Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1959.3/212739

Title

The acute effects of d-amphetamine and d-methamphetamine on ERP components in humans

Author(s)

Silber, B.;  Croft, R.;  Camfield, D. A.;  Downey, L. A.;  Papafotiou, K.;  Stough, C.

Abstract

While a number of behavioural studies have been conducted to investigate the acute effects of amphetamines on tasks of attention and information processing, there is currently a scarcity of research concerning their electrophysiological effects in healthy adults. It is also unclear as to whether amphetamines exert effects on stimulus evaluation or response selection. In two studies, independent groups of twenty healthy illicit stimulant users aged between 21 and 32 years were administered 0.42 mg/kg d-amphetamine versus placebo, and 0.42 mg/kg d-methamphetamine versus placebo respectively, and completed an auditory oddball task on two separate testing days. A 62-channel EEG was recorded during the completion of the task, and the effects of amphetamines on N200 and P300 ERP components were analysed. d-amphetamine significantly decreased reaction time, improved accuracy, and reduced the latency of the P300 component relative to placebo, while having no effect on the N200 component. d-methamphetamine had no effect on reaction time, accuracy or the P300 component, but reduced the amplitude of the N200 component, relative to placebo. It was concluded that there is tentative support to suggest that d-amphetamine at a dose of 0.42 mg/kg may enhance speed of information processing while d-methamphetamine at a dose of 0.42 mg/kg may reflect changes to stimulus evaluation.

Publication type

Journal article

Research centre

Swinburne University of Technology. Faculty of Life and Social Sciences. Centre for Human Psychopharmacology

Source

European Neuropsychopharmacology, Vol. 22, no. 7 (Jul 2012), pp. 492-500

Publication year

2012

FOR Code(s)

11 Medical and Health Sciences;  17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences

Keyword(s)

D-amphetamine;  D-methamphetamine;  Event-related potentials;  Information processing;  Working memory

Publisher

Elsevier

ISSN

0924-977X

Publisher URL

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.euroneuro.2011.11.009

Copyright

Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Research Projects

Roadside saliva based testing for amphetamine-type stimulants in drivers: an evaluation of the relationship between positive drug tests and driving impairment after the consumption of methamphetamine and MDMA, Australian Research Council grant number DP0772762

Additional information

The authors acknowledge support from VicRoads, Melbourne, Australia.

Peer reviewed