London - People who regularly use cocaine get less pleasure from socialising and spending time with friends, new research suggests.
They also have more difficulty feeling empathy and are less likely to voluntarily do something to help someone else.
Researchers at the University of Zurich believe cocaine users have social deficits because social interactions are less rewarding for them.
Worldwide cocaine is the second most frequently used drug after cannabis.
Chronic cocaine users often have worse memories, concentration difficulties and problems with their social skills.
Previous studies at the University of Zurich have revealed they also show less empathy, find it hard to recognise emotions from voices and have fewer friends.
In their latest investigation, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, psychologists Katrin Preller and Boris Quednow, conclude that the poor social skills of cocaine users could be explained by a blunted response to social reward.
The researchers found cocaine users see social interaction as less rewarding than non-drug users do.
They discovered that they showed a blunted activation of a crucial part of the reward system in the brain – the so called medial orbitofrontal cortex – during social interaction.
Interestingly, a weaker activation of the medial orbitofrontal cortex during social contact was also associated with seeing fewer friends.
Quednow said: “Cocaine users perceive social exchange as less positive and rewarding compared to people who do not use this stimulant.”
The researchers believe the changes in brain function may help to explain why cocaine addicts often fail to stop using drugs despite the social and family problems their drug use causes.
Given that social reward is important for successful psychotherapy the researchers suggest: “Social skills, such as empathy, mental perspective taking, and prosocial behaviour, should be trained during the treatment of cocaine dependence to enhance the efficacy and sustainability of the treatment.” – Daily Mail