A study of reactive inhibition and event related potential in patients with alcohol dependence

Objective To explore the reactive inhibition and electrophysiological changes under the GO/NOGO paradigm in patients with alcohol dependence (AD) in order to provide a theoretical basis for neuromechanism study of AD executive dysfunctions. Methods The GO/NOGO paradigm event related potentials (ERP) were tested in 51 AD patients and 29 healthy controls, this paradigm behavior and ERP - N1, N2 and P3 latency and amplitude were analyzed. ERPs and execution functions were followed at different time points of withdrawal(4, 9, 13 weeks). Results The number of correct responses (29.18±3.03)lowered and error responses (5.16±3.77)heightened in AD patients, and differences had statistical significance compared with those in control group(32.35±2.58, 3.19±1.84, P<0.05), and there was no group difference in response time.There was no statistical significance in group difference in N1 component under the GO/NOGO tasks and in P3 latency under GO.N2 ((3.48±2.21)μV, (4.49±3.00)μV) and P3 amplitude ((3.47±2.31)μV, (3.92±4.09)μV) decreased and N2 latency ((256.30±31.62)ms, (256.09±33.77)ms) prolonged in AD group under both GO/NOGO tasks and so did P3 latency ((355.33±25.96)ms) under the NOGO, and the differences had statistical significance.Group main effects in N2 and P3 component (P=0.000) and task main effects in N2 amplitude and P3 latency (P<0.05) were significant, group and task interaction was significant only in P3 latency (P<0.01). ERPs of AD patients had no notable changes at different time points of withdrawal, executive dysfunctions were the worst within the 1st week of withdrawal and gradually recovered to pre-withdrawal levels. Conclusion AD patients have lower reactive inhibition manifested mainly by weakened capacity to inhibit and adjust conflict monitor and pre-executive motor program, ERP and executive functions cannot be well improved during short-term withdrawal, and the GO/NOGO-ERP can completely reflect electrophysiological changes of reactive inhibition process of AD patients. Key words: Alcohol dependence; Reactive inhibition; Event-related potential; Amplitude; Latency