Quantitative EEG Changes in Cocaine Withdrawal: Evidence for Long-Term CNS Effects

Abstract

Quantitative EEG changes were studied during cocaine withdrawal in 36 subjects. All subjects had used cocaine orally (n = 28) or intravenously (n = 8) within 48 h of admission to an inpatient unit. EEGs were recorded 2 and 6 days following admission. Nine subjects returned for a 1-month follow-up EEG. Modal EEG frequency significantly decreased on day 6 compared to day 2. The most dramatic change in both absolute and relative power from day 2 to day 6 was a decrease in the beta2 (18–26 Hz) band. Those subjects who returned for the 4-week follow-up showed a further decrease in beta2 power. Power in the beta2 band was significantly greater for the intravenous users than for the smokers, and the decrease in power from day 2 to day 6 was also significantly greater in this group. While acute effects of cocaine on the EEG have been reported to last only several hours, this study indicates that chronic use may cause longer lasting neuroadaptive changes, particularly in those who have used cocaine intravenously.

Topographic Imaging of Quantitative EEG in Response to Smoked Cocaine Self-Administration in Humans

“…Our group, and others, have reported excess alpha activity (Alper et al, 1990;Lukas, 1991;Herning et al, 1994;Roemer et al, 1995;Prichep et al, 1996a) and decreased delta activity (Alper et al, 1990;Noldy et al, 1994;Roemer et al, 1995;Prichep et al, 1996a, b), while others have reported increased beta power (Herning et al, 1985(Herning et al, , 1997Noldy et al, 1994) in cocaine-dependent patients, recorded in eyes closed, resting conditions. The qEEG abnormalities, primarily found in anterior cortical regions, were shown to correlate with the amount of prior cocaine use (Prichep et al, 1996a;Herning et al, 1997;Roemer et al, 1995).…”

EEG Biofeedback as a Treatment for Substance Use Disorders: Review, Rating of Efficacy and Recommendations for Further Research

“…This was replicated in subsequent studies with a larger number of participants (Alper, 1999;Alper, Chabot, Kim, Prichep, & John, 1990;Alper, Prichep, Kowalik, Rosenthal, & John, 1998;Costa & Bauer, 1997;Herning et al, 1985;Noldy, Santos, Politzer, Blair, & Carlen, 1994;Prichep, Alper, Kowalik, & Rosenthal, 1996;Prichep et al, 1999;Prichep et al, 2002;Roemer et al, 1995). Beside beta effects, studies have reported an increase in delta activity (Herning et al, 1985) and frontal alpha activity (Herning, Glover, Koeppl, et al, 1994), whereas others have reported an increase in alpha wave EEG associated with bursts of cocaine-induced euphoria (Lukas, 1991).…”

“…A number of specific qEEG abnormalities have been described as specific to suspected neurotoxicities associated with chronic stimulant abuse. These studies (Alper et al, 1990;Noldy et al, 1994;Prichep et al, 1996;Roemer et al, 1995;Trudeau, Thuras, & Stockley, 1999) based on reasonably uniform abstinence times and employing different EEG technology and analytical approaches, have produced remarkably similar findings of alpha relative amplitude excess with delta relative amplitude deficit that is striking. Excess alpha amplitude with slowing of alpha frequency associated with chronic cannabis abuse has been reported (Struve et al, 1998).…”

“…More recently, researchers have begun analyzing qEEG profiles of cocainedependent patients using the spectral power of each primary bandwidth over the different topographic cortical areas. Excess alpha activity (Alper et al, 1990;Herning, Glover, Koeppl, et al, 1994;Lukas, 1991;Prichep et al, 1996) and decreased delta activity (Alper et al, 1990;Noldy et al, 1994;Prichep et al, 1996;Roemer et al, 1995) have been reported, whereas others have reported increased beta power (Herning, Glover, Koeppl, et al, 1994;Herning et al, 1985;Noldy et al, 1994) in cocaine-dependent patients, recorded in eyes closed, resting conditions. The qEEG abnormalities, primarily found in anterior cortical regions, were shown to correlate with the amount of prior cocaine use (Herning, Glover, & Guo, 1994;Prichep et al, 1996;Roemer et al, 1995;Venneman et al, 2006).…”

“…Persons who are cocaine dependent are cortically underaroused during protracted abstinence (Roemer et al, 1995). QEEG changes, such as a decrease in high beta (18-26 Hz) power are typical for withdrawal from cocaine (Noldy et al, 1994). Cocaine abusers who are still taking this drug often show low amounts of delta and excess amounts of alpha and beta activity (Alper, 1999;Prichep et al, 1999), whereas chronic methamphetamine abusers usually exhibit excessive delta and theta activity .…”