Electrophysiological Responses to Emotional and Cocaine Cues Reveal Individual Neuroaffective Profiles in Cocaine Users

Authors

Heather E Webber
Constanza de Dios
Margaret C Wardle
Robert Suchting
Charles E Green
Joy M Schmitz
Scott D Lane
Francesco Versace

Publication Date

10-1-2023

Journal

Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology

Abstract

Smokers with stronger neuroaffective responses to drug-related cues compared to non-drug-related pleasant images (C>P) are more vulnerable to compulsive smoking than individuals with the opposite brain reactivity profile (P>C). However, it is unknown if these neurobehavioral profiles exist in individuals abusing other drugs. We tested whether individuals with cocaine use disorder (CUD) show similar neuroaffective profiles to smokers. We also monitored eye movements to assess attentional bias toward cues and we further performed exploratory analyses on demographics, personality, and drug use between profiles. Participants with CUD (n=43) viewed pleasant, unpleasant, cocaine, and neutral images while we recorded electroencephalogram. For each picture category, we computed the amplitude of the late positive potential (LPP), an event-related potential component that reflects motivational relevance. k-means clustering classified participants based on their LPP responses. In line with what has been observed in smokers, clustering participants using LPP responses revealed the presence of two groups: one with larger LPPs to pleasant images compared to cocaine images (P>C) and one group with larger LPPs to cocaine images compared to pleasant images (C>P). Individuals with the C>P reactivity profile also had higher attentional bias toward drug cues. The two groups did not differ on demographic and drug use characteristics, however individuals with the C>P profile reported lower distress tolerance, higher anhedonia, and higher posttraumatic stress symptoms compared to the P>C group. This is the first study to report the presence of these neuroaffective profiles in individuals with CUD, indicating that this pattern may cut across addiction populations.

Keywords

Cocaine, Cues, Emotions, Evoked Potentials, Humans, Smokers, addiction, attentional bias, event-related potentials, late positive potential

Comments

Supplementary Materials

PMID: 33630644