title: Brain potentials predict substance abuse treatment completion in a prison sample.
abstract: National estimates suggest that up to 80% of prison inmates meet diagnostic criteria for a substance use disorder. Because more substance abuse treatment while incarcerated is associated with better post-release outcomes, including a reduced risk of accidental overdose death, the stakes are high in developing novel predictors of substance abuse treatment completion in inmate populations.
  
  
  
  Using electroencephalography (EEG), this study investigated stimulus-locked ERP components elicited by distractor stimuli in three tasks (VO-Distinct, VO-Repeated, Go/NoGo) as a predictor of treatment discontinuation in a sample of male and female prison inmates. We predicted that those who discontinued treatment early would exhibit a less positive P3a amplitude elicited by distractor stimuli.
  
  
  
  Our predictions regarding ERP components were partially supported. Those who discontinued treatment early exhibited a less positive P3a amplitude and a less positive PC4 in the VO-D task. In the VO-R task, however, those who discontinued treatment early exhibited a more negative N200 amplitude rather than the hypothesized less positive P3a amplitude. The discontinuation group also displayed less positive PC4 amplitude. Surprisingly, there were no time-domain or principle component differences among the groups in the Go/NoGo task. Support Vector Machine (SVM) models of the three tasks accurately classified individuals who discontinued treatment with the best model accurately classifying 75% of inmates. PCA techniques were more sensitive in differentiating groups than the classic time-domain windowed approach.
  
  
  
  Our pattern of findings are consistent with the context-updating theory of P300 and may help identify subtypes of ultrahigh-risk substance abusers who need specialized treatment programs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Clinical and Translational Science Center The University of New Mexico Albuquerque New Mexico.
authors.forename: Brandi C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Fink
authors.affiliation: Intramural Research Program Neuroimaging Research Branch National Institute of Drug Abuse National Institutes of Health Baltimore Maryland; The Mind Research Network and Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Institute Albuquerque New Mexico; Department of Psychology The University of New Mexico Albuquerque New Mexico.
authors.forename: Vaughn R
authors.initials: VR
authors.lastname: Steele
authors.affiliation: The Mind Research Network and Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Institute Albuquerque New Mexico; Department of Psychology The University of New Mexico Albuquerque New Mexico.
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Maurer
authors.affiliation: The Mind Research Network and Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Institute Albuquerque New Mexico; Department of Psychology The University of New Mexico Albuquerque New Mexico.
authors.forename: Samantha J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Fede
authors.affiliation: The Mind Research Network and Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Institute Albuquerque New Mexico; Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering The University of New Mexico Albuquerque New Mexico.
authors.forename: Vince D
authors.initials: VD
authors.lastname: Calhoun
authors.affiliation: The Mind Research Network and Lovelace Biomedical and Environmental Research Institute Albuquerque New Mexico; Department of Psychology The University of New Mexico Albuquerque New Mexico.
authors.forename: Kent A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Kiehl
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000379:methods*; D018913:Event-Related Potentials, P300 / Q000502:physiology; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D010349:Patient Compliance; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D011329:Prisoners; D011379:Prognosis; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D060388:Support Vector Machine; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Event‐related potentials; pattern classifier; principal component analysis; prison inmate; substance abuse treatment; support vector machine