suggest acute white matter damage to the fornix and corpus callosum following an extreme-drinking episode, which is especially problematic during continued neurodevelopment. Therefore, 21st birthday drinking may be considered an important target event for preventing acute brain injury in young adults. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

A TMS study of preparatory suppression in binge drinkers

Binge drinking consists in a pattern of consumption characterised by the repeated alternation between massive alcohol intakes and abstinence periods. A continuum hypothesis suggests that this drinking endeavour represents an early stage of alcohol dependence rather than a separate phenomenon. Among the variety of alterations in alcohol-dependent individuals (ADIs), one has to do with the motor system, which does not show a normal pattern of activity during action preparation. In healthy controls (HCs), motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) elicited by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) over primary motor cortex (M1) show both facilitation and suppression effects, depending on the time and setting of TMS during action preparation. A recent study focusing on the suppression component revealed that this aspect of preparatory activity is abnormally weak in ADIs and that this defect scales with the risk of relapse. In the present study, we tested whether binge drinkers (BDs) present a similar deficit. To do so, we recorded MEPs in a set of hand muscles applying TMS in 20 BDs and in 20 matched HCs while they were preparing index finger responses in an instructed-delay choice reaction time task. Consistent with past research, the MEP data in HCs revealed a strong MEP suppression in this task. This effect was evident in all hand muscles, regardless of whether they were relevant or irrelevant in the task. BDs also showed some preparatory suppression, yet this effect was less consistent, especially in the prime mover of the responding hand. These findings suggest abnormal preparatory activity in BDs, similar to alcohol-dependent patients, though some of the current results also raise new questions regarding the significance of these observations.

Different dopamine tone in ethanol high- and low-consuming Wistar rats

Excessive alcohol use causes considerable morbidity and mortality worldwide. Changes in the mesolimbic dopamine system have been postulated as a neurobiological underpinning of excessive alcohol consumption, and recent research also suggests that the amino acid taurine plays a central role in ethanol-induced dopamine elevation. The aim of this study was to further outline the role of dopamine and taurine in regulating alcohol consumption. In this study, a choice between ethanol (20%) and water was administered to Wistar rats in an intermittent manner (three times/week) for seven consecutive weeks. In vivo microdialysis was used to explore baseline levels as well as ethanol-induced increases of extracellular dopamine and taurine, in the nucleus accumbens (nAc) of Wistar rats voluntarily consuming large or small amounts of ethanol. Basal levels of taurine were also measured in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum in a subset of rats. Ethanol-induced increases in nAc dopamine and taurine did not differ between alcohol-consuming and naïve rats. However, when categorized based on ethanol intake, rats consuming larger amounts of ethanol exhibited a lower dopamine tone in the nucleus accumbens and responded to ethanol with a slower elevation of extracellular taurine levels, as compared with low-consuming animals. Basal levels of taurine in nAc, CSF, or serum did not differ between ethanol high- and low-consuming rats. Our data support previous studies claiming an association between low endogenous dopamine levels and excessive alcohol intake.

Early Signs of Emotional Recognition Deficits in Adolescent High-Binge Drinkers

Background: Emotional dysregulation, measured with face recognition tasks, is prevalent in alcohol use disorders (AUD), constituting a risk factor for alcohol use and relapse. It is not clear however whether emotional dysregulation is a by-product of alcohol consumption, or if it can act as a predisposing factor for AUD. Objective: Our aim was to examine early signs of emotional dysregulation in adolescent drinkers. Method: Twenty-four high-school students and 24 university students completed two tasks. On the first one, participants had to gradually increment the emotional content of different faces until they could perceive an emotional expression (emotion perception threshold task). We also examined the propensity to perceive fearful expressions in an emotion identification task. Participants were semantically primed with emotion words (i.e., "fear"), and they then had to indicate whether a neutral-fearful facial composite matched the prime. Results: Using repeated-measures ANOVAS, in the emotion perception threshold task, "happy" faces were the easiest to detect and "sad" ones the hardest. For high school students there was a differential response pattern depending on binge scores, such that High-binge drinkers found it easier to detect a sad face but harder to detect a happy one compared to Low-binge drinkers. In the facial emotion identification task, Low-binge drinkers observed more fearful expressions compared to High-binge drinkers. Conclusions: Differences in emotional processing in young adolescents depending on drinking habits point towards the relevance of emotional dysregulation as an early sign of AUD. These findings could help develop novel diagnostic and treatment tools for young populations.

The Use of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test − Consumption as an Indicator of Hazardous Alcohol Use among University Students

BACKGROUND

Hazardous drinking among students in higher education is a growing concern. The alcohol use disorders identification test (AUDIT) is the gold standard screening instrument for hazardous drinking in the adult population, for which an abbreviated version has been developed: the -AUDIT-Consumption (AUDIT-C). Currently, there's no gold standard for identifying hazardous drinking among students in higher education and little evidence regarding the concurrent validity of the AUDIT-C as a screening instrument for this group. This study investigated the concurrent validity of the AUDIT-C in a sample of university students and suggests the most appropriate cutoff points.

METHODS

Cross-sectional data of health surveys from 5,401 university and university of applied sciences in the Netherlands were used. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values for different cutoff scores of AUDIT-C were calculated for the total sample and for subgroups stratified by age, gender, and educational level. AUDIT-score ≥11 was used as the criterion of hazardous and harmful drinking.

RESULTS

Twenty percent of students were hazardous and harmful drinkers. The area under the ROC curve was 0.922 (95% CI 0.914-0.930). At an AUDIT-C cutoff score of ≥7, sensitivity and specificity were both >80%, while other cutoffs showed less balanced results. A cutoff of ≥8 performed better among males, but for other subgroups ≥7 was most suitable.

CONCLUSION

AUDIT-C seems valid in identifying hazardous and harmful drinking students, with suggested optimal cutoffs 7 (females) or 8 (males). However, considerations regarding avoiding false-positives versus false-negatives, in relation to the type of intervention following screening, could lead to selecting different cutoffs.

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.

Electrophysiological correlates of emotional crossmodal processing in binge drinking

Emotional crossmodal integration (i.e., multisensorial decoding of emotions) is a crucial process that ensures adaptive social behaviors and responses to the environment. Recent evidence suggests that in binge drinking-an excessive alcohol consumption pattern associated with psychological and cerebral deficits-crossmodal integration is preserved at the behavioral level. Although some studies have suggested brain modifications during affective processing in binge drinking, nothing is known about the cerebral correlates of crossmodal integration. In the current study, we asked 53 university students (17 binge drinkers, 17 moderate drinkers, 19 nondrinkers) to perform an emotional crossmodal task while their behavioral and neurophysiological responses were recorded. Participants had to identify happiness and anger in three conditions (unimodal, crossmodal congruent, crossmodal incongruent) and two modalities (face and/or voice). Binge drinkers did not significantly differ from moderate drinkers and nondrinkers at the behavioral level. However, widespread cerebral modifications were found at perceptual (N100) and mainly at decisional (P3b) stages in binge drinkers, indexed by slower brain processing and stronger activity. These cerebral modifications were mostly related to anger processing and crossmodal integration. This study highlights higher electrophysiological activity in the absence of behavioral deficits, which could index a potential compensation process in binge drinkers. In line with results found in severe alcohol-use disorders, these electrophysiological findings show modified anger processing, which might have a deleterious impact on social functioning. Moreover, this study suggests impaired crossmodal integration at early stages of alcohol-related disorders.

Binge drinking: Prevalence, correlates, and expectancies of alcohol use among individuals with first-episode psychosis

AIM

This study examines the prevalence and correlates of binge drinking and its association with expectancies of alcohol use, within a sample of patients with first-episode psychosis enrolled in the Early Psychosis Intervention Programme (EPIP) in Singapore's Institute of Mental Health.

METHODS

A total of 280 patients from the EPIP were recruited for an on-going longitudinal study examining cigarette smoking and alcohol habits. Only baseline data were used, pertaining to socio-demographics, alcohol use, clinical symptomology, quality of life, and expectancies of alcohol use.

RESULTS

Overall 23.9% (N = 67) reported ever binge drinking in their lifetime, and 11.4% (N = 32) had binged in the past 2 weeks. Controlling for all other socio-demographic and clinical factors, binge drinking was significantly associated with higher education levels, having children, current or past history of cigarette smoking, and lower negative symptom scores. Binge drinkers were also more likely to endorse statements relating to the themes of enhancement seeking (ie, using alcohol to alter or enhance experiences in a pleasurable way), coping with distress, and socializing-related expectancies of alcohol use.

CONCLUSION

Similar to past studies, the prevalence of binge drinking among our first-episode sample was relatively high. Our findings suggest certain lifestyle and social factors associated with risky drinking behaviour that future prevention efforts may address. Additionally, the three motivations of enhancement seeking, coping, and socializing also suggest psychological processes and coping styles that could be targeted for interventions.

Neurobiological and Cognitive Profile of Young Binge Drinkers: a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

This review provides the first systematic and quantitative synthesis of the literature examining the relationship between binge drinking, cognition, brain structure and function in youth aged 10 to 24 years. PubMed, EMBASE, Medline, PsychINFO and ProQuest were searched for neuroimaging, neurophysiological, and neuropsychological studies. A total of 58 studies (21 neuroimaging, 16 neurophysiological, 21 neuropsychological) met the eligibility criteria and were included in the review. Overall, abnormal or delayed development of key frontal executive-control regions may predispose youth to binge drink. These abnormalities appear to be further exacerbated by the uptake of binge drinking, in addition to alcohol-related neural aberrations in reward-seeking and incentive salience regions, indexed by cognitive deficits and maladaptive alcohol associations. A meta-analysis of neuropsychological correlates identified that binge drinking in youth was associated with a small overall neurocognitive deficit (g = -0.26) and specific deficits in decision-making (g = -1.70), and inhibition (g = -0.39). Using the Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) Evidence Profile, the certainty in outcomes ranged from very low to low. Future prospective longitudinal studies should address concomitant factors, exposure thresholds, and age-related vulnerabilities of binge drinking, as well as the degree of recovery following discontinuation of use.

Risk profiles for heavy drinking in adolescence: differential effects of gender

Abnormalities across different domains of neuropsychological functioning may constitute a risk factor for heavy drinking during adolescence and for developing alcohol use disorders later in life. However, the exact nature of such multi-domain risk profiles is unclear, and it is further unclear whether these risk profiles differ between genders. We combined longitudinal and cross-sectional analyses on the large IMAGEN sample (N ≈ 1000) to predict heavy drinking at age 19 from gray matter volume as well as from psychosocial data at age 14 and 19-for males and females separately. Heavy drinking was associated with reduced gray matter volume in 19-year-olds' bilateral ACC, MPFC, thalamus, middle, medial and superior OFC as well as left amygdala and anterior insula and right inferior OFC. Notably, this lower gray matter volume associated with heavy drinking was stronger in females than in males. In both genders, we observed that impulsivity and facets of novelty seeking at the age of 14 and 19, as well as hopelessness at the age of 14, are risk factors for heavy drinking at the age of 19. Stressful life events with internal (but not external) locus of control were associated with heavy drinking only at age 19. Personality and stress assessment in adolescents may help to better target counseling and prevention programs. This might reduce heavy drinking in adolescents and hence reduce the risk of early brain atrophy, especially in females. In turn, this could additionally reduce the risk of developing alcohol use disorders later in adulthood.

Altered oscillatory brain dynamics of emotional processing in young binge drinkers

Heavy episodic drinking, also termed binge drinking, is commonly practiced by young adults. It is accompanied by a range of cognitive, affective, and social problems, but the neural dynamics underlying changes in emotional functions is poorly understood. To investigate the behavioral and brain indices of affective processing as a function of binge drinking, young, healthy participants (23.3 ± 3.3 years) were assigned to two groups (n = 32 each) based on their drinking habits. Binge drinking (BD) participants reported drinking heavily with at least five binge episodes in the last 6 months, whereas light drinkers (LD) reported no more than one binge episode in the last 6 months. Participants provided subjective ratings of emotionally evocative images with negative, positive, erotic, and neutral themes mostly selected from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS). Electroencephalography (EEG) signal was recorded with a 64-channel system and analyzed in theta frequency band (4-7 Hz) with Morlet wavelets. Subjective ratings of the IAPS pictures were equivalent across both groups. However, affective modulation of event-related theta power both during early appraisal and later integrative processing stages was attenuated in BD, particularly those engaging in high-intensity drinking. These findings suggest that binge drinking is associated with altered neurophysiological indices of affective functions that are reflected in lower theta responsivity to emotions. The blunted long-range cortico-cortical and corticolimbic integration is consistent with compromised affective functions in alcohol use disorder. These findings may have implications for diagnostic and intervention strategies in heavy alcohol users.

Decreased event-related theta power and phase-synchrony in young binge drinkers during target detection: An anatomically-constrained MEG approach

BACKGROUND

The prevalence of binge drinking has risen in recent years. It is associated with a range of neurocognitive deficits among adolescents and young emerging adults who are especially vulnerable to alcohol use. Attention is an essential dimension of executive functioning and attentional disturbances may be associated with hazardous drinking. The aim of the study was to examine the oscillatory neural dynamics of attentional control during visual target detection in emerging young adults as a function of binge drinking.

METHOD

In total, 51 first-year university students (18 ± 0.6 years) were assigned to light drinking ( n = 26), and binge drinking ( n = 25) groups based on their alcohol consumption patterns. A high-density magnetoencephalography signal was combined with structural magnetic resonance imaging in an anatomically constrained magnetoencephalography model to estimate event-related source power in a theta (4-7 Hz) frequency band. Phase-locked co-oscillations were further estimated between the principally activated regions during task performance.

RESULTS

Overall, the greatest event-related theta power was elicited by targets in the right inferior frontal cortex and it correlated with performance accuracy and selective attention scores. Binge drinkers exhibited lower theta power and dysregulated oscillatory synchrony to targets in the right inferior frontal cortex, which correlated with higher levels of alcohol consumption.

CONCLUSIONS

These results confirm that a highly interactive network in the right inferior frontal cortex subserves attentional control, revealing the importance of theta oscillations and neural synchrony for attentional capture and contextual maintenance. Attenuation of theta power and synchronous interactions in binge drinkers may indicate early stages of suboptimal integrative processing in young, highly functioning binge drinkers.

Extracellular CIRP (eCIRP) and inflammation

Cold-inducible RNA-binding protein (CIRP) was discovered 2 decades ago while studying the mechanism of cold stress adaptation in mammals. Since then, the role of intracellular CIRP (iCIRP) as a stress-response protein has been extensively studied. Recently, extracellular CIRP (eCIRP) was discovered to also have an important role, acting as a damage-associated molecular pattern, raising critical implications for the pathobiology of inflammatory diseases. During hemorrhagic shock and sepsis, inflammation triggers the translocation of CIRP from the nucleus to the cytosol and its release to the extracellular space. eCIRP then induces inflammatory responses in macrophages, neutrophils, lymphocytes, and dendritic cells. eCIRP also induces endoplasmic reticulum stress and pyroptosis in endothelial cells by activating the NF-κB and inflammasome pathways, and necroptosis in macrophages via mitochondrial DNA damage. eCIRP works through the TLR4-MD2 receptors. Studies with CIRP^-/- mice reveal protection against inflammation, implicating eCIRP to be a novel drug target. Anti-CIRP Ab or CIRP-derived small peptide may have effective therapeutic potentials in sepsis, acute lung injury, and organ ischemia/reperfusion injuries. The current review focuses on the pathobiology of eCIRP by emphasizing on signal transduction machineries, leading to discovering novel therapeutic interventions targeting eCIRP in various inflammatory diseases.

A Neurophysiological and Behavioral Assessment of Interventions Targeting Attention Bias and Sense of Control in Binge Drinking

Attention bias modification (ABM) can decrease the selective visual attention paid to alcohol-related cues but has not been found to reliably reduce alcohol craving. Here, a cognitive intervention to decrease craving by increasing sense of control (Shamloo and Cox, 2014) was used as a complement. We investigated the effects of two such interventions administered singly or in combination. Participants were 41 binge drinkers (BDs) and 10 non-binge drinkers (NBDs). BDs received either ABM, sense of control training, both interventions, or no intervention, and were compared with NBDs who received no intervention. Groups were assessed on alcohol attention bias change including both reaction times and cue-elicited ERPs (visual dot-probe task), alcohol craving change, and alcohol consumption. BDs exhibited higher attention bias scores than NBDs. ABM had no effect on BDs' behavioral or electrophysiological markers of attention bias. Sense of control training did not increase personal sense of control but protected against decreased task accuracy and against increased craving. BDs receiving the combined intervention consumed less alcohol in a bogus taste test than participants receiving no intervention. Taken together, the results suggest that ABM procedure may reduce alcohol consumption if combined with sense of control training.

Increased Neural Activity in Hazardous Drinkers During High Workload in a Visual Working Memory Task: A Preliminary Assessment Through Event-Related Potentials

Despite equated behavioral performance levels, hazardous drinkers generally exhibited increased neural activity while performing simple cognitive tasks compared to light drinkers. Here, 49 participants (25 hazardous and 24 light drinkers) participated in an event-related potentials (ERPs) study while performing an n-back working memory task. In the control zero-back (N0) condition, the subjects were required to press a button when the number "2" or "6" was displayed. In the two-back and three-back (N2; N3) conditions, the subjects had to press a button when the displayed number was identical to the number shown two/three trials earlier. To assess for the impact of alcohol consumption on the updating of working memory processes under various cognitive loads, difference waveforms of "N2 minus N0" and "N3 minus N0" were computed by subtracting waveforms in the N0 condition from waveforms in the N2 and N3 conditions, for the light and the hazardous drinkers. Three main ERP components were noted for both groups: a P200/N200 complex, a P300 component, and an N400/P600 activity. The results show that, to perform the task at the same level as the light drinkers, the hazardous drinkers exhibited larger amplitude differences, mainly around the P300 and P600 components. These data may be considered, at the preventive level, as vulnerability factors for developing adult substance use disorders, and they stress the importance, at a clinical level, to consider such working memory processes in the management of alcohol dependence.

Binge drinking in young people: protocol for a systematic review of neuropsychological, neurophysiological and neuroimaging studies

INTRODUCTION

Binge drinking is the most common pattern of alcohol use among young people in Western countries. Adolescence and young adulthood is a vulnerable developmental period and binge drinking during this time has a higher potential for neurotoxicity and interference with ongoing neural and cognitive development. The purpose of this systematic review will be to assess and integrate evidence of the impact of binge drinking on cognition, brain structure and function in youth aged 10-24 years. Cross-sectional studies will synthesise the aberrations associated with binge drinking, while longitudinal studies will distinguish the cognitive and neural antecedents from the cognitive and neural effects that are a consequence of binge drinking.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

A total of five peer-reviewed databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Medline, PsychINFO, ProQuest) will be systematically searched and the search period will include all studies published prior to 1 April 2018. The search terms will be a combination of MeSH keywords that are based on previous relevant reviews. Study selection will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines and study quality will be assessed using The Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach. All studies will be screened against eligibility criteria designed to synthesise studies that examined a young binge drinking sample and used neuropsychological, neurophysiological or neuroimaging assessment techniques. Studies will be excluded if participants were significantly involved in other substances or if they had been clinically diagnosed with an alcohol use disorder, or any psychiatric, neurological or pharmacological condition. If available data permits, a meta-analysis will be conducted.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Formal ethics approval is not required as primary data will not be collected. The results will be disseminated through a peer-reviewed publication, conference presentations and social media.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

International Prospective Register for Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) number: CRD42018086856.

Neural correlates of correct and failed response inhibition in heavy versus light social drinkers: an fMRI study during a go/no-go task by healthy participants

The ability to suppress responses that are inappropriate, as well as the mechanisms monitoring the accuracy of actions in order to compensate for errors, is central to human behavior. Neural alterations that prevent stopping an inaccurate response, combined with a decreased ability of error monitoring, are considered to be prominent features of alcohol abuse. Moreover, (i) alterations of these processes have been reported in heavy social drinkers (i.e. young healthy individuals who do not yet exhibit a state of alcohol dependence); and (ii) through longitudinal studies, these alterations have been shown to underlie subsequent disinhibition that may lead to future alcohol use disorders. In the present functional magnetic resonance imaging study, using a contextual Go/No-Go task, we investigated whether different neural networks subtended correct inhibitions and monitoring mechanisms of failed inhibitory trials in light versus heavy social drinkers. We show that, although successful inhibition did not lead to significant changes, neural networks involved in error monitoring are different in light versus heavy drinkers. Thus, while light drinkers exhibited activations in their right inferior frontal, right middle cingulate and left superior temporal areas; heavy drinkers exhibited activations in their right cerebellum, left caudate nucleus, left superior occipital region, and left amygdala. These data are functionally interpreted as reflecting a "visually-driven emotional strategy" vs. an "executive-based" neural response to errors in heavy and light drinkers, respectively. Such a difference is interpreted as a key-factor that may subtend the transition from a controlled social heavy consumption to a state of clinical alcohol dependence.

Neurobiological Effects of Binge Drinking Help in Its Detection and Differential Diagnosis from Alcohol Dependence

The prevalence of binge drinking in the general population is 3-4 times higher than that of alcohol dependence. Neuroimaging studies show that binge drinking in adolescence impairs brain development and white matter integrity. Regions with reduced functional activity include the limbic system, ventral diencephalon, frontal lobe, and middle and inferior temporal lobes, whereas the right superior frontal and parietal lobes are typically hyperactivated. The observed activation of the frontoparietal areas might reflect the alternative memory system operating, whereas the reduced occipito-hippocampal response is associated with impaired visual and linguistic processing/learning. Some other findings from literature research include a decrease of N-acetylaspartate (NAA) in the frontal lobe and its increase in the parietal lobes, as well as the reduced components of event-related potentials, reflecting deficit in attention, working memory, inhibition, and executive functioning. Animal studies show that even a single day of binge drinking results in a neurodegeneration and reactive gliosis in the limbic cortex as well as in gene expression dysregulation and histone acetylation. Another biological evidence on binge drinking effect include inflammatory response, oxidative stress, formation of toxic ceramides, activation of caspase 3, and secretion of corticoliberin. Some of the binge drinking-induced cognitive abnormalities can be reversible after three weeks of abstinence. Although binge drinkers have a similar pattern of neuropsychological deficits with chronic alcohol consumers (mainly memory deficits), binge drinkers have prominent impairment of inhibitory control, which may be a marker of binge pattern of alcohol drinking. The optimal therapeutic strategies should target the inhibitory control processes to facilitate discontinuation of alcohol consumption and to block its possible progression to the alcohol dependence syndrome.

Why cognitive event-related potentials (ERPs) should have a role in the management of alcohol disorders

Alcohol dependence is currently one of the most serious public health problems. Indeed, 3-8% of all deaths worldwide are attributable to effects of alcohol consumption. Although the first step in alcohol dependence treatment is straightforward, the main problem for clinicians lies with the prevention of relapse, as 40-70% of patients who only undergo psychosocial therapy resume alcohol use within a year following treatment. This review of the literature regarding event-related potentials (ERPs) is focused on two major neurocognitive factors that partially account for the inability of many alcoholics to remain abstinent: attentional biases towards alcohol-related stimuli that increase the urge to drink, and impaired response inhibition towards these cues that makes it more difficult for alcoholics to resist the temptation to drink. On this basis, we propose new research avenues to better implement ERPs in the management of alcohol disorders, according to four main directions that relate to (1) the development of ERP serial recordings; (2) the promotion of a multi-component ERP approach; (3) the definition of multi-site guidelines; and (4) the use of more representative laboratory situations through the use of more compelling environments.

GC-MS-based urinary organic acid profiling reveals multiple dysregulated metabolic pathways following experimental acute alcohol consumption

Metabolomics studies of diseases associated with chronic alcohol consumption provide compelling evidence of several perturbed metabolic pathways. Moreover, the holistic approach of such studies gives insights into the pathophysiological risk factors associated with chronic alcohol-induced disability, morbidity and mortality. Here, we report on a GC-MS-based organic acid profiling study on acute alcohol consumption. Our investigation - involving 12 healthy, moderate-drinking young men - simulated a single binge drinking event, and indicated its metabolic consequences. We generated time-dependent data that predicted the metabolic pathophysiology of the alcohol intervention. Multivariate statistical modelling was applied to the longitudinal data of 120 biologically relevant organic acids, of which 13 provided statistical evidence of the alcohol effect. The known alcohol-induced increased NADH:NAD+ ratio in the cytosol of hepatocytes contributed to the global dysregulation of several metabolic reactions of glycolysis, ketogenesis, the Krebs cycle and gluconeogenesis. The significant presence of 2-hydroxyisobutyric acid supports the emerging paradigm that this compound is an important endogenous metabolite. Its metabolic origin remains elusive, but recent evidence indicated 2-hydroxyisobutyrylation as a novel regulatory modifier of histones. Metabolomics has thus opened an avenue for further research on the reprogramming of metabolic pathways and epigenetic networks in relation to the severe effects of alcohol consumption.

Behavioral and Brain Activity Indices of Cognitive Control Deficits in Binge Drinkers

Heavy episodic drinking is prevalent among young adults and is a public issue of increasing importance. Its initiation and maintenance are associated with deficits in the capacity to inhibit automatic processing in favor of non-habitual responses. This study used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine behavioral and brain activity indices of cognitive control during the Stroop task as a function of binge drinking. Heavy episodic drinkers (HED) reported consuming 5+/6+ drinks in two hours at least five times in the past six months and were compared to light drinkers (LED) who reported two or fewer binge episodes but were matched on demographics, intelligence and family history of alcoholism. Greater conflict-induced activity in the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) and thalamus was observed in HED participants and it was positively correlated with alcohol intake and alcohol-related harmful consequences. HEDs maintained intact accuracy but at a cost of prolonged reaction times to high-conflict trials and increased ratings of task difficulty. Greater activation of the areas implicated in cognitive control is consistent with compensatory network expansion to meet higher cognitive demands. These results provide further insight into degradation of cognitive control in HEDs which may benefit development of detection and prevention strategies.

Alcohol Binge Drinking and Executive Functioning during Adolescent Brain Development

Alcohol consumption in adolescents causes negative effects on familiar, social, academic life, as well as neurocognitive alterations. The binge drinking (BD) pattern of alcohol is characterized by the alternation of episodes of heavy drinking in a short interval of time, and periods of abstinence, a practice that can result in important brain alterations; even more than regular alcohol consumption. The prefrontal cortex, which acts as neural support for the executive processes, is particularly affected by alcohol; however, not all studies are in agreement about how BD alcohol consumption affects executive functioning. Some research has found that alcohol consumption in adolescence does not significantly affect executive functioning while others found it does. It is possible that these discrepancies could be due to the history of alcohol consumption, that is, at what age the subjects started drinking. The aim of our study is to assess the performance on executive functioning tasks of 13–19-year-old adolescents according to their pattern of alcohol consumption. We hypothesize that BD adolescents will perform worse than non-BD subjects in tasks that evaluate executive functions, and these differences will increase depending on how long they have been consuming alcohol. Three hundred and twenty-two students (48.14% females; age range 13–22 years; mean aged 16.7 ± 2.59) participated in the study; all of them had begun drinking at the age of 13 years. Participant were divided into three groups, according to their age range (13–15, 16–18, and 19–22 years) and divided according to their pattern of alcohol consumption (BD and control groups). Then, the subjects were evaluated with neuropsychological tasks that assess executive functions like working memory, inhibition, cognitive flexibility, or self-control among others. The entire sample showed a normal improvement in their executive performance, but this improvement was more stable and robust in the control group. Regarding the executive performance among age groups, control subjects only obtained better results than BDs in the 19–22-year-old range, whereas the performance was quite similar at younger ages. Considering that all the BD subjects started drinking at the same age (13 years old), it is possible that a kind of compensation mechanism exists in the adolescent brain which allows them to reach a normal performance in executive tasks. This theoretical mechanism would depend upon neuronal labor, which could lose efficacy over time with further alcohol ingestion. This process would account for the differences in neuropsychological performance, which were only observed in older students with a longer history of alcohol consumption.

Blood Alcohol Concentration-Related Lower Performance in Immediate Visual Memory and Working Memory in Adolescent Binge Drinkers

The binge drinking (BD) pattern of alcohol consumption is prevalent during adolescence, a period characterized by critical changes to the structural and functional development of brain areas related with memory and cognition. There is considerable evidence of the cognitive dysfunctions caused by the neurotoxic effects of BD in the not-yet-adult brain. Thus, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of different blood alcohol concentrations (BAC) on memory during late adolescence (18–19 years old) in males and females with a history of BD. The sample consisted of 154 adolescents (67 males and 87 females) that were classified as refrainers if they had never previously drunk alcoholic drinks and as binge drinkers if they had drunk six or more standard drink units in a row for men or five or more for women at a minimum frequency of three occasions in a month, throughout the previous 12 months. After intake of a high acute dose of alcohol by binge drinkers or a control refreshment by refrainers and binge drinkers, subjects were distributed into four groups for each gender according to their BAC: BAC0-R (0 g/L, in refrainers), BAC0-BD (0 g/L, in binge drinkers), BAC1 (0.3 – 0.5 g/L, in binge drinkers) or BAC2 (0.54 – 1.1 g/L, in binge drinkers). The subjects’ immediate visual memory and working memory were then measured according to the Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS-III). The BAC1 group showed lower scores of immediate visual memory but not of working memory, while lower performance in both memories were found in the BAC2 group. Therefore, the brain of binge drinkers with moderate BAC could be employing compensatory mechanisms from additional brain areas to perform a working memory task adequately, but these resources would be undermined when BAC is higher (>0.5 g/L). No gender differences were found in BAC-related lower performance in immediate visual memory and working memory. In conclusion, immediate visual memory is more sensitive than working memory to the neurotoxic effects of alcohol in adolescent binge drinkers of both genders, being a BAC-related lower performance, and without obvious differences between males and females.

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.

Synaptoimmunology - roles in health and disease

Mounting evidence suggests that the nervous and immune systems are intricately linked. Many proteins first identified in the immune system have since been detected at synapses, playing different roles in normal and pathological situations. In addition, novel immunological functions are emerging for proteins typically expressed at synapses. Under normal conditions, release of inflammatory mediators generally represents an adaptive and regulated response of the brain to immune signals. On the other hand, when immune challenge becomes prolonged and/or uncontrolled, the consequent inflammatory response leads to maladaptive synaptic plasticity and brain disorders. In this review, we will first provide a summary of the cell signaling pathways in neurons and immune cells. We will then examine how immunological mechanisms might influence synaptic function, and in particular synaptic plasticity, in the healthy and pathological CNS. A better understanding of neuro-immune system interactions in brain circuitries relevant to neuropsychiatric and neurological disorders should provide specific biomarkers to measure the status of the neuroimmunological response and help design novel neuroimmune-targeted therapeutics.

Acute impact of caffeinated alcoholic beverages on cognition: A systematic review

INTRODUCTION

Energy drinks are popular beverages that are supposed to counteract sleepiness, increase energy, maintain alertness and reduce symptoms of hangover. Cognitive enhancing seems to be related to many compounds such as caffeine, taurine and vitamins. Currently, users mostly combine psychostimulant effects of energy drinks to counteract sedative effects of alcohol. However, recent literature suggests that this combination conducts to feel less intoxicated but still impaired. The goal of the present article is to review cognitive impact and subjective awareness in case of caffeinated alcoholic beverage (CAB) intoxication.

METHOD

PubMed (January 1960 to March 2016) database was searched using the following terms: cognitive impairments, alcohol, energy drinks; cognition, alcohol, caffeine.

RESULTS

99 papers were found but only 12 randomized controlled studies which explored cognitive disorders and subjective awareness associated with acute CAB or AED (alcohol associated with energy drinks) intoxication were included.

DISCUSSION

The present literature review confirmed that energy drinks might counteract some cognitive deficits and adverse effects of alcohol i.e. dry mouth, fatigue, headache, weakness, and perception of intoxication due to alcohol alone. This effect depends on alcohol limb but disappears when the complexity of the task increases, when driving for example. Moreover, studies clearly showed that CAB/AEDs increase impulsivity which conducts to an overconsumption of alcohol and enhanced motivation to drink compared to alcohol alone, potentiating the risk of developing addictive behaviors. This is a huge problem in adolescents with high impulsivity and immature decision making processes.

CONCLUSION

Although energy drinks counteract some cognitive deficits due to alcohol alone, their association promotes the risk of developing alcohol addiction. As a consequence, it is necessary to better understand the neurobiological mechanisms underlying these interactions in order to better prevent the development of alcohol dependence.

Working memory over a six-year period in young binge drinkers

Adolescence and early adulthood are periods of particular vulnerability to the neurotoxic effects of alcohol. Young people with alcohol-use disorders display deficits in working memory (WM). This function is supported by the prefrontal cortex, a late-maturing brain region. However, little is known about the progression of cognitive dysfunctions associated with a binge-drinking (BD) pattern of alcohol consumption among non-clinical adolescents. The objective of this study was to analyze the relationship between BD trajectory and WM in university students. An initial sample of 155 male and female first-year university students was followed prospectively over 6 years. The participants were classified as stable non-BDs, stable BDs, and ex-BDs, according to the third item of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). WM was assessed using the Self-Ordered Pointing Task. Generalized linear mixed models were applied. The results showed that stable BDs committed more total perseverative errors and showed a lower WM span in the difficult blocks than stable non-BDs. Difficulties in WM span showed some improvement, whereas perseveration errors remained constant throughout the follow-ups in the stable BDs. There were no significant differences between ex-BDs and non-BDs. In conclusion, stable BD is associated with WM deficits, particularly perseverations and low WM span in demanding trials, when compensatory mechanisms may no longer be successful. The partial improvement in WM span may support the notion of a neuromaturational delay, whereas the temporal stability of perseveration deficits may reflect either neurotoxic effects of alcohol or premorbid characteristics. Abandoning the BD pattern of alcohol consumption may lead to partial recovery.