Impaired inhibitory control contributes to the development, maintenance, and relapse of alcohol-dependence, but the neural correlates of this deficit are still unclear. Because inhibitory control has been labeled as an executive function, most studies have focused on prefrontal areas, overlooking the contribution of more "primary" structures, such as the motor system. Yet, appropriate neural inhibition of the motor output pathway has emerged as a central aspect of healthy behavior. Here, we tested the hypothesis that this motor inhibition is altered in alcohol-dependence. Neural inhibitory measures of motor activity were obtained in 20 detoxified alcohol-dependent (AD) patients and 20 matched healthy subjects, using a standard transcranial magnetic stimulation procedure whereby motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) are elicited in a choice reaction time task. Moreover, behavioral inhibition and trait impulsivity were evaluated in all participants. Finally, the relapse status of patients was assessed 1 year after the experiment. As expected, AD patients displayed poorer behavioral inhibition and higher trait impulsivity than controls. More importantly, the MEP data revealed a considerable shortage of neural motor inhibition in AD patients. Interestingly, this neural defect was strongest in the patients who ended up relapsing during the year following the experiment. Our data suggest a strong motor component in the neural correlates of altered inhibitory control in AD patients. They also highlight an intriguing relationship with relapse and the perspective of a new biomarker to follow strategies aiming at reducing relapse in AD patients.

中文翻译：

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酒精依赖性抑制作用不足：让我们考虑一下运动系统的作用！

抑制控制受损会促进酒精依赖的发生，维持和复发，但尚不清楚这种缺陷的神经相关性。因为抑制控制已被标记为执行功能，所以大多数研究都集中在前额叶区域，而忽略了诸如运动系统等更多“主要”结构的贡献。然而，适当的神经抑制运动输出途径已成为健康行为的重要方面。在这里，我们测试了这种运动抑制在酒精依赖性中改变的假设。在20位解毒的酒精依赖（AD）患者和20位匹配的健康受试者中获得了运动抑制的神经抑制措施，使用标准的经颅磁刺激程序，从而在选择反应时间任务中诱发运动诱发电位（MEP）。此外，对所有参与者的行为抑制和特质冲动进行了评估。最后，在实验后一年评估患者的复发状态。如预期的那样，AD患者比对照组表现出较差的行为抑制和较高的性冲动。更重要的是，MEP数据显示，AD患者的神经运动抑制能力明显不足。有趣的是，该神经缺陷在实验后一年内复发的患者中最强。我们的数据表明，AD患者抑制控制改变的神经相关因素中有很强的运动成分。