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Binge drinking may lead to brain damage. The aim of the present study was to compare the cognitive abilities of binge and non-binge drinkers in tasks which test functions linked to discrete areas of the prefrontal cortex.

Non-binge and binge drinkers were identified according to their binge score derived from the Alcohol Use Questionnaire. Cognitive performance was tested with the Spatial Working Memory task (SWM) linked to the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, Intra/Extradimensional Shift and reversal task (IED) linked to dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (shift) and to orbitofrontal cortex (reversal), Paired Associates Learning task (PAL) linked to temporal cortex, and Reaction Time Task (RTI) a task measuring motor impulsivity (Inferior frontal gyrus). Personality traits, alcohol outcome expectancies and mood were also evaluated.

Binge drinkers recorded a significantly shorter …