In summary, our findings suggest that binge drinking is associated with abnormality in networks implicated in allocation of attention control and self-focused processes, which in turn have been implicated in rumination, craving, and relapse. However, the observed effect was relatively weak and was not significantly associated with change in the cognitive performance measures. On one hand, this lack of a connectivity-behavior correlation might reflect our failing to choose and test other, more relevant behavioral correlates of DMN-VAN connectivity for this study. On the other hand, it can also suggest that the effects of binge drinking on neural networks might occur prior to observable behavioral deficits. Future studies are needed to identify cognitive and functional connectivity changes as a function of heavier alcohol binge drinking over longer periods of time.
