Self-reported alcohol and nicotine use and the ability to control occipital EEG in a biofeedback situation

Forty college-aged males, identified as either users or non-users of alcohol and nicotine, underwent four, 40-min eyes-closed occipital alpha (8–13 Hz, 10μV) biofeedback sessions over a 4-week period. One-half of the subjects attempted to enhance their alpha density while the other half attempted to suppress it. Analyses of the alpha control scores indicated that non-users of alcohol and nicotine were superior to users of these substances in the self-regulation of occipital alpha density. The possibility that individuals with poor cortical regulatory ability might be predisposed to use such cortically active substances as alcohol and nicotine was discussed, as were several limitations of the present data.