| Drug of Abuse |
Measure |
Outcome |
Comment |
Reference |
| Alcohol |
qEEG and LORETA mapping |
Increase in absolute and relative beta power and a decrease in alpha and delta/theta power. |
Detoxified patients compared to normal controls |
Saletu et al.[.5] |
| Alcohol |
EEG |
Subjects with family history have reduced relative and absolute alpha power in occipital and frontal regions and increased relative beta in both regions. |
Family history of alcoholism compared no family history |
Finn and Justus [6] |
| Alcohol |
EEG |
Alcoholics differ in resting EEG coherence having lower frontal alpha and slow –beta coherence in males and females. |
Heavy drinkers compared to light drinkers |
Kaplan et al. [7] |
| Alcohol |
EEG |
In alcohol –dependent subjects found higher central alpha and slow –beta coherence, but lower parietal alpha and slow –beta coherence in males. |
Alcohol -dependent compared to controls |
Michael et al.[8] |
| Alcohol |
EEG |
Higher left-temporal alpha and slow beta coherence and higher slow-beta coherence at right –temporal and frontal electrode pairs in alcoholic males and females. |
Alcohol -dependent compared to controls |
Winterer et al. [9] |
| Alcohol |
EEG |
Moderate to heavy drinking is associated with differences in synchronization of brain activity during rest and mental rehearsal. Heavy drinkers displayed a loss of hemispheric asymmetry of EEG synchronization in the alpha and slow –beta band. Moderately and heavy drinking males also showed lower fast-beta band synchronization. |
Comparison of moderate –heavy to Heavy drinking |
De Bruin et al. [10] |
| Marijuana |
EEG |
Acute THC exposure produced transient increases in either posterior alpha power, decreases in mean alpha frequency or increase in alpha synchrony and decrease in relative power of beta. |
Acute effects of THC |
Struve et al. [11] |
| Marijuana |
qEEG |
Significant association between chronic marijuana use and topographic qEEG patterns of persistent “ alpha hyperfrontality” as well as reductions in alpha mean frequency. There was also elevated voltage of all non-alpha bands in chronic marijuana users. Finally there was a widespread decrease in the relative power of delta and beta activity over the frontal cortical regions in chronic marijuana users. |
Chronic effects of THC exposure. |
Struve et al. [12] |
| Heroin |
qEEG |
Qualitative changes were observed in more than 70% of heroin addicts in early abstinence and included low-voltage background activity with diminution of alpha rhythm , an increase in beta activity , and a large amount of low amplitude delta and theta waves in central regions. Also frequency shifts in fast alpha range at the frontal and central recording sites and a slowing of slow wave alpha mean frequency at the central, temporal, and occipital sites of recording heroin abusers who used heroin for at least 18 months. |
Acute withdrawal |
Polunia and Davydov et al. 13] |
| Heroin |
qEEG |
Abstinent alcoholics have an enhanced fast beta power compared to healthy controls. |
Alcoholics compared to healthy controls |
Franken et al. [14] |
| Heroin |
EEG |
Elevated synchrony within beta frequency during short term heroin withdrawal may reflect a state of CNS activation toward reward –seeking behavior, with this being a prerequisite to relapse among opiate drug dependent patients. |
Polydrug abusers with emphasis on heroin abuse. |
Bauer et al. [15] |
| Cocaine |
EEG |
Acute effects of cocaine include increase in beta activity, increase in delta, increase in frontal alpha as well as an increase in alpha wave EEG associated with bursts of cocaine –induce euphoria. |
Human studies |
Prichep et al. [16]
Alper[17] |
| Cocaine |
qEEG |
During protracted abstinence from cocaine qEEG effects include long-lasted increases in alpha and beta bands together with reduced activity in delta and theta bands. |
Several studies reported similar effects on withdrawal. |
Roemer et al. [18] |
| Cocaine |
qEEG |
Cocaine produced a rapid increase in absolute theta, alpha and beta power over the prefrontal cortex, up to 25 minutes after drug administration. The increase in theta power was correlated with a positive drug high, and the increase in alpha power was correlated with anxiety. Also an increase in delta coherence over the prefrontal cortex correlated with nervous energy. |
qEEG profiles in cocaine-dependent patients in response to an acute, single-blind, self –administered dose of smoked cocaine base (50 mg) versus placebo. |
Reid et al. [19] |
| Cocaine |
qEEG |
Changes occur 5-14 days after last reported crack cocaine use induced changes in brain function. These changes lasted up to six months. |
Subjects with cocaine dependence have persistent changes in brain function |
Venneman et al. [20] |
| Cocaine |
qEEG |
qEEG techniques demonstrate an association between beta activity in the spontaneous EEG and relapse in cocaine abuse. |
qEEG changes associate with relapse |
Ceballos et al. [21] |
