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Almeida-Antunes N, Antón-Toro L, Crego A, Rodrigues R, Sampaio A, López-Caneda E. Trying to forget alcohol: Brain mechanisms underlying memory suppression in young binge drinkers. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2024; 134:111053. [PMID: 38871018 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2024.111053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 06/07/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024]
Abstract
People are able to voluntarily suppress unwanted thoughts or memories, a phenomenon known as suppression-induced forgetting or memory suppression. Despite harmful alcohol use, such as binge drinking, has been linked to impaired inhibitory control (IC) and augmented alcohol-cue reactivity, no study to date has assessed memory inhibition abilities towards alcohol-related cues in binge drinkers (BDs). Thus, the present preregistered study aimed to evaluate the behavioral and neurofunctional mechanisms associated with memory inhibition, specifically those related to the suppression of alcohol-related memories, in young BDs. For this purpose, electroencephalographic activity was recorded in eighty-two college students aged between 18 and 24 years old from the University of Minho (50% females; 40 non/low-drinkers [N/LDS] and 42 BDs) while they performed the Think/No-Think Alcohol task. Brain functional connectivity (FC) was calculated using the phase locking value and, subsequently, a dynamic seed-based analysis was conducted to explore the FC patterns between IC and memory networks. Comparatively to N/LDs, BDs exhibited decreased alpha-band FC between the anterior cingulate cortex and the left fusiform gyrus during attempts to suppress non-alcohol memories, accompanied by unsuccessful forgetting of those memories. Conversely, BDs displayed augmented gamma-band FC between the IC network and memory regions -i.e., hippocampus, parahippocampus and fusiform gyrus- during suppression of alcohol-related memories. Inhibitory abnormalities in BDs may lead to hypoconnectivity between IC and memory networks and deficient suppression of non-alcohol-related memories. However, while suppressing highly salient and reward-predicting stimuli, such as alcohol-related memories, BDs display a hyperconnectivity pattern between IC and memory networks, likely due to their augmented attention towards intrusive alcoholic memories and the attempts to compensate for potential underlying IC deficits. These findings hold important implications for alcohol research and treatment, as they open up new avenues for reducing alcohol use by shifting the focus to empowering suppression/control over alcohol-related memories. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: [http://www.ClinicalTrials.gov], identifier [NCT05237414].
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Affiliation(s)
- Natália Almeida-Antunes
- Psychological Neuroscience Laboratory (PNL), Psychology Research Center (CIPsi), School of Psychology, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
| | - Luis Antón-Toro
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), 28223 Madrid, Spain
| | - Alberto Crego
- Psychological Neuroscience Laboratory (PNL), Psychology Research Center (CIPsi), School of Psychology, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
| | - Rui Rodrigues
- Psychological Neuroscience Laboratory (PNL), Psychology Research Center (CIPsi), School of Psychology, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
| | - Adriana Sampaio
- Psychological Neuroscience Laboratory (PNL), Psychology Research Center (CIPsi), School of Psychology, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
| | - Eduardo López-Caneda
- Psychological Neuroscience Laboratory (PNL), Psychology Research Center (CIPsi), School of Psychology, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal.
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Does alcohol automatically capture drinkers' attention? Exploration through an eye-tracking saccadic choice task. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2023; 240:271-282. [PMID: 36688964 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-023-06314-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Dominant theoretical models postulate the presence of an automatic attentional bias (AB) towards alcohol-related stimuli in alcohol use disorder, such AB constituting a core feature of this disorder. An early alcohol AB has been documented in subclinical populations such as binge drinking (i.e., a drinking pattern prevalent in youth and characterized by repeated alternation between alcohol intoxications and withdrawals, generating cerebral consequences). However, the automatic nature of AB remains to be established. OBJECTIVES We investigated the automatic nature of AB in binge drinkers through the saccadic choice task. This eye-tracking paradigm consistently highlights the extremely fast and involuntary saccadic responses elicited by faces in humans, relative to other object categories. Through an alcohol-related adaptation of the saccadic choice task, we tested whether the early and automatic capture of attentional resources elicited by faces can also be found for alcohol-related stimuli in binge drinkers, as predicted by theoretical models. METHODS Forty-three binge drinkers and 44 control participants performed two versions of the saccadic choice task. In the original version, two images (a face, a vehicle) were displayed on the left and right side of the screen respectively. Participants had to perform a saccade as fast as possible towards the target stimulus (either face or vehicle). In the alcohol-related version, the task was identical, but the images were an alcoholic beverage and a non-alcoholic stimulus. RESULTS We replicated the automatic attraction towards faces in both groups, as faces generated higher saccadic accuracy, speed, and amplitude than vehicles, as well as higher corrective saccade proportion. Concerning the alcohol-related adaptation of the task, groups did not differ for the accuracy, speed, and amplitude of the first saccade towards alcohol. However, binge drinkers differed from controls regarding the proportion of corrective saccade towards non-alcoholic stimuli after an error saccade towards alcohol, suggesting the presence of an alcohol disengagement bias specific to binge drinkers. CONCLUSIONS Alcohol-related AB in binge drinkers is not characterized by an early and automatic hijacking of attention towards alcohol. This AB rather relies on later and more controlled processing stages, namely a difficulty to disengage attentional resources from alcohol-related stimuli.
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Almeida-Antunes N, Vasconcelos M, Crego A, Rodrigues R, Sampaio A, López-Caneda E. Forgetting Alcohol: A Double-Blind, Randomized Controlled Trial Investigating Memory Inhibition Training in Young Binge Drinkers. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:914213. [PMID: 35844233 PMCID: PMC9278062 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.914213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Binge Drinking (BD) has been associated with altered inhibitory control and augmented alcohol-cue reactivity. Memory inhibition (MI), the ability to voluntarily suppress unwanted thoughts/memories, may lead to forgetting of memories in several psychiatric conditions. However, despite its potential clinical implications, no study to date has explored the MI abilities in populations with substance misuse, such as binge drinkers (BDs). Method This study—registered in the NIH Clinical Trials Database (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT05237414)—aims firstly to examine the behavioral and electroencephalographic (EEG) correlates of MI among college BDs. For this purpose, 45 BDs and 45 age-matched non/low-drinkers (50% female) will be assessed by EEG while performing the Think/No-Think Alcohol task, a paradigm that evaluates alcohol-related MI. Additionally, this work aims to evaluate an alcohol-specific MI intervention protocol using cognitive training (CT) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) while its effects on behavioral and EEG outcomes are assessed. BDs will be randomly assigned to one MI training group: combined [CT and verum tDCS applied over the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC)], cognitive (CT and sham tDCS), or control (sham CT and sham tDCS). Training will occur in three consecutive days, in three sessions. MI will be re-assessed in BDs through a post-training EEG assessment. Alcohol use and craving will be measured at the first EEG assessment, and both 10-days and 3-months post-training. In addition, behavioral and EEG data will be collected during the performance of an alcohol cue reactivity (ACR) task, which evaluates attentional bias toward alcoholic stimuli, before, and after the MI training sessions. Discussion This study protocol will provide the first behavioral and neurofunctional MI assessment in BDs. Along with poor MI abilities, BDs are expected to show alterations in event-related potentials and functional connectivity patterns associated with MI. Results should also demonstrate the effectiveness of the protocol, with BDs exhibiting an improved capacity to suppress alcohol-related memories after both combined and cognitive training, along with a reduction in alcohol use and craving in the short/medium-term. Collectively, these findings might have major implications for the understanding and treatment of alcohol misuse. Clinical Trial Registration [www.ClinicalTrials.gov], identifier [NCT05237414].
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Affiliation(s)
- Natália Almeida-Antunes
- Psychological Neuroscience Laboratory, Psychology Research Center, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
| | - Margarida Vasconcelos
- Psychological Neuroscience Laboratory, Psychology Research Center, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
| | - Alberto Crego
- Psychological Neuroscience Laboratory, Psychology Research Center, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
| | - Rui Rodrigues
- Psychological Neuroscience Laboratory, Psychology Research Center, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
| | - Adriana Sampaio
- Psychological Neuroscience Laboratory, Psychology Research Center, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
| | - Eduardo López-Caneda
- Psychological Neuroscience Laboratory, Psychology Research Center, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
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Temporally dynamic neural correlates of drug cue reactivity, response inhibition, and methamphetamine-related response inhibition in people with methamphetamine use disorder. Sci Rep 2022; 12:3567. [PMID: 35246553 PMCID: PMC8897423 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-05619-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Cue-induced drug craving and disinhibition are two essential components of continued drug use and relapse in substance use disorders. While these phenomena develop and interact across time, the temporal dynamics of their underlying neural activity remain under-investigated. To explore these dynamics, an analysis of time-varying activation was applied to fMRI data from 62 men with methamphetamine use disorder in their first weeks of recovery in an abstinence-based treatment program. Using a mixed block-event, factorial cue-reactivity/Go-NoGo task and a sliding window across the task duration, dynamically-activated regions were identified in three linear mixed effects models (LMEs). Habituation to drug cues across time was observed in the superior temporal gyri, amygdalae, left hippocampus, and right precuneus, while response inhibition was associated with the sensitization of temporally-dynamic activations across many regions of the inhibitory frontoparietal network. Methamphetamine-related response inhibition was associated with temporally-dynamic activity in the parahippocampal gyri and right precuneus (corrected p-value < 0.001), which show a declining cue-reactivity contrast and an increasing response inhibition contrast. Overall, the declining craving-related activations (habituation) and increasing inhibition-associated activations (sensitization) during the task duration suggest the gradual recruitment of response inhibitory processes and a concurrent habituation to drug cues in areas with temporally-dynamic methamphetamine-related response inhibition. Furthermore, temporally dynamic cue-reactivity and response inhibition were correlated with behavioral and clinical measures such as the severity of methamphetamine use and craving, impulsivity and inhibitory task performance. This exploratory study demonstrates the time-variance of the neural activations undergirding cue-reactivity, response inhibition, and response inhibition during exposure to drug cues, and suggests a method to assess this dynamic interplay. Analyses that can capture temporal fluctuations in the neural substrates of drug cue-reactivity and response inhibition may prove useful for biomarker development by revealing the rate and pattern of sensitization and habituation processes, and may inform mixed cue-exposure intervention paradigms which could promote habituation to drug cues and sensitization in inhibitory control regions.
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Blanco‐Ramos J, Antón‐Toro LF, Cadaveira F, Doallo S, Suárez‐Suárez S, Rodríguez Holguín S. Alcohol-related stimuli modulate functional connectivity during response inhibition in young binge drinkers. Addict Biol 2022; 27:e13141. [PMID: 35229958 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Revised: 12/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Blanco‐Ramos
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology University of Santiago de Compostela Santiago de Compostela Spain
| | - Luis Fernando Antón‐Toro
- Department of Experimental Psychology Complutense University of Madrid (UCM) Madrid Spain
- Laboratory for Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience (UCM ‐ UPM) Center for Biomedical Technology (CBT) Madrid Spain
| | - Fernando Cadaveira
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology University of Santiago de Compostela Santiago de Compostela Spain
| | - Sonia Doallo
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology University of Santiago de Compostela Santiago de Compostela Spain
| | - Samuel Suárez‐Suárez
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology University of Santiago de Compostela Santiago de Compostela Spain
| | - Socorro Rodríguez Holguín
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology University of Santiago de Compostela Santiago de Compostela Spain
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Dependent alcohol drinkers exhibit differences in the structure and function of the brain, and impairments in cognitive function, including executive functions (EFs). Less is known about the impact of non-dependent but hazardous use (that which raises the risk of harm), and it is also unclear to what extent executive impairments in this cohort affect real-world function. The current study examines the relationship between alcohol use, EF and alcohol-related problems, in the general population. METHODS A between-groups cross-sectional design assessed EF across two levels of drinking; hazardous (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) score of ⩾8) and non-hazardous. Alcohol drinkers (n = 666; 136 male; 524 female; six not disclosed; aged 28.02 ± 10.40 years) completed validated questionnaires online assessing subjective EF, alcohol use and alcohol-related problems. RESULTS Organisation, Strategic Planning, Impulse Control and overall function were significantly impaired in hazardous drinkers. Furthermore, the effect of alcohol on EF, partially mediated the relationship between alcohol use and alcohol-related problems. CONCLUSION Hazardous drinking was associated with lower subjective EF, and this mediated the effect of alcohol on alcohol-related problems. This may be due to changes in prefrontal brain regions, which could indicate greater risk for the development of alcohol dependence (AD). Future research should use additional means to assess EF in hazardous drinkers, including recovery of function, development of AD and the relationship between cognition and alcohol-related daily problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Powell
- School of Psychology, Liverpool John
Moores University, Liverpool, UK
| | - Harry Sumnall
- Public Health Institute, Liverpool John
Moores University, Liverpool, UK
- Liverpool Centre for Alcohol Research,
University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Cecil Kullu
- Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust,
Liverpool, UK
| | - Lynn Owens
- Liverpool Centre for Alcohol Research,
University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
- University of Liverpool, Liverpool,
UK
| | - Catharine Montgomery
- School of Psychology, Liverpool John
Moores University, Liverpool, UK
- Liverpool Centre for Alcohol Research,
University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
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Almeida-Antunes N, Crego A, Carbia C, Sousa SS, Rodrigues R, Sampaio A, López-Caneda E. Electroencephalographic signatures of the binge drinking pattern during adolescence and young adulthood: A PRISMA-driven systematic review. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2020; 29:102537. [PMID: 33418172 PMCID: PMC7803655 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2020.102537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Controls and binge drinkers (BDs) do not differ in their behavioral performance. BDs show increased neural activity during attention, working memory and inhibition. Augmented P3 amplitude in BDs was the most solid electrophysiological finding. Evidence does not support specific gender vulnerabilities to the effects of BD. 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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natália Almeida-Antunes
- Psychological Neuroscience Laboratory (PNL), Research Center in Psychology (CIPsi), School of Psychology, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, Portugal
| | - Alberto Crego
- Psychological Neuroscience Laboratory (PNL), Research Center in Psychology (CIPsi), School of Psychology, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, Portugal
| | - Carina Carbia
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Sónia S Sousa
- Psychological Neuroscience Laboratory (PNL), Research Center in Psychology (CIPsi), School of Psychology, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, Portugal
| | - Rui Rodrigues
- Psychological Neuroscience Laboratory (PNL), Research Center in Psychology (CIPsi), School of Psychology, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, Portugal
| | - Adriana Sampaio
- Psychological Neuroscience Laboratory (PNL), Research Center in Psychology (CIPsi), School of Psychology, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, Portugal
| | - Eduardo López-Caneda
- Psychological Neuroscience Laboratory (PNL), Research Center in Psychology (CIPsi), School of Psychology, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, Portugal.
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Dormal V, Lannoy S, Bollen Z, D'Hondt F, Maurage P. Can we boost attention and inhibition in binge drinking? Electrophysiological impact of neurocognitive stimulation. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2020; 237:1493-1505. [PMID: 32036388 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-020-05475-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2019] [Accepted: 01/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Binge drinking (i.e. excessive episodic alcohol consumption) among young adults has been associated with deleterious consequences, notably at the cognitive and brain levels. These behavioural impairments and brain alterations have a direct impact on psychological and interpersonal functioning, but they might also be involved in the transition towards severe alcohol use disorders. Development of effective rehabilitation programs to reduce these negative effects as they emerge thus constitutes a priority in subclinical populations. OBJECTIVES The present study tested the behavioural and electrophysiological impact of neurocognitive stimulation (i.e. transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) applied during a cognitive task) to improve attention and inhibition abilities in young binge drinkers. METHODS Two groups (20 binge drinkers and 20 non-binge drinkers) performed two sessions in a counterbalanced order. Each session consisted of an inhibition task (i.e. Neutral Go/No-Go) while participants received left frontal tDCS or sham stimulation, immediately followed by an Alcohol-related Go/No-Go task, while both behavioural and electrophysiological measures were recorded. RESULTS No significant differences were observed between groups or sessions (tDCS versus sham stimulation) at the behavioural level. However, electrophysiological measurements during the alcohol-related inhibition task revealed a specific effect of tDCS on attentional resource mobilization (indexed by the N2 component) in binge drinkers, whereas later inhibition processes (indexed by the P3 component) remained unchanged in this population. CONCLUSIONS The present findings indicate that tDCS can modify the electrophysiological correlates of cognitive processes in binge drinking. While the impact of such brain modifications on actual neuropsychological functioning and alcohol consumption behaviours remains to be determined, these results underline the potential interest of developing neurocognitive stimulation approaches in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valérie Dormal
- Louvain Experimental Psychopathology research group (LEP), Psychological Science Research Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Place Cardinal Mercier, 10, 1348, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Séverine Lannoy
- Louvain Experimental Psychopathology research group (LEP), Psychological Science Research Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Place Cardinal Mercier, 10, 1348, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Zoé Bollen
- Louvain Experimental Psychopathology research group (LEP), Psychological Science Research Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Place Cardinal Mercier, 10, 1348, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Fabien D'Hondt
- CNRS, UMR 9193 - SCALab - Sciences Cognitives et Sciences Affectives, University Lille, 59000, Lille, France.,Clinique de Psychiatrie, CURE, CHU Lille, 59000, Lille, France
| | - Pierre Maurage
- Louvain Experimental Psychopathology research group (LEP), Psychological Science Research Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Place Cardinal Mercier, 10, 1348, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
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Suárez-Suárez S, Doallo S, Pérez-García JM, Corral M, Rodríguez Holguín S, Cadaveira F. Response Inhibition and Binge Drinking During Transition to University: An fMRI Study. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:535. [PMID: 32581896 PMCID: PMC7296115 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2020] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Suárez-Suárez
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Sonia Doallo
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Jose Manuel Pérez-García
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Montserrat Corral
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Socorro Rodríguez Holguín
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Fernando Cadaveira
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
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Electrophysiological Correlates of an Alcohol-Cued Go/NoGo Task: A Dual-Process Approach to Binge Drinking in University Students. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2019; 16:ijerph16224550. [PMID: 31752082 PMCID: PMC6888589 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16224550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2019] [Revised: 11/10/2019] [Accepted: 11/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
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.
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