Cocaine Increases Sensorimotor Gating and is Related to Psychopathy.

OBJECTIVE

Prepulse inhibition regulates sensorimotor gating and is a marker of vulnerability to certain disorders. We compared prepulse inhibition, psychopathy, and sensitivity to punishment and reward in patients with cocaine-related disorder without psychiatric comorbidities and a control group.

METHODS

This was an observational study of a sample of 22 male cases with cocaine-related disorder and 22 healthy male controls. We used the Psychiatric Research Interview for Substance and Mental Disorders and Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview; the Sensitivity to Punishment and Sensitivity to Reward Questionnaire; and the Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy Scale and Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised. Prepulse inhibition was evaluated at 30, 60, and 120 ms.

RESULTS

Cocaine-related disorder group had a higher overall score ( = 12.556, = .001) and primary psychopathy score ( = 3.750, = .001) on Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy Scale, a higher score on both Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised factors, sensitivity to rewards ( = 3.076, = .005) and prepulse inhibition at 30 ms ( = 2.859, = .008).

CONCLUSIONS

Cocaine use in patients without psychiatric comorbidities seems to increase sensorimotor gating. Therefore, these patients likely have an increased sensitivity to rewards, causing them to focus more on cocaine-boosting stimuli, thus explaining the psychopathic traits of these individuals.