People who are addicted to cocaine don't necessarily find enjoyment in attending parties because the drug actually makes them antisocial, a recent study concludes.
As such, these people also find it difficult to feel empathy and are less likely to voluntarily do something to help other people. Researchers at the University of Zurich believe cocaine users have social deficits because social interactions are less rewarding for them. Oftentimes, people who frequently take cocaine also suffer from having poor memories, difficulty concentrating and experiencing problems with their social skills.
In their study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, psychologists Katrin Preller and Boris Quednow, found that the poor social skills of cocaine users could be a result of a blunted response to social reward. The researchers discovered that these people showed blunted activation of a crucial part of the reward system in the brain or the medial orbitofrontal cortex during social interaction. "Cocaine users perceive social exchange as less positive and rewarding compared to people who do not use this stimulant."
Preller and Quednow proposed that such changes in brain function might help to explain why dependent cocaine users often fail to stop using drugs despite the occurrence of several social consequences such as familial problems, loss of friends or employment. "Social skills such as empathy, mental perspective taking and prosocial behavior should be trained during the treatment of cocaine dependence to enhance the efficacy and sustainability of the treatment.
