Objective: To explore the correlation between brain event-related potentials (ERPs) and psychiatric symptoms in patients with amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) dependence.
Method: Using Galileo Sirius 32-channels digital-evoked potential system, we measured the auditory P300 ERP in 40 ATS dependence subjects and 30 normal controls, respectively. Symptom Checklist 90 (SCL-90) was used to rate the psychiatric symptoms in the subjects.
Results: In ATS dependence subjects, the latency of N2, latency of P3, and inter-peak latency of P2-N2 were significantly longer than those in controls, respectively (P < 0.05). The amplitude of P300 in ATS dependence subjects was significantly lower than that in controls (P < 0.01). Besides, significantly lower amplitude of P3 and longer latency of P3 were found in ATS dependence subjects suffering from psychiatric symptoms than those without psychotic symptoms (P < 0.05). Furthermore, in ATS dependence subjects, the latency of N2 was negatively correlated with the scores of anxiety factor (r = -0.366) and paranoid ideation factor of SCL-90; the latency of P3 negatively correlated with the scores of psychoticism (r = -0.430) and somatization (r = -0.397) factor; also, the amplitude of P3 was negatively correlated with the score ofpsychoticism factor (r = -0.486).
Conclusions: These findings suggest cognitive dysfunction may be one of results of ATS dependence.