Neurometric QEEG studies of crack cocaine dependence and treatment outcome

This paper presents an overview of the quantitative electrophysiological (QEEG) research on cocaine dependence conducted at Brain Research Laboratories of New York University Medical Center. These studies have demonstrated that subjects with DSM-III-R cocaine dependence (without dependence on any other substance) evaluated in the withdrawal state, have replicable abnormalities in brain function when evaluated at baseline (approximately 5 to 10 days after last crack cocaine use (1,2) which are still seen at one and six month follow-up evaluations. These abnormalities were characterized by significant excess of relative alpha power and deficit of absolute and relative delta and theta power Abnormalities were greater in anterior than posterior regions, and disturbances in interhemispheric relationships were also observed. In addition, QEEG subtypes were identified within the population of cocaine dependent subjects at baseline, and these subtypes were found to be significantly related to subsequent length of stay in treatment. The relationship between these QEEG findings and the neuropharmacology of cocaine dependence is discussed.