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01-01-2014 | Research Article

Increased response conflict in recreational cocaine polydrug users

Authors: Roberta Sellaro, Bernhard Hommel, Lorenza S. Colzato

Published in: Experimental Brain Research | Issue 1/2014

Abstract

Recent studies suggest that recreational use of cocaine is associated with significant impairments in the same cognitive control functions that are affected by chronic use. Here we tested whether recreational cocaine use can impact the emergence and resolution of response conflict in conflict-inducing tasks. Recreational cocaine polydrug users (n = 17) and cocaine-free controls (n = 17), matched for sex, age, intelligence, and alcohol consumption, performed a Simon task—which is known to induce response conflict. Recreational users showed a larger Simon effect, indicating that they had more difficulty resolving stimulus-induced response conflict. This finding is consistent with the recent literature showing that even small doses of cocaine are sufficient to compromise key cognitive control functions.

It must be said that different stop-signal paradigms might be differentially sensitive in detecting group differences. Thus, specific factors such as the kind of stimuli or signals used, the number of blocks or trials administered, the probability of go trials occurrence as well as pre-existing group differences in RT could account for this discrepancy.

It is worth noting that although the Simon effect can occur in terms of RT, PE, or both, the effect in terms of RT is the most important (and reliable) one (see Lu and Proctor 1995; Hommel 2011, for a review).

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Title: Increased response conflict in recreational cocaine polydrug users
Authors: Roberta Sellaro
Bernhard Hommel
Lorenza S. Colzato
Publication date: 01-01-2014
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in: Experimental Brain Research / Issue 1/2014
Print ISSN: 0014-4819
Electronic ISSN: 1432-1106
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-013-3724-9

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Increased response conflict in recreational cocaine polydrug users

Abstract

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

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Abstract

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