Taken together, the electrophysiological findings suggest that an imbalance between excitation and inhibition (i.e., CNS disinhibition or hyperexcitability) may be involved in a predisposition to develop alcoholism. Alcoholics and people at risk for alcoholism manifest increased resting oscillations (e.g., theta, beta) and decreased “active” oscillations in the same frequency bands during cognitive tasks. Not only does this underlying CNS disinhibition appear to be involved in the predisposition toward alcoholism (Begleiter and Porjesz 1999), but it also is hypothesized that neuroelectric features related to CNS disinhibition may provide insights into the neurobiology of craving and relapse. The relationship between this underlying CNS hyperexcitability and the induction of alcohol abuse leading to alcohol dependence remains to be explained.
