Abstract
The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is a critical component of the mediofrontal neural circuit that serves to monitor ongoing processing in the cognitive system for signs of erroneous outcome. Here we show that the consumption of alcohol in moderate doses induces a significant deterioration of the capacity to detect the activation of erroneous responses, as reflected in the amplitude of brain electrical activity associated with the ACC. This impairment was accompanied by failures to instigate performance adjustments subsequent to these errors. These findings offer insights in how the effects of alcohol on mediofrontal brain function may result in compromised performance. (Author/publisher)