One of the most well-replicated neural endophenotypes for alcohol misuse is the parietal target/oddball P3 event-related potential (ERP). P3 is elicited between 300 and 700 ms by detection of rare targets in a series of nontargets and is a neural correlate of signal matching and decision making (Iacono & Malone, 2011). Larger target/oddball P3 amplitudes reflect efficient information processing (Li et al., 2020), but individuals with AUD, their unaffected offspring, and relatives are shown to manifest low target/oddball P3 amplitudes (Begleiter et al., 1984; Hill et al., 1999; Porjesz et al., 2005). Low P3 amplitude in childhood is a marker of risk for later AUD; however, it is not specific to AUD but encompasses other externalizing disorders as well.
