Joint Modulation of Postural and Neural Correlates in Response to Motivational Images in Non-Clinical Drinkers

Approach or avoidance behaviors toward appetitive stimuli, such as alcohol and food, reflect the engagement of motivational states that are fundamental to adaptation of human behavior. Investigating early motor or neural responses to these stimuli provides valuable insights into the underlying mechanisms of these behaviors. This study employed an integrative approach combining postural and electrophysiological measures to explore the impact of alcohol consumption levels on early postural and neural responses to visual alcohol and food stimuli. The objective was to identify early automatic markers of approach or avoidance, and to examine correlations between motor and neural responses. Forty-six participants were divided into two groups (“Low” and “High”) according to their level of alcohol consumption (AUDIT scores). They were exposed to images of alcoholic beverages, non-alcoholic beverages, and appetitive or neutral foods. Postural responses were recorded using a force platform, and brain activity was measured via EEG. Displacement of the center of pressure along the anteroposterior axis, as well as the P100 and N100 components, were analyzed. “High” participants exhibited greater anterior postural displacement in response to alcohol during the first two seconds of stimulus exposure. In contrast, “Low” participants showed early avoidance responses. Significant correlations were found between event-related potential (ERP) wave latencies and postural displacement during the first second of exposure to alcohol-related stimuli. AUDIT scores were also positively correlated with early postural displacement and N100 latency following the viewing of alcoholic beverage images. Early perceptual and motor responses are modulated by alcohol consumption habits. These findings support the value of integrative EEG–posture approaches for identifying implicit motivational markers.