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Published on: August 11, 2015
Increased Delta Connectivity Within Brain Networks Predicts Adherence to an rTMS-Based Treatment Program in Cocaine
Elena De Rossi1, Luis J Gómez Pérez2, Stefano Cardullo2,3
1Experimental and Applied Psychology Laboratory, Department of Health and Life Sciences, European University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
Objective:
We investigated the association between the adherence to a repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS)-based treatment program and resting-state (RS) functional connectivity within two large-scale networks (i.e., the frontoparietal network [FPN] and the default mode network [DMN]) in a sample of patients with cocaine use disorder (CUD; N = 33; 32 males).
Method:
Before starting the treatment protocol, each participant underwent a psychopathological assessment and an RS electroencephalography (EEG) recording. EEG connectivity analysis was performed using the exact Low-Resolution Brain Electromagnetic Tomography (eLORETA) software, comparing dropout patients (i.e., treatment program abandonment within 3 months) and adherence patients.
Results:
Compared with the dropout group, the adherence group showed increased pre-treatment delta connectivity within the FPN (T = 4.562, p = .010, Cohen's d = 0.819) and the DMN (T = 4.045, p = .036, Cohen's d = 0.726). Multivariable Cox proportional hazard models showed that both DMN (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.41, p = .015) and FPN connectivity data (HR = 0.54, p = .007) were significantly related to prolonged treatment adherence. Increased functional connectivity within the FPN decreased the probability of dropout during the first 12 weeks of treatment (odds ratio = 0.36, p = .019).
Conclusions:
Our results may reflect enhanced goal-driven cognitive integration in adherent patients. Providing effective neurophysiological predictors of treatment outcomes, such as relapse and dropout, could allow the timely implementation of additional support measures for CUD patients.
