Hyperactivation of right inferior frontal cortex in young binge drinkers during response inhibition: a follow-up study

Aims The objective of this study was to examine brain activity, with particular attention to prefrontal function, during response execution and inhibition in youths who have engaged in binge drinking (BD) for at least 2 years. Design Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded twice within 3 years, during performance of a Go/NoGo task. Setting The study was part of a longitudinal study of the neurocognitive effects of BD. Participants A total of 48 undergraduate students, 25 controls (14 females) and 23 binge drinkers (10 females), with no personal or family history of alcoholism or psychopathological disorders. Measurements The Go-P3 and NoGo-P3 components of the ERPs were examined by principal component analysis and exact low-resolution tomography analysis (eLORETA). Findings Binge drinkers showed larger Go-P3 amplitudes than controls in the first and second evaluations (P = 0.019). They also showed larger NoGo-P3 amplitude in the second evaluation (P = 0.002). eLORETA analyses in the second evaluation revealed significantly greater activation of the right inferior frontal cortex (rIFC) in binge drinkers than in controls during successful inhibition (P < 0.05). Conclusions Young binge drinkers appear to show abnormal brain activity as measured by event-related potentials during response execution and inhibition which may represent a neural antecedent of difficulties in impulse control.