Some aberrant components are obtained in subjects at risk for alcoholism, indicating that these ERP anomalies may antecede the development of alcoholism. The reduced P3 amplitude in high-risk subjects may serve as a marker for susceptibility to the development of alcoholism. However, a reduced P3 amplitude alone may not necessarily be specific for alcoholism. A cluster of ERP measures (P3, N400, VMP) suggests disinhibition of nerve cell firing and together may represent a more specific marker for a predisposition for alcoholism than reduced P3’s alone.
