BD is associated with poorer performance of executive functions subserved by the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. The results do not support enhanced vulnerability of women to alcohol neurotoxic effects. These difficulties may reflect developmental delay or frontal lobe dysfunction.

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.

The results of this study confirm the presence of electrophysiological differences between young university student binge drinkers and controls during the execution of a visual task with a high working memory load. The larger N2 in the BD group suggests higher levels of attentional effort required by this group to perform the task adequately. The absence of any differences in the P3 component in the different conditions (matching and nonmatching stimuli) in the BD group suggests a deficiency in the electrophysiological differentiation between relevant and irrelevant information, which may reflect some impairment of working memory processes.

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Binge drinking trajectory during adolescence is associated with neuropsychological performance. Persistent BD, but not Ex-BD, is associated with verbal memory and monitoring difficulties. This is compatible with the hypothesis that heavy alcohol use during adolescence may affect cognitive functions that rely on the temporomesial and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.

These findings suggest that young BDs exhibit anomalies in neural activity involved in attentional/working memory processes, which increase after 2 years of maintenance of BD. This anomalous neural activity may reflect underlying dysfunctions in neurophysiological mechanisms as well as the recruitment of additional attentional/working memory resources to enable the binge drinkers to perform the task adequately.

Background: Review of the concept of adolescent binge drinking in order to propose an operational definition. Methods:We conducted a literature review in the databases MEDLINE and PSYCLIT for the period 1980 to 2009. Through the filter "(binge drinking OR heavy-episodic-drinking) AND (adolescence OR universitystudents OR college-students)" 80 articles were selected for review. Conclusions: A proper definition of the pattern of intensive alcohol consumption should integrate the quantity and frequency variables, and also take into account the negative consequences associated with it. The criterion most widely accepted by the international scientific community is the consumption of 5 or more SDUs -4 or more for women -on a single occasion at least once in the last two weeks. However, aspects such as differences in the grams of alcohol of SDUs hinder the establishment of an international definition of the term, making it necessary to adapt this approach to the country in which the study is being carried out.Keywords: binge drinking, adolescence, college or university students, review, epidemiology. RESUMEN ABSTRACTObjetivos: Delimitar el concepto de consumo intensivo de alcohol adolescente (binge drinking) con el fin de definir un criterio operativo del término. Metodología: Se ha realizado una revisión bibliográfica en las bases de datos Medline y Psyclit en el período 1980-2009. Mediante el filtro "(binge drinking OR heavy-episodic-drinking) AND (adolescence OR university-students OR college-students)" se seleccionaron 80 artículos para su revisión. Resultados: Los estudios epidemiológicos que han informado sobre la prevalencia de este patrón de consumo muestran falta de consenso a la hora de operativizar el término. Se han propuesto distintos criterios en cuanto al número de unidades de bebida estándar (UBEs) consumidas por ocasión, la frecuencia de los episodios y la duración de los mismos. Conclusiones: Una definición adecuada del patrón de consumo intensivo de alcohol debe integrar las variables cantidad y frecuencia y, además, tener en cuenta las consecuencias negativas asociadas al mismo. El criterio más comúnmente aceptado por la comunidad científica internacional es el consumo de 5 ó más UBEs -4 ó más para mujeres-en una única ocasión, al menos una vez en las dos últimas semanas. Sin embargo, aspectos como las diferencias entre países en los gramos de alcohol de las UBEs dificultan el establecimiento de una definición internacional del término. Esto hace necesario adaptar este criterio al país donde se realice el estudio.Palabras clave: consumo intensivo de alcohol, adolescencia, estudiantes universitarios, revisión, epidemiología.

Binge drinking is associated with poorer verbal declarative memory, regardless of sex. The findings are consistent with the vulnerability of the adolescent hippocampus to the neurotoxic effects of alcohol. Longitudinal studies will help determine the nature of this relationship, the neurodevelopmental trajectories for each sex, and the repercussions on academic performance.