Neurophysiological and Psychophysiological Effects of Sulpiride in the Norm and in Patients with Opiate Addiction

Abstract

We studied characteristics of the EEG activity and psychophysiological indices in healthy persons and patients with opiate addiction (in the states of abstinence and remission) before and after peroral introduction of 200 mg sulpiride. In the initial state, spectral characteristics of EEG in patients with opiate addiction differed from those in the control (in healthy tested subjects) by higher relative powers of low- and high-frequency components (delta and beta waves) and a considerable depression of the alpha rhythm. Treatment with sulpiride evoked changes in the spectral characteristics of EEG, which showed a significant intergroup specificity; intensification of alpha oscillations was a general effect in all groups. We conclude that the effects of sulpiride on the EEG activity comprised components typical of both neuroleptics and antidepressants; in the group of patients in the abstinence state, the pattern of effects of sulpiride was close in its profile to the effect of anxiolytics. Dynamics of the indices of psychophysiological testing after sulpiride treatment demonstrated that the drug exerts mostly positive regulating effects on the state of higher nervous functions in patients with opiate addiction.