Abnormal EEG synchronisation in heavily drinking students.
OBJECTIVE
In alcoholics, grey and white brain matter is damaged. In addition, functional brain connectivity as measured by EEG coherence is abnormal. We investigated whether heavily drinking students, although drinking for a shorter period than alcoholics, already show differences in functional connectivity compared to light-drinking controls.


METHODS
EEG was recorded in 11 light and 11 heavy male student drinkers during eyes closed, and eyes closed plus mental rehearsal of pictures. Functional connectivity was assessed with the Synchronisation Likelihood method.


RESULTS
Heavily drinking students had more synchronisation in the theta (4-8 Hz) and gamma (30-45 Hz) band than lightly drinking students during eyes closed, both with and without a mental-rehearsal task.


CONCLUSIONS
Heavy student drinkers have increases in EEG synchronisation that are indicative of changes in hippocampal-neocortical connectivity.


CONCLUSIONS
Heavy student drinkers show differences in functional connectivity as compared to their lightly drinking counterparts, even though they have a relatively short drinking history.
Department of Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, Sorbonnelaan 16, NL-3584 CA Utrecht, The Netherlands. e.a.debruin@pharm.uu.nl
Eveline A
EA
de Bruin
Suzanne
S
Bijl
Cornelis J
CJ
Stam
Koen B E
KB
Böcker
J Leon
JL
Kenemans
Marinus N
MN
Verbaten
D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002032:Bulimia; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D019579:Neocortex / Q000166:cytology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009434:Neural Pathways; D012907:Smoking; D013334:Students; D013826:Theta Rhythm