Control cognitivo y sesgo al alcohol en jóvenes con consumo intensivo continuado: Cohorte Compostela (2005-2016).

Introduction: Heavy episodic drinking (HED) peaks around 20 years, then decline. However, some young people maintaining HED into adulthood, constituting a high-risk group for alcohol use disorders. Objective: Based on the dual-process model, determine if those maintaining HED show an imbalance between cognitive systems (lower executive abilities) and affective system (stronger alcohol bias), considering the moderating role of impulsivity. Method: 63 young people participated (31 women), selected according to their alcohol consumption trajectories (from 18 to 29 years old). During the last follow-up of the longitudinal study, work memory (SOPT), cognitive flexibility (TMT, verbal fluency), inhibition and attentional bias (Addiction Stroop), and impulsivity (BIS-11) were assessed. Results: A stable HED trajectory was associated with less inhibitory control (Stroop) and working memory (SOPT); and, at moderate levels of impulsivity (BIS-11), with greater cognitive bias to alcoholic stimuli. In addition, the bias correlated positively with the difficulty to stop drinking and the severity of the pattern according to the AUDIT. Conclusions: The imbalance between less cognitive control and stronger bias towards alcohol cues can contribute to the maintenance of the CIA pattern during adulthood.