An extensive body of research has associated altered inhibitory control to alcohol use disorders. Studies combining brain imaging and behavioral testing characterized altered cerebral responses to inhibitory control in alcohol misuse. Overall, the literature consistently supports decreased frontal functioning in association with impulsivity and risk taking in addicted and at-risk populations. For instance, compared to non-drinkers, adolescents who showed less cerebral responses to inhibitory control were more likely to become heavy drinkers (Wetherill et al., 2013). In individuals with diminished response inhibition, implicit associations between alcohol and positive affect/arousal predicted increased alcohol use and alcohol-related problems (Houben and Wiers, 2009). In our earlier studies, alcohol dependent patients demonstrated altered prefrontal cortical activations during response inhibition and anticipation of control (Hu et al., 2015; Li et al., 2009b). In another prospective study with follow-up for four years, impaired inhibitory control in the stop signal task predicts the development of alcohol dependence (Rubio et al., 2008). Indeed, impulsivity predicts not only heavier alcohol consumption but also alcohol-related mortality rates (Blonigen et al., 2011). Together, these studies support deficits in inhibitory control as a developing sign of drinking problems and an important characteristic of alcohol dependence (Leeman et al., 2014).
