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Event-related potentials indicate motivational relevance of cocaine cues in abstinent cocaine addicts

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Abstract

Rationale

Motivational drive and its underlying affect-related states are the core mechanisms that precede the seeking and taking of drugs in substance dependence.

Objective

The present study aimed to investigate the motivational relevance of cocaine cues and whether or not an appetitive emotional system is involved employing event-related potential (ERP) measurements.

Methods

Cocaine-addicted subjects and healthy controls were exposed to neutral and cocaine-related pictures whilst ERPs were recorded simultaneously over frontal, parietal and midline sites.

Results

Patients exhibited ERP amplitude discrepancies between neutral and cocaine-related pictures for N300, late slow positive wave (LSPW) and sustained slow positive wave (SSPW), whilst this effect was absent in control subjects. Differences in neutral and cocaine cue-evoked ERP waves were also found at left frontal sites for LSPW and SSPW in the patient group only. No group-specific cue-evoked ERP amplitudes were observed at parietal and midline sites.

Conclusion

The findings confirm the assumption that cocaine cues induce motivational relevance in cocaine-dependent individuals. It is possible that exposure to cocaine cues triggers an appetitive emotional system since left frontal sites are assumed to be involved in processing positive emotional-laden stimuli. The present study provides evidence that the sensitivity of ERP correlates for cocaine cues may be an indicator of motivational and emotional processes in drug-dependent individuals.

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Notes

  1. IAPS photograph numbers were: 2190, 2200, 2210, 2214, 2280, 2312, 2372, 2383, 2440, 2480, 2518, 2575, 2580, 5120, 5390, 5510, 5535, 5731, 6150, 7000, 7002, 7009, 7010, 7020, 7025, 7030, 7031, 7040, 7050, 7060, 7080, 7090, 7130, 7150, 7160, 7170, 7175, 7184, 7187, 7217, 7233, 7491 and 7705. Other photographs were used, although not reported.

  2. Channels used: Fp1, Fp2, F7, F8, F3, F4, T3, T4, C3, C4, T5, T6, P3, P4, O1, O2, Fz, Cz, and Pz.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by grant 985-10-005 of the Dutch Organization for Scientific Research (NWO). We would like to thank the clients and control members for their participation in the present study and Andre den Breejen for his technical assistance.

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Correspondence to Vincent M. Hendriks.

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van de Laar, M.C., Licht, R., Franken, I.H.A. et al. Event-related potentials indicate motivational relevance of cocaine cues in abstinent cocaine addicts. Psychopharmacology 177, 121–129 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-004-1928-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-004-1928-1

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