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Alcohol-related ERP changes recorded from different modalities: a topographic analysis
Howard L Cohen1, Jun Ji, David B Chorlian
1Department of Psychiatry, State University of New York, Health Science Center at Brooklyn (SUNY-HSCB), 450 Clarkson Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11203, USA.
Alcoholism, Clinical and Experimental Research
|March 30, 2002
Summary
Event-related potential (ERP) abnormalities in abstinent alcoholics differ between visual and auditory stimuli. Topographic analysis reveals modality-specific localization of these brain signal differences.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychophysiology
- Addiction Research
Background:
- Controversy exists regarding modality-specific event-related potential (ERP) abnormalities in abstinent alcoholics.
- Previous research has not clearly delineated whether ERP differences are unique to visual or auditory processing in this population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if ERP abnormalities in abstinent alcoholics are modality-specific.
- To utilize current source density (CSD) analysis to explore topographic brain differences between alcoholics and controls for each modality.
Main Methods:
- Collected data from 30 abstinent male alcoholics and 39 non-alcoholic males using auditory and visual oddball tasks.
- Employed 61 scalp electrodes and performed quantitative CSD mapping and ERP data analysis.
Main Results:
- Abnormalities were found in N1 and P3 components, with smaller visual N1 amplitudes in alcoholics.
- Alcoholics showed widespread P3 amplitude reductions across modalities, more pronounced posteriorly.
- CSD maps indicated weaker sources in alcoholics, with modality-specific topographic differences in frontal/central (auditory) and parietal/occipital (visual) regions.
Conclusions:
- Auditory ERP abnormalities in abstinent alcoholics may stem from anterior brain sources.
- Visual ERP abnormalities in abstinent alcoholics may originate from posterior brain sources.
- ERP topographic features are more sensitive than amplitude measures for detecting modality-specific effects in alcoholism.