Deficient fear recognition in regular cocaine users is not attributable to elevated impulsivity or conduct disorder prior to cocaine use

Morgan, MJ; Marshall, J. P.

doi:10.1177/0269881113477708

Cited by 24 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…As hypothesized, and consistent with previous studies, 2, 3, 10, 53 we show that cocaine dependence is associated with impaired recognition of fearful facial expressions and may also extend to another threat-related expression—anger. In contrast to previous research, we reveal the important influence of intelligence on facial threat recognition and the related variations in anatomical brain structure.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

“…59, 60, 61 However, prior research in stimulant drug users has not investigated the influences of intelligence on fear recognition performance. 2, 3, 4 Therefore, we used the National Adult Reading Test to estimate pre-morbid (not current) intellectual ability, 62 revealing a potential relationship between IQ and fear recognition in CDIs. Given that stimulant drugs have been shown to enhance facial emotion recognition, 63 it is tempting to speculate whether fear recognition impairments might impact the risk of cocaine abuse in individuals with low IQ.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…1 Chronic abuse of stimulant drugs like cocaine and amphetamines has repeatedly been shown to selectively impair the recognition of fear in others 2, 3, 4 —an important social cue that signals immediate threat 5 —and this failure can lead to maladaptive behavior and social difficulties. 6 Yet the relationship between stimulant drug dependence, impairments in fear recognition and social behavior remains elusive.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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In the face of threat: neural and endocrine correlates of impaired facial emotion recognition in cocaine dependence

et al. 2015

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The ability to recognize facial expressions of emotion in others is a cornerstone of human interaction. Selective impairments in the recognition of facial expressions of fear have frequently been reported in chronic cocaine users, but the nature of these impairments remains poorly understood. We used the multivariate method of partial least squares and structural magnetic resonance imaging to identify gray matter brain networks that underlie facial affect processing in both cocaine-dependent (n=29) and healthy male volunteers (n=29). We hypothesized that disruptions in neuroendocrine function in cocaine-dependent individuals would explain their impairments in fear recognition by modulating the relationship with the underlying gray matter networks. We found that cocaine-dependent individuals not only exhibited significant impairments in the recognition of fear, but also for facial expressions of anger. Although recognition accuracy of threatening expressions co-varied in all participants with distinctive gray matter networks implicated in fear and anger processing, in cocaine users it was less well predicted by these networks than in controls. The weaker brain-behavior relationships for threat processing were also mediated by distinctly different factors. Fear recognition impairments were influenced by variations in intelligence levels, whereas anger recognition impairments were associated with comorbid opiate dependence and related reduction in testosterone levels. We also observed an inverse relationship between testosterone levels and the duration of crack and opiate use. Our data provide novel insight into the neurobiological basis of abnormal threat processing in cocaine dependence, which may shed light on new opportunities facilitating the psychosocial integration of these patients.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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In the face of threat: neural and endocrine correlates of impaired facial emotion recognition in cocaine dependence

et al. 2015

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“…The present results test this hypothesis in the social domain and extend previous reports of deficits in social cognition of CUs (13,(31)(32)(33)(34). Indeed, basal social mechanisms such as JA abilities had not been investigated in drug users so far.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

Functional changes of the reward system underlie blunted response to social gaze in cocaine users

Preller

Herdener

Schilbach

et al. 2014

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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Social interaction deficits in drug users likely impede treatment, increase the burden of the affected families, and consequently contribute to the high costs for society associated with addiction. Despite its significance, the neural basis of altered social interaction in drug users is currently unknown. Therefore, we investigated basal social gaze behavior in cocaine users by applying behavioral, psychophysiological, and functional brain-imaging methods. In study I, 80 regular cocaine users and 63 healthy controls completed an interactive paradigm in which the participants' gaze was recorded by an eye-tracking device that controlled the gaze of an anthropomorphic virtual character. Valence ratings of different eye-contact conditions revealed that cocaine users show diminished emotional engagement in social interaction, which was also supported by reduced pupil responses. Study II investigated the neural underpinnings of changes in social reward processing observed in study I. Sixteen cocaine users and 16 controls completed a similar interaction paradigm as used in study I while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging. In response to social interaction, cocaine users displayed decreased activation of the medial orbitofrontal cortex, a key region of reward processing. Moreover, blunted activation of the medial orbitofrontal cortex was significantly correlated with a decreased social network size, reflecting problems in real-life social behavior because of reduced social reward. In conclusion, basic social interaction deficits in cocaine users as observed here may arise from altered social reward processing. Consequently, these results point to the importance of reinstatement of social reward in the treatment of stimulant addiction. joint attention | reinforcement | social cognition | dopamine | social functioning

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“…Here, we applied SDT to analyses of FER in cocaine users after LCE and cocaine administration. Given evidence of decreased fear recognition in non-intoxicated cocaine users (Morgan and Marshall, 2013, Kemmis et al, 2007) and some findings indicating that recent cocaine use may normalize non-social neuropsychological function in cocaine users (Spronk et al, 2013, Woicik et al, 2009), we hypothesized that cocaine would increase accuracy of fear recognition. An increase in recognition of threat-related emotions such as fear would also be consistent with reports of transient suspiciousness after cocaine (Sherer et al, 1988, Kalayasiri et al, 2006, Mooney et al, 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of levodopa-carbidopa-entacapone and smoked cocaine on facial affect recognition in cocaine smokers

et al. 2016

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In addition to difficulties in daily social functioning, regular cocaine users have decrements in social processing (the cognitive and affective processes underlying social behavior) relative to non-users. Little is known, however, about the effects of clinically-relevant pharmacological agents, such as cocaine and potential treatment medications, on social processing in cocaine users. Such drug effects could potentially alleviate or compound baseline social processing decrements in cocaine abusers. Here, we assessed the individual and combined effects of smoked cocaine and a potential treatment medication, Levodopa-Carbidopa-Entacapone (LCE), on Facial Emotion Recognition (FER) in cocaine smokers. Healthy non-treatment-seeking cocaine smokers (N = 14; 2 female) completed this 11-day inpatient within-subjects study. Participants received LCE (titrated to 400mg/100mg/200mg BID) for 5 days with the remaining time on placebo. The order of medication administration was counterbalanced. FER was measured twice during target LCE dosing and twice on placebo: once without cocaine and once after repeated cocaine doses. LCE increased the response threshold for identification of facial fear, biasing responses away from fear identification. Cocaine had no effect on FER. Results highlight the possibility for candidate pharmacotherapies to have unintended impacts on social processing in cocaine users, potentially exacerbating already existing difficulties in this population.

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Deficient fear recognition in regular cocaine users is not attributable to elevated impulsivity or conduct disorder prior to cocaine use

Cited by 24 publications

References 38 publications

In the face of threat: neural and endocrine correlates of impaired facial emotion recognition in cocaine dependence

In the face of threat: neural and endocrine correlates of impaired facial emotion recognition in cocaine dependence

Functional changes of the reward system underlie blunted response to social gaze in cocaine users

Effects of levodopa-carbidopa-entacapone and smoked cocaine on facial affect recognition in cocaine smokers

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