Event Abstract Back to Event The impact of initiating binge drinking on psychophysiological indices of emotional arousal in young adults Meryem Joseph1*, Jacqueline A. Rushby1, Janette L. Smith1 and Katie Dalton1 1 University of New South Wales, Australia Aims: Abnormalities in emotion and arousal are associated with alcohol abuse and dependence. Less is known about the effects of binge drinking, particularly among the still developing brains of young adults and it is not clear whether abnormalities predate or follow initiation of alcohol use. Therefore, the aim of this longitudinal study was to examine the effect of initiating binge drinking on emotional arousal among university students via electroencephalogram (EEG). Method: Eighteen Participants (10 Males) aged 17-25 viewed film clips containing pleasant, unpleasant and neutral content whilst arousal levels (indexed by EEG alpha power) and valence ratings were measured. Emotional empathy (Balanced Emotional Empathy Scale, BEES) and trait impulsivity (Barrett Impulsivity Scale, BIS-11) were also assessed. Participants were tested prior the onset of binge drinking and then again approximately 3 months later. Results: Pre-existing psychophysiological differences between groups were revealed at baseline in the absence of behavioural and psychological differences. That is, high expectant drinkers (all of whom later transitioned into binge drinkers) exhibited greater alpha suppression (higher arousal; increased sensitivity) to unpleasant versus pleasant content relative to low expectant drinkers. Although no major changes were established from baseline to follow-up, additional subtle topographic alterations were observed following transition into binge drinking. Namely, relative to non-binge drinking controls, commencing binge drinkers exhibited reduced sensitivity to unpleasant versus pleasant content, evident in the posterior region of the brain. Conclusions: This study indicates that cortical vulnerabilities exist prior to commencement of heavy alcohol use and may lead to changes in emotion-related cortical activity. This has important implications for improving prevention programs targeting at risk individuals. Keywords: binge drinking, emotional arousal, emotional processing, pre-existing deficits, Empathy, Impulsive Behavior, Longitudinal Conference: Australasian Society for Psychophysiology, Inc, Coffs Harbour, Australia, 26 Nov - 28 Nov, 2014. Presentation Type: Poster Topic: Psychophysiology Citation: Joseph M, Rushby JA, Smith JL and Dalton K (2014). The impact of initiating binge drinking on psychophysiological indices of emotional arousal in young adults. Conference Abstract: Australasian Society for Psychophysiology, Inc. doi: 10.3389/conf.fnhum.2014.216.00032 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 14 Oct 2014; Published Online: 02 Dec 2014. * Correspondence: Miss. Meryem Joseph, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia, meryem.joseph@hotmail.com Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Meryem Joseph Jacqueline A Rushby Janette L Smith Katie Dalton Google Meryem Joseph Jacqueline A Rushby Janette L Smith Katie Dalton Google Scholar Meryem Joseph Jacqueline A Rushby Janette L Smith Katie Dalton PubMed Meryem Joseph Jacqueline A Rushby Janette L Smith Katie Dalton Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.