Cocaine use and the mid-latency auditory evoked responses

To examine the effects of chronic cocaine use on the mid-latency auditory e voked responses (MLAERs), we recorded the evoked responses of 15 cocaine-de pendent subjects and 13 age-matched healthy control subjects. Two evoked re sponse paradigms were used: a trains paradigm with four different inter-sti mulus intervals (ISIs) and a paired-click paradigm. Our data suggest that c ocaine-dependent subjects generate smaller P50 components when long ISIs ar e used with multiple repetitions (in the trains paradigm). In a single repe tition paradigm (paired clicks), a significant decrease in the ability to a ttenuate the N100 component was seen in the cocaine-dependent subjects. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.