Electroencephalographic Sleep And Mood During Cocaine Withdrawal

Abstract

We report on nine patients between the ages of 21 and 39 years who were admitted to an inpatient substance abuse treatment unit for cocaine treatment. The patients' sleep was studied in the laboratory for 4 nights during the first week, and 2 nights during the second and third weeks of their hospitalization. Daily mood ratings, cocaine craving scores and sleep logs were also recorded on each patient. During the first week of withdrawal, these patients had a markedly shortened REM latency, an increased REM sleep percentage, a very high REM density and a long total sleep period time. During the third week, REM latencies were very short and total percentage of REM sleep was increased. By week three of withdrawal the sleep continuity pattern was similar to that found in chronic insomnia, with a long sleep latency, an abnormally increased total time awake after sleep onset and a poor sleep efficiency. The subjects' ratings of cocaine craving, total POMS scores and depression fell precipitously after the first week of withdrawal and were at sub-clinical levels by week three of withdrawal.

Cognitive Performance by Humans During a Smoked Cocaine Binge-Abstinence Cycle

“…Across the binge-abstinence sequence, mean core sleep quality variables (sleep duration, efficiency and latency) changed significantly in the direction of poorer sleep replicating previous inpatient studies (39,40). Sleep effects on cognition are increasingly documented in the domains of vigilance, attention and psychomotor performance [e.g., Ref.…”

Gender Differences in the EEG of Abstinent Cocaine Abusers

“…Increased beta was observed in individuals with insomnia at rest before sleep onset [35] and during the sleep EEG [36]. Sleep disturbances including insomnia have been reported in cocaine abusers during withdrawal [37,38]. Thus, the EEG changes observed in the male cocaine abusers in the present study may reflect an underlying sleep disturbance.…”

Sleep quality deteriorates over a binge–abstinence cycle in chronic smoked cocaine users

“…efficiency and increased sleep propensity in the daytime multiple sleep latency test, has been reported in frequent cocaine users (Johanson et al 1999). REM rebound has also been reported during early abstinence (Kowatch et al 1992;Watson et al 1992;Gillin et al 1994;Lukas et al 1996;Johanson et al 1999). During later abstinence, however, cocaine abusers reportedly develop an insomnia-like pattern of chronic sleep disruption with extended sleep latency and poor sleep efficiency (Kowatch et al 1992;Johanson et al 1999).…”