P300 assessment of opiate and cocaine users: Effects of detoxification and buprenorphine treatment

We assessed cognitive function following heroin and cocaine detoxification and investigated whether buprenorphine treatment improves the disruptive effects of detoxification. Three groups of male volunteers meeting DSM-III-R criteria for concurrent opiate and cocaine dependence were tested using an auditory oddball paradigm before and after detoxification, and again on the 15th day of either buprenorphine or placebo treatment. There were no significant differences in P300 amplitude, latency, or topographic distribution between drug-dependent subjects and controls on admission day. Following detoxification there was a significant decrease in P300 amplitude in the drug-dependent group at a time when self-reported signs of withdrawal were minimal. Buprenorphine treatment significantly reversed the P300 amplitude decrement following detoxification, whereas placebo-treated subjects continued to show depressed P300 amplitudes. These data demonstrate that buprenorphine treatment is effective in eliminating detoxification-induced impairments in one measure of cognitive ability