Emotional crossmodal integration (i.e., multisensorial decoding of emotions) is a crucial process that ensures adaptive social
behaviors and responses to the environment. Recent evidence suggests that in binge drinking—an excessive alcohol consumption
pattern associated with psychological and cerebral deficits—crossmodal integration is preserved at the behavioral level. Although
some studies have suggested brain modifications during affective processing in binge drinking, nothing is known about the
cerebral correlates of crossmodal integration. In the current study, we asked 53 university students (17 binge drinkers, 17
moderate drinkers, 19 nondrinkers) to perform an emotional crossmodal task while their behavioral and neurophysiological
responses were recorded. Participants had to identify happiness and anger in three conditions (unimodal, crossmodal congruent,
crossmodal incongruent) and two modalities (face and/or voice). Binge drinkers did not significantly differ from moderate
drinkers and nondrinkers at the behavioral level. However, widespread cerebral modifications were found at perceptual
(N100) and mainly at decisional (P3b) stages in binge drinkers, indexed by slower brain processing and stronger activity.
These cerebral modifications were mostly related to anger processing and crossmodal integration. This study highlights higher
electrophysiological activity in the absence of behavioral deficits, which could index a potential compensation process in binge
drinkers. In line with results found in severe alcohol-use disorders, these electrophysiological findings show modified anger
processing, which might have a deleterious impact on social functioning. Moreover, this study suggests impaired crossmodal
integration at early stages of alcohol-related disorders.