Effect of cocaine-related environmental stimuli on the spontaneous electroencephalogram in polydrug abusers

Relationships between the spontaneous electroencephalogram (EEG), self-reports of cocaine craving, and cerebral glucose metabolism, determined using 2-[18F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose and positron emission tomography, were assessed during the presentation of either neutral or cocaine-related environmental stimuli. In cocaine users but not non-drug-abusing controls, EEG power in the alpha1 and alpha2 frequency bands was significantly lowered during presentation of the drug-related stimuli when compared with the neutral test session. Decreases in alpha1 power were negatively correlated with increases in global glucose metabolism but were not correlated with either the time course or the magnitude of craving throughout the 30-min test session. Although EEG desynchronization is related to global brain metabolism, the difference in the time courses between EEG power and craving suggests that self-reports of cue-elicited cocaine craving do not simply reflect increases in the state of cortical arousal.