Despite increasing awareness of the harmful consequences of binge drinking (BD), the underlying mechanisms, especially at the neurophysiological level, have yet to be fully elucidated. The main aim of the present research was to investigate the functional dynamics of the salience network (SN) in individuals with BD during the resting state using electroencephalography (EEG). Forty-seven college students who engage in BD and 71 controls were enrolled. EEG data were analyzed using exact Low-Resolution Electromagnetic Tomography (eLORETA) software. Compared to controls, individuals who engage in BD showed increased beta connectivity between the right insula and the left supramarginal gyrus (T = 3.927, p = 0.008). This connectivity pattern was also positively associated with BD severity (rho= 0.424, p < 0.001), even after controlling for potential confounding variables (i.e., age, sex, educational level, cannabis use severity, daily number of cigarettes, and general level of psychopathology). This neural configuration may reflect enhanced connectivity between interoceptive and attentional-control circuits, resulting in increased neural sensitivity to internal and external alcohol-related cues.

The Detachment and Compartmentalization Inventory (DCI) is a valid and reliable self-report instrument that assesses these two distinct forms of dissociative symptoms. However, there is limited research on the cross-cultural validation of the DCI. Therefore, this study aimed to develop an Italian translation of the DCI and examine its internal structure and psychometric properties (including internal consistency, convergent validity, and test-retest reliability) within an Italian-speaking community sample. The sample consisted of 1276 adults (887 females; mean age: 29.57 ± 10.96 years), who completed the DCI and other self-report measures evaluating dissociative experiences and childhood trauma. Confirmatory factor analyses supported the original two-factor model (χ²₁₆₉ = 1312.80, RMSEA = 0.073, 95%CI 0.069-0.077; CFI = 0.94; TLI = 0.94; SRMR = 0.04). Additionally, the DCI exhibited good internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and convergent validity with another measure of dissociation. The study also confirmed the association between DCI scores and the severity of childhood trauma. Finally, a Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis demonstrated that the DCI effectively distinguishes individuals who screened positively for dissociative disorders. Overall, these findings indicate that the Italian translation of the DCI possesses satisfactory psychometric properties, suggesting its utility as a screening tool for assessing detachment and compartmentalization experiences.

Objectives. Identity disturbance and instability in Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) are associated with impairments in the integration of emotional autobiographical memory (EAM). At the neurophysiological level, it has been suggested that EAM dysfunction may be linked with functional connectivity (FC) alterations of the salience network (SN). Despite this, evidence in adolescents with BPD remains scarce, especially under task-related conditions. Therefore, we investigated SN electroencephalography (EEG) FC in adolescents with BPD during the resting-state condition (RS) and during two EAM tasks (i.e., happiness- and fear-related). Methods. A total of 24 female adolescents with BPD and 15 healthy controls underwent RS and task-related EEG recording. All participants were also assessed for BPD and related clinical dimensions. EEG FC analyses in the SN were performed using exact Low-Resolution Brain Electromagnetic Tomography (eLORETA) software. Results. Compared to controls, BPD patients exhibited reduced theta SN connectivity during RS. This hypo-connectivity pattern was positively correlated with all BPD-related dimensions (i.e., emotional dysregulation, impulsiveness, dissociative symptoms, and childhood trauma). Furthermore, compared to the RS, during the listening of fear-related memories, BPD patients showed an increase in delta SN connectivity. This hyper-connectivity pattern was negatively correlated with the self-reported vividness of recall. Conclusions. While decreased SN theta connectivity may be a common neural marker of traumatic disintegration, increased SN delta connectivity may indicate a neural correlate of suppression/avoidance of negative memories.