The aims of this study were to examine the late components of the auditory event-related potentials (AERPs), i.e. N100, P200 and P300, in recently detoxified alcohol-dependent patients compared to normal controls and to investigate whether there is a relationship between alterations in these AERPs and signs of activation of the inflammatory response system (IRS). The study subjects consisted of 14 healthy volunteers and 14 recently detoxified alcohol-dependent patients. All subjects performed a two-tone auditory discrimination task, using a standard ‘oddball’ paradigm. The alcohol-dependent patients had their blood sampled to examine IRS markers, such as erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), serum copper concentrations and the number of leukocytes. The P300 latency was significantly greater in recently detoxified alcohol-dependent patients than in normal controls. There were significant correlations between the P300 latency and the ESR (r = 0.84, p = 0.009), serum copper concentrations (r = 0.73, p = 0.01) and number of monocytes (r = 0.71, p = 0.006). It is concluded that the P300 latency is prolonged in detoxified, chronic alcohol-dependent patients and is positively related to indicators of IRS activation. It is hypothesized that activation of the IRS may play a role in the delayed P300 latency in recently detoxified, alcohol-dependent patients.
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