Cocaine Polydrug Use and its Impact on Intentional Harm Recognition: A High-Density EEG Study

Abstract

Abstract Cocaine and stimulant consumption constitute a significant problem worldwide related to impaired social skills. The link between illegal substance abuse and social cognition is not well understood. Intentional harm recognition is a social cognitive capability referring to the ability to determine whether a harmful action performed by another person is deliberate or accidental. The present study examined self-reported, behavioral, and neural responses associated with intentional harm in n=19 cocaine polydrug users (COC) and n=19 healthy controls (HC). Using high-density electroencephalography (hdEEG), brain activity was measured during an intentional inference task (IIT), which assesses fast intention recognition regarding deliberate or unintentional harm to people and objects. Behaviourally, COC exhibited slower RT than HC. ERP analysis showed late frontal differences associated with attributing intentional harm in HC but not COC. Finally, these findings may potentially indicate a shift towards emotional over-involvement and away from rational cognitive assessment of social information. The present results provide a new perspective on social-cognitive skills among cocaine polydrug users, suggesting that work in training socio-emotional regulation may be of clinical benefit.