"It's a beer!": Brain functional hyperconnectivity during processing of alcohol‐related images in young binge drinkers

Abstract

Alcohol attentional bias has been pointed as a major marker of alcohol misuse.Recent evidence has revealed that brain functional connectivity (FC) may be a valuable index of the brain networks' integrity in young binge drinkers (BDs). However, there is no study to date examining the FC networks linked to the processing of alcohol-related images in this population. The present study aimed to explore the FC signatures underlying alcohol attention bias in young BDs. Thus, electroencephalographic (EEG) activity was recorded in 54 college students (55.5% females; 27 non/ low-drinkers and 27 BDs) while performing a visual alcohol cue-reactivity task. We evaluated whole-brain FC profiles during the processing of alcoholic and nonalcoholic cues, as well as their potential relationship with craving and severity of alcohol use. Results showed that, at the behavioural level, BDs rated alcohol-related images as more pleasant/attractive than non/low-drinkers. Furthermore, at the electrophysiological level, BDs exhibited increased beta-band FC-particularly in the fronto-parieto-occipital network-when processing alcoholic cues. Conversely, they displayed reduced theta-band FC relatively to non/low-drinkers for non-alcoholic images. These hyper-/hypo-connectivity patterns were associated with higher alcohol craving levels. Findings are congruent with previous neurofunctional studies reporting an attentional bias towards alcohol-related information in BDs. These results may have important clinical implications as this neural reactivity to alcoholic cues may contribute to the maintenance and/or escalation of the drinking pattern.Finally, the present study constitutes the first evidence showing that FC networks may be a sensitive indicator to alcohol attentional bias in BDs.

A scoping review of electroencephalographic (EEG) markers for tracking neurophysiological changes and predicting outcomes in substance use disorder treatment

“…In particular, beta reflects a top-down “status quo” signal maintaining endogenous rules or long-term “priors” regarding environmental stimuli and behaviors involved with binding of large scale sensorimotor networks (Engel and Fries, 2010 ; Spitzer and Haegens, 2017 ; Betti et al, 2021 ; Michail et al, 2022 ). There is also strong evidence for beta’s role in the genetic risk for AUD (Porjesz et al, 2002 ; Smit et al, 2018 ), binge drinking (Lees et al, 2019 ; Almeida-Antunes et al, 2022 ), and also in drug craving, e.g., in AUD (Huang et al, 2018 ) and MUD (Zhao D. et al, 2021 ), an important factor related to relapse (Serre et al, 2018 ; Stohs et al, 2019 ). Overall, dysregulated beta in SUD and its modification by abstinence or treatment, and its association with a range of neurocognitive processes, suggests that higher beta may serve as a marker of neurobehavioral deficits in motor and executive control, impulsivity, and endogenously-driven habits in SUD.…”

Forgetting Alcohol: A Double-Blind, Randomized Controlled Trial Investigating Memory Inhibition Training in Young Binge Drinkers

“…Studies using neuroimaging and electroencephalography (EEG) techniques have also revealed abnormalities in the neural correlates of attention and executive functioning related to BD ( Crego et al, 2012 ; Campanella et al, 2013 ; López-Caneda et al, 2013 ). Also, evidence from neurofunctional studies showed increased neural reactivity for alcohol-related information in young BDs ( Petit et al, 2013 , 2014 ; Brumback et al, 2015 ; Ryerson et al, 2017 ; Almeida-Antunes et al, 2022 ). The altered inhibitory control together with the augmented reactivity to alcoholic stimuli in BDs may constitute a risk factor for the development of alcohol dependence, since it may result in automatic action-tendencies to approach alcohol and difficulties to control alcohol intake ( Peeters et al, 2012 ; Lannoy et al, 2020 ).…”

Electrophysiological resting‐state hyperconnectivity and poorer behavioural regulation as predisposing profiles of adolescent binge drinking

“… 1 Such a pattern of alcohol misuse is particularly hazardous during adolescent neurodevelopment. 2 , 3 It causes substantial alterations in the brain's integrity, for example, in structural 4 , 5 and functional aspects, 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 as well as neuropsychological alterations, 10 and could also increase psychological traits such impulsivity and disinhibited sensation seeking. 10 …”