As EROs represent the basic mechanisms of neural communication during cognitive tasks, they provide links to associative and integrative brain functions [121] that can be used to investigate normal brain function, as well as dysfunction in clinical and subclinical conditions. While relatively few studies have implemented EROs to study alcoholism, they have been used to examine several groups: 1) individuals affected with alcohol dependence, 2) unaffected offspring and relatives of alcoholics who are at high risk to develop alcoholism, 3) subjects under the direct effect of alcohol on the brain. Studies have examined several ERO measures including evoked, induced, and total power [122,123] in alcoholism [99,122,124-127]. Thus, EROs provide useful tool to investigate brain dysfunction in alcoholism, and to tease apart those that are a consequence of alcoholism, and those involved in a predisposition to develop alcoholism. Furthermore, they provide powerful quantitative endophenotypes that have successfully been used to identify genes.
