Parada Iglesias, MaríaCorral Varela, María MontserratMota Miranda, Nayara GraciellaCrego Barreiro, Manuel AlbertoRodríguez Holguín, SocorroCadaveira Mahía, Fernando2018-12-062018-12-062012Parada 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, 167–1720306-4603http://hdl.handle.net/10347/17892Background: 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.eng© 2012 by Elsevier. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/Binge drinkingAlcoholUniversity studentsAdolescent developmentExecutive functionsPrefrontal cortexNeuropsychologyConsumo intensivo de alcoholEstudantes universitariosDesenvolvemento adolescenteFuncións executivasCórtex prefrontalNeuropsicoloxíajournal article10.1016/j.addbeh.2011.09.0151873-6327open access