Drug and Alcohol Dependence

BACKGROUND: Alcoholism is characterized by impaired decision-making (i.e., choosing intoxication in the face of mounting negative consequences). This impairment may involve a reduced brain response to the negative consequences of behavior, which supports an inclination to engage in risky behaviors. The feedback error-related negativity (F-ERN) is hypothesized to reflect the valence attached to the negative consequences of behavior. Performance on the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART) measures risk-taking propensity. We recorded F-ERNs during the BART and during a BART simulation, where individuals observed the rewards and consequences of (someone else’s) BART performance. METHODS: EEGs were recorded on 22 actively drinking, treatment-naïve alcoholics during the BART and BART simulation. F-ERNs were measured and their association with psychological and alcohol use measures was examined. RESULTS: F-ERNs over fronto-central electrode sites were observed to balloon pops in the BART and BART simulation. F-ERNs during the BART were more than twice the amplitude of F-ERNs during the BART simulation. Smaller F-ERN amplitudes from the BART (but not the BART simulation) were associated with a greater family history density of alcohol problems. CONCLUSION: The results suggest a possible link between the genetic vulnerability toward developing alcoholism and the brain’s response to the negative consequences of behavior.