Distinct Alpha Connectivity Patterns During Response Inhibition in Alcohol Use Disorder

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a chronic condition characterized by the inability to control drinking despite experiencing harmful consequences. However, the extent to which excessive alcohol consumption alters the dynamics within the inhibitory control network remains unclear. This study investigates the neurophysiological mechanisms of directed connectivity in alpha and theta frequency bands between cortical regions involved in the interplay between automated and controlled processes during inhibitory control in individuals with mild to moderate AUD. The results indicate that individuals with AUD and healthy controls engage different connectivity networks and direct information transfer mechanisms during response inhibition, especially based on the automaticity of the response contexts. When faced with high demands for inhibitory control, the AUD group exhibits significant differences in directional alpha connectivity in key brain regions associated with the inhibition control network. Additionally, when processing conflicting stimulus information, the AUD group shows enhanced connectivity from the medial prefrontal cortex to early visual processing areas. This highlights an alpha modulatory mechanism that effectively suppresses irrelevant perceptual information. In contrast to alpha, theta seems to play a lesser role in the response inhibition functions of individuals with AUD, as only healthy controls show dynamic neural communication between the prefrontal, temporal, and medial posterior regions. Overall, the study suggests that individuals with AUD engage in a dynamic transfer of information within the alpha frequency band across distinct neural networks depending on the response context during inhibitory control. This might be particularly relevant for understanding the altered inhibitory control associated with this disorder.