Alcohol-dependent individuals exhibit altered neural responses related to reward and impulsivity. They show reduced activation in the ventral striatum during non-alcohol-related reward tasks but increased activation when exposed to alcohol cues. Impaired activation is also observed in brain regions involved in behavioral control, such as the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, during tasks assessing response inhibition and risk-taking. Individual differences in neural activation are related to externalizing symptoms, psychopathology, and affect. These findings suggest shared vulnerabilities between disruptive/antisocial behavior disorders and alcohol use disorders, indicating common dysfunction across related conditions.