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 non-binge 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.