Likewise, we must include recent findings using event-related potentials (ERPs), a measure of brain function during cognitive engagement, to examine SG differences in heavy drinkers (Nixon et al., 2014; J. L. Smith, Iredale, & Mattick, 2016). In a study of female heavy drinkers, women exhibited impaired inhibitory processing and performance monitoring compared to less heavy drinkers. This was demonstrated on a stop-signal task with longer stop-signal reaction time, a larger P3 increase for successful vs. failed inhibition trials, and smaller error-related negativity (ERN) amplitude (J. L. Smith & Mattick, 2013; Janette L Smith & Mattick, 2014). When examining both women and men in the same task, longer stop-signal reaction times were related to heavy drinking in women only; SG differences were not significant for P3 or ERN amplitude (J. L. Smith et al., 2016). Thus, findings suggest that heavy drinking women may have both behavioral and physiologic deficits related to alcohol consumption and inhibitory processing, whereas men only demonstrate physiologic deficits. Such findings may have implications for alcohol-related disinhibition in the development of AUD. Further, using ERP in an alcohol
