Association between error‐related negativity and binge drinking trajectories in two independent youth samples

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Error processing, measured via the error-related negativity (ERN), has been associated with alcohol use disorder (AUD); however, most studies investigating this link have been cross-sectional examinations of adult samples. A key empirical question remains regarding whether the ERN represents a risk factor for AUD, a consequence of heavy drinking or the result of a simultaneously occurring third variable (e.g. anxiety). The present study compared baseline ERN amplitude across model-derived drinking frequency classes to evaluate the nature of this association. DESIGN: Longitudinal multisession cohort study of two independent at-risk adolescent samples across a 2-year tracking period. SETTING: University laboratories at the University of Illinois at Chicago and The Ohio State University, United States. PARTICIPANTS/CASES: Adolescents and young adults aged 16-19 years (M = 18.26, SD = 0.82, 67.9% female) with minimal alcohol exposure and established risk factors for AUD, recruited in two independent samples (n = 110; n = 164). MEASUREMENTS: ERN amplitude was measured at baseline using a modified flanker task. Participants self-reported drinking behavior over the past 90 days at baseline and every 3 months up to 24 months post-baseline. Latent class mixed model analyses were performed to classify trajectories of drinking behavior and a multi-variate generalized linear model was conducted to examine the associations with class and ERN activity. RESULTS: = 0.05). Associations remained statistically significant after accounting for relevant covariates (anxiety, age, sex). SUMMARY: Blunted error-related negativity amplitude appears to be associated with subsequent increases in binge drinking frequency over time.