title: Altered social and non-social decision-making in recreational and dependent cocaine users.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Maladaptive decision-making is assumed to be a core feature of cocaine addiction. Indeed, numerous studies have reported deficits in non-social decision-making tasks and reward-related impulsivity in dependent cocaine users. However, social decision-making has not been examined in cocaine users yet. Moreover, it is unknown if even recreational and non-dependent cocaine use is linked to decision-making deficits. Therefore, we investigated whether recreational and dependent cocaine users exhibit alterations in social and non-social decision-making.
  
  
  METHODS
  The performance of healthy controls (n = 68), recreational cocaine users (n = 68) and dependent cocaine users (n = 30) in classical decision-making paradigms (Iowa Gambling Task, Delay Discounting) and in social interaction paradigms (Distribution Game, Dictator Game) was assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Decisions in the social interaction tasks of both cocaine user groups were more self-serving compared with controls as cocaine users preferred higher monetary payoffs for themselves. In the Iowa Gambling Task, only dependent cocaine users were more likely to choose disadvantageous card decks, reflecting worse decision-making. They were also more likely to choose immediate smaller rewards over larger delayed rewards in the Delay Discounting task.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results imply that both recreational and dependent cocaine users are more concerned with their own monetary gain when interacting with another person. Furthermore, primarily dependent cocaine users are less foresighted and more impulsive regarding immediate reward. Overall, social interaction deficits are already present in recreational users, while non-social decision-making deficits occur predominantly in dependent cocaine users. Thus, social interaction training and cognitive remediation strategies may improve treatment success and quality of life in cocaine dependence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Hulka
authors.affiliation: Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Eisenegger
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Preller
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vonmoos
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jenni
authors.affiliation: Department of Economics, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bendrick
authors.affiliation: Institute of Legal Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Baumgartner
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Seifritz
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: B B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Quednow
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016578:Crack Cocaine / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000032:analysis; D003657:Decision Making / Q000187:drug effects*; D065786:Delay Discounting / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D016578:Crack Cocaine