Binge drinking: a neurocognitive profile

Abstract

Binge Drinking (BD) is a highlighted topic on current research, possibly due to its intrinsic integration of biological and social health concerning vulnerabilities. Especially prevalent during adolescence, a neurodevelopmental period marked by accentuated social relevance on decisions, BD has an underestimated financial, social and health cost. Described as the consumption of high quantity of alcohol in a short period of time, BD has shown to be related to differential brain activity and neuropsychological performance. Thus, there is growing scientific evidence reporting a wide range of neurocognitive impairments in adolescents and young people with a BD pattern, involving especially cognitive processes such as attention, executive functions, and learning and memory. However, the potential mid and long-term effects of BD remain unclear, so further studies should be conducted to elucidate the evolution of this neurocognitive profile, as well as to provide a more precise estimation of its reflection on the social functionality of binge drinkers. Therefore, the aim of the proposed chapter is to provide an updated scientific comprehension of BD neurocognitive profile, complemented by a discussion of some aspects related to it. Firstly, a definition and description of the binge drinking phenomena will be conducted. Secondly, it will be presented a review about neurodevelopment on adolescence and youth, period in which BD episodes are more common, followed by the principal outcomes about BD observed in animal studies. Then, a comprehension of neurostructural impact of BD, as well as a description of neurocognitive profile associated to BD will be offered, mentioning neurofunctional and neuropsychological consequences of this alcohol consumption pattern. Finally, future perspectives will be proposed, considering the evolution of BD neurocognitive profile and its related aspects.