Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 18, 2026
09:52
How to Find Effects of Stimulus Processing on Event Related Brain Potentials of Close Others when Hyperscanning Partners
Published on: May 31, 2018
8.1K
Sex-Specific Electrocortical Interactions in a Color Recognition Task in Men and Women with Opioid Use Disorder
Jo Ann Petrie1, Abhishek Trikha1, Hope L Lundberg1
1Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA.
Biomedicines
|December 30, 2025
Summary
This study reveals sex-specific differences in how men and women with opioid use disorder (OUD) process blue color, potentially linked to dopamine deficits. These findings suggest blue color perception could serve as a biomarker for OUD diagnosis and treatment monitoring.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
- Ophthalmology
Background:
- Opioid use disorder (OUD) presents a global health crisis, with men experiencing higher mortality rates.
- Previous research indicated sex-specific differences in electrocortical activity in individuals with OUD.
- The mesolimbic dopamine (DA) system, crucial in OUD, also influences visual attention and retinal processing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate sex-specific differences in electrocortical responses to color stimuli in individuals with and without OUD.
- To explore the relationship between color processing, dopamine function, and OUD.
- To determine if color processing can serve as a biomarker for OUD.
Main Methods:
- A controlled, cross-sectional study matched for age (18-56 years) compared male and female participants with OUD (n=38) and without OUD (n=37).
- Electroencephalogram (EEG) event-related potentials (ERPs) and reaction times (RT) were measured during a color recognition Go/No-Go task.
- Physiological, perceptual, and neuropsychological tests, including the Binocular Rivalry Test, were administered.
Main Results:
- Significant sex differences were observed in N200, P300, and late potential (LP) ERP amplitudes and latencies in non-OUD controls.
- Individuals with OUD showed distinct differences in ERPs, particularly with blue color stimuli.
- Male OUD subjects had shorter dwell times for blue stimuli perception, and significant sex and OUD differences emerged in neuropsychological tests.
Conclusions:
- Significant sex-related physiological, perceptual, and cognitive differences exist in color processing.
- These differences may stem from retinal dopamine deficits mirroring mesolimbic DA transmission deficits in OUD.
- Blue color processing shows potential as a biomarker for brain DA levels, aiding OUD diagnosis and treatment monitoring.
Keywords:
color vision processingdopamine (DA)electroencephalogram (EEG)event-related potentials (ERP)opioid use disorder (OUD)sex-related differencessubstance use disorder (SUD)visual attentionvisual evoked potential (VEP)More Related Videos
09:54Combining Laser Capture Microdissection and Microfluidic qPCR to Analyze Transcriptional Profiles of Single Cells: A Systems Biology Approach to Opioid Dependence
Published on: March 8, 2020
5.6K
09:14Exploring the Neural Correlates of Cognitive Reappraisal in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Using Task-based Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Published on: March 14, 2025
862
Related Concept Videos
01:19X-linked Traits
In most mammalian species, females have two X sex chromosomes and males have an X and Y. As a result, mutations on the X chromosome in females may be masked by the presence of a normal allele on the second X. In contrast, a mutation on the X chromosome in males more often causes observable biological defects, as there is no normal X to compensate. Trait variations arising from mutations on the X chromosome are called “X-linked”.
01:19Pigmentation
The color of the skin is influenced by a number of pigments, including melanin, carotene, and hemoglobin. Recall that melanin is produced by cells called melanocytes, which are found scattered throughout the stratum basale of the epidermis. The melanin is transferred to the keratinocytes via melanosomes.
Melanin occurs in two primary forms: eumelanin that provides black and brown pigment and pheomelanin that provides red color. Dark-skinned individuals produce more melanin than those with pale...
Melanin occurs in two primary forms: eumelanin that provides black and brown pigment and pheomelanin that provides red color. Dark-skinned individuals produce more melanin than those with pale...
01:14Changes in Skin Color: Clinical Perspectives
The first thing a clinician sees is the skin, so the examination of the skin should be part of any thorough physical examination. Most skin disorders are relatively benign, but a few, including melanomas, can be fatal if untreated. A couple of the more noticeable disorders, albinism and vitiligo, affect the appearance of the skin and its accessory organs.
Albinism
Albinism is a genetic disorder that affects (completely or partially) the coloring of skin, hair, and eyes. The defect is primarily...
Albinism
Albinism is a genetic disorder that affects (completely or partially) the coloring of skin, hair, and eyes. The defect is primarily...
01:22Photoreceptors and Visual Pathways
At the molecular level, visual signals trigger transformations in photopigment molecules, resulting in changes in the photoreceptor cell's membrane potential. The photon's energy level is denoted by its wavelength, with each specific wavelength of visible light associated with a distinct color. The spectral range of visible light, classified as electromagnetic radiation, spans from 380 to 720 nm. Electromagnetic radiation wavelengths exceeding 720 nm fall under the infrared category, whereas...
01:24Color Vision
Color perception begins in the retina, the light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye. Two main theories explain how colors are seen: the trichromatic theory and the opponent-process theory. The trichromatic theory, proposed by Thomas Young in 1802 and extended by Hermann von Helmholtz in 1852, suggests that color vision is based on three types of cone receptors in the retina. These cones are sensitive to different but overlapping ranges of wavelengths corresponding to red, blue, and green.
01:24Prosopagnosia
Prosopagnosia, also known as face blindness, is the inability to recognize faces. In severe cases, individuals with prosopagnosia may not recognize close family members, including parents and spouses, by their faces. For instance, someone with prosopagnosia might walk past their child in a crowd, only realizing their mistake upon noticing their child's distinctive backpack or favorite jacket. Prosopagnosia specifically impairs facial recognition, while the recognition of other objects or...