RT Journal Article
T1 Executive functioning and alcohol binge drinking in university students
A1 Parada Iglesias, María
A1 Corral Varela, María Montserrat
A1 Mota Miranda, Nayara Graciella
A1 Crego Barreiro, Manuel Alberto
A1 Rodríguez Holguín, Socorro
A1 Cadaveira Mahía, Fernando
K1 Binge drinking
K1 Alcohol
K1 University students
K1 Adolescent development
K1 Executive functions
K1 Prefrontal cortex
K1 Neuropsychology
K1 Consumo intensivo de alcohol
K1 Estudantes universitarios
K1 Desenvolvemento adolescente
K1 Funcións executivas
K1 Córtex prefrontal
K1 Neuropsicoloxía
AB Background: Binge drinking (BD) is prevalent among college students. Studies on alcoholism have shown that the prefrontal cortex is vulnerable to the neurotoxic effects of alcohol. The prefrontal cortex undergoes both structural and functional changes during adolescence and young adulthood. Sex differences have been observed in brain maturation and in alcohol-induced damage. The objective of the present study was to analyze the relationship between BD and cognitive functions subserved by the prefrontal cortex in male and female university students. Methods: The sample comprised 122 undergraduates (aged 18 to 20 years): 62 BD (30 females) and 60 non-BD (29 females). Executive functions were assessed by WMS-III (Backward Digit Span and Backward Spatial Span), SOPT (abstract designs), Letter Fluency (PMR), BADS (Zoo Map and Key Search) and WCST-3. Results: BD students scored lower in the Backward Digit Span Subtest and generated more perseverative responses in the SOPT In relation to interaction BD by sex, BD males scored lower in the Backward Digit Span test than BD females and non-BD males. Conclusions: BD is associated with poorer performance of executive functions subserved by the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. The results do not support enhanced vulnerability of women to alcohol neurotoxic effects. These difficulties may reflect developmental delay or frontal lobe dysfunction.
PB Elsevier
SN 0306-4603
YR 2012
FD 2012
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10347/17892
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10347/17892
LA eng
NO Parada M; Corral M; Mota N; Crego A; Rodríguez Holguín S; Cadaveira F (2012). Executive functioning and alcohol binge drinking in university students. Addictive Behaviors, 37, 167–172
NO This research was financially supported by Consellería de Innovación e Industria of Xunta de Galicia, grant number PGIDIT05CS021103PR and INCITE08PXIB211015PR, by Plan Nacional sobre Drogas of Ministerio de Salud y Consumo of Spain, grant number 2005/PN014, and by Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación of Spain, grant number EDU2008-03440
DS Minerva
RD 24 abr 2026