Electrophysiological correlates of performance monitoring in binge drinking: impaired error-related but preserved feedback processing

Objective: Performance monitoring, which allows efficient behavioral regulation using
either internal (error processing) or external (feedback processing) cues, has not yet
been explored in binge drinking despite its adaptive importance in everyday life,
particularly in the regulation of alcohol consumption. Capitalizing on a theoretical
model of risky behaviors, the present study aimed at determining the behavioral and
electrophysiological correlates of the cognitive (inhibition) and motivational (reward
sensitivity) systems during performance monitoring.
Methods: Event-related potentials were recorded from 20 binge drinkers and 20 nonbinge
drinkers during two experimental tasks, a speeded Go/No-Go Task
[investigating internal error processing by Error-Related Negativity (ERN) and error
positivity (Pe)] and a Balloon Analogue Risk Task [investigating external feedback
processing by Feedback-Related Negativity (FRN) and P3].
Results: While no group differences were observed at the behavioral level,
electrophysiological results showed that binge drinkers, despite having intact
feedback-related components, presented modified error-monitoring components (i.e.
larger ERN amplitude, delayed Pe latency).
Conclusions: Internal performance monitoring is impaired in binge drinkers, showing
an abnormal automatic processing of response errors (ERN) and a decreased
processing of their motivational significance (Pe).
Significance: These results suggest that the electrophysiological correlates of
inhibitory control allow identifying the specific binge drinking consumption pattern.