Error processing in heroin addicts: an event-related potential study

Abstract

Objective To investigate the relationship between impulsive behaviors and the error-related negativity (ERN) component of event-related potentials of error processing in heroin addicts. Methods Using the paradigms for psychological experiment, the Iowa gambling task (IGT) was performed both in heroin addiction group (HA group, 20 cases) and healthy control group (HC group, 20 cases) ,and the inspection of electroencephalography was underwent in all subjects concurrently. Following the collection of data, the amplitude and latency of ERN were compared between the two groups, and then the relationship between the amplitude of ERN and the scores of Barratt Impulsiveness Scale(BIS-11) was analyzed separately. Results Decision-making course had no effect on the net score remarkably in HA group(F=1.21, P>0.05). Compared with HC group(64.3±8.4, 73.8±16.4), BIS score as well as the numbers of high frequency loss cards were significantly higher in HA group(75.2±7.6, 105.5±22.2; t=-5.39, -9.24; P<0.05), while both the two groups had visible waveforms of ERN, and the amplitude was markedly lower in HA group(HA:(4.23±0.87) μV, HC:(6.11±1.09) μV; t=5.96, P<0.05), but no statistical difference was found in latency of these two groups(HC: (102.1±28.2) ms, HA: (107.8±24.2) ms; t=-0.62, P=0.54), and the amplitude of the two groups was negatively associated with BIS score respectively in both two groups (HC: r=-0.66, HA: r=-0.78; both P<0.05). Conclusion The reduced capability of error processing maybe partly contribute to both addiction and relapse to heroin addict, and the ERN event-related potential could be regarded as an indicator of impulsive behaviors and the capability error processing. Key words: Heroin dependence; Evoked potentials; Impulsive behavior; Neuropsychological tests