Association between aperiodic activity and impulsivity in individuals with methamphetamine use disorder

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Addiction Research
• Psychophysiology

Background:

• Methamphetamine use disorder (MUD) is a significant public health issue linked to impulsivity.
• Traditional EEG analysis in MUD has produced inconsistent results, possibly due to conflating periodic and aperiodic neural activity.
• Aperiodic EEG activity, reflecting neural excitation/inhibition (E/I) balance, is a potential indicator of addiction-related neural disruptions, but its role in MUD impulsivity is unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate aperiodic EEG activity in individuals with MUD.
• To determine the correlation between aperiodic EEG parameters and impulsivity in MUD.
• To explore the potential of aperiodic EEG components as biomarkers for behavioral dysregulation in addiction.

Main Methods:

• Recruited 47 male MUD patients and 41 healthy male controls for resting-state EEG recording.
• Utilized the FOOOF algorithm to decompose EEG signals and extract aperiodic components (exponent and offset).
• Assessed impulsivity using the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11) and other clinical measures.

Main Results:

• MUD patients exhibited significantly reduced aperiodic exponent and offset compared to controls.
• Both aperiodic parameters negatively correlated with impulsivity scores (BIS-11 total).
• Reduced aperiodic activity also correlated with longer duration of methamphetamine use.

Conclusions:

• Decreased aperiodic activity in MUD suggests an underlying E/I imbalance, potentially linked to dopaminergic dysfunction.
• Aperiodic EEG components show promise as biomarkers for impulsivity and behavioral dysregulation in addiction.
• These findings highlight the transdiagnostic importance of E/I balance in impulse control disorders.