An ERP-based study of the effects of music tempo on inhibitory control among male drug addicts with different levels of psychological resilience

Impaired inhibitory control is a key factor in drug relapse. Music therapy shows potential for cognitive intervention, but individual differences, particularly in psychological resilience, and the mechanisms underlying tempo effects remain unclear. This study investigated the interactive effects of music tempo and psychological resilience on inhibitory control in male drug addicts, employing a Go/No-go task with drug-related cues.

Forty-four male drug addicts were stratified into high and low resilience groups based on the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale. They performed a Go/No-go task where No-go stimuli were drug-related pictures, under four conditions: fast (160 bpm), medium (105 bpm), and slow (50 bpm) tempo music, and a no-music control. Behavioral data (response time, accuracy) and event-related potentials (ERPs; N2, P3) were recorded.

Behaviorally, the high-resilience group exhibited significantly shorter response times than the low-resilience group, an effect modulated by tempo. ERP analyses revealed that the low-resilience group generated larger N2 amplitudes, suggesting greater conflict monitoring demand. Conversely, the high-resilience group exhibited larger P3 amplitudes, indicating more efficient resource allocation for later inhibitory evaluation. A critical interaction was found in the N2 difference wave (N2d): under slow-tempo music, the high-resilience group demonstrated a significantly larger N2d than the low-resilience group, implying enhanced conflict monitoring in a stabilized state. Notably, no significant group differences in N2d were observed at fast tempo, despite persistent behavioral advantages for the high-resilience group.

Psychological resilience moderates the impact of music tempo on inhibitory control. High-resilience individuals may optimally mobilize neural resources for conflict monitoring under slow-tempo music, which potentially reduces emotional interference. These findings underscore the importance of considering individual psychological traits in developing personalized, music-based rehabilitation strategies.