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Acuff SF, Oddo LE, Johansen AN, Strickland JC. Contextual and psychosocial factors influencing drug reward in humans: The importance of non-drug reinforcement. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2024; 241:173802. [PMID: 38866372 PMCID: PMC11284860 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2024.173802] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2024] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 06/01/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
The reinforcing efficacy, or behavior-strengthening effect, of a substance is a critical determinant of substance use typically quantified by measuring behavioral allocation to the substance under schedules of reinforcement with escalating response requirements. Although responses on these tasks are often used to indicate stable reinforcing effects or trait-level abuse potential for an individual, task designs often demonstrate within-person variability across varying degrees of a constraint within experimental procedures. As a result, quantifying behavioral allocation is an effective approach for measuring the impact of contextual and psychosocial factors on substance reward. We review studies using laboratory self-administration, behavioral economic purchase tasks, and ambulatory assessments to quantify the impact of various contextual and psychosocial factors on behavioral allocation toward consumption of a substance. We selected these assessment approaches because they cover the translational spectrum from experimental control to ecological relevance, with consistent support across these approaches representing greater confidence in the effect. Conceptually, we organized factors that influence substance value into two broad categories: factors that influence the cost/benefit ratio of the substance (social context, stress and affect, cue exposure), and factors that influence the cost/benefit ratio of an alternative (alternative non-drug reinforcers, alternative drug reinforcers, and opportunity costs). We conclude with an overview of future research directions and considerations for clinical application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel F Acuff
- Recovery Research Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 151 Merrimac Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
| | - Lauren E Oddo
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, 806 West Franklin Street, Richmond, VA 23284-2018, USA
| | | | - Justin C Strickland
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 5510 Nathan Shock Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
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2
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Aston ER, Merrill JE, Boyle HK, Berey BL, López G. Utility of a brief measure of cannabis demand: Day-level associations with cannabis use. Drug Alcohol Depend 2024; 262:111396. [PMID: 39094382 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2024.111396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2023] [Revised: 06/02/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cannabis demand (i.e., relative value) is usually assessed as a trait-level risk-factor for cannabis use and consequences. This study examined within-person variability in day-level intensity (i.e., amount consumed at zero cost) and Omax (i.e., maximum cannabis expenditure) and tested hypotheses that demand would be positively associated with day-level cannabis use. METHODS Young adults (n=85) reporting past-month simultaneous alcohol and cannabis use completed two daily surveys for 30 days. Morning surveys assessed prior-day cannabis use and evening surveys assessed day-level demand (i.e., intensity, Omax). Multilevel models tested day-level effects of intensity and Omax on any cannabis use and flower use frequency and quantity (i.e., grams). RESULTS Approximately 52 % and 46 % of variability in intensity and Omax, respectively, was due to within-person change. At the day-level, higher intensity and Omax were associated with higher likelihood of any cannabis use, regardless of formulation; Omax was associated with use of flower in particular; and intensity was associated with the highest quantity of use. At the person-level, only Omax was associated with flower use likelihood, and only intensity was associated with flower quantity across days. CONCLUSIONS Cannabis demand demonstrated day-to-day variability, conceivably in response to various internal states and external factors. Intensity and Omax were related to elevated likelihood of using any cannabis, particularly flower, at the day-level. Overall, these data illustrate the validity and utility of brief cannabis demand measures, which might be used to further understand cannabis' reinforcing value at a fine-grained level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth R Aston
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, Box G-S121-5, Providence, RI 02912, USA.
| | - Jennifer E Merrill
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, Box G-S121-5, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Holly K Boyle
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, Box G-S121-5, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Benjamin L Berey
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, Box G-S121-5, Providence, RI 02912, USA; Providence VA Medical Center, Providence, RI 02908, USA
| | - Gabriela López
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, Box G-S121-5, Providence, RI 02912, USA
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3
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Wardle MC, Webber HE, Yoon JH, Heads AM, Stotts AL, Lane SD, Schmitz JM. Behavioral therapies targeting reward mechanisms in substance use disorders. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2024; 240:173787. [PMID: 38705285 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2024.173787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2024] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
Behavioral therapies are considered best practices in the treatment of substance use disorders (SUD) and used as first-line approaches for SUDs without FDA-approved pharmacotherapies. Decades of research on the neuroscience of drug reward and addiction have informed the development of current leading behavioral therapies that, while differing in focus and technique, have in common the overarching goal of shifting reward responding away from drug and toward natural non-drug rewards. This review begins by describing key neurobiological processes of reward in addiction, followed by a description of how various behavioral therapies address specific reward processes. Based on this review, a conceptual 'map' is crafted to pinpoint gaps and areas of overlap, serving as a guide for selecting and integrating behavioral therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret C Wardle
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States of America
| | - Heather E Webber
- Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Jin H Yoon
- Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Angela M Heads
- Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Angela L Stotts
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, United States of America
| | - Scott D Lane
- Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States of America
| | - Joy M Schmitz
- Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, United States of America.
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McDaniel JT, Redner R, Haun JN, McCowen P, Higgins ST. Moral injury among women military veterans and demand for cigarettes: A behavioral economic investigation using a hypothetical purchase task. Prev Med 2024:108036. [PMID: 38852890 DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2024.108036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2024] [Revised: 05/20/2024] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Unlike the United States general population, veteran women - as opposed to veteran men - have greater smoking prevalence; yet, little is known regarding factors that influence smoking in veteran women. The purpose of this study was to begin examining the relationship between a psychological concept known as moral injury and demand for cigarettes among veteran women. METHODS Veteran women who smoke (n = 44) were recruited for this cross-sectional study from Amazon MTurk, Reddit, and a veteran-serving non-profit organization in June-July 2023. Consenting participants received $2 for completing the cigarette purchase task (CPT), Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND), and the military version of the Moral Injury Symptom Scale (MISS-M-SF). We examined five CPT demand indices and calculated a modified exponential demand model stratified by moral injury severity status (i.e., probable vs. unlikely). RESULTS Probable morally injured women exhibited significantly higher relative reinforcing value (RRV) for smoking than unlikely morally injured women (F1, 920 = 9.16, p = 0.003). Average cigarette consumption at $0 (i.e., Q0) was 48.56% higher (M = 22.24 vs. M = 13.55) in probable compared to unlikely morally injured women (p = 0.04, Hedge's g = 0.74). FTND scores were significantly correlated with Pmax (i.e., demand elasticity point) and Omax (i.e., maximum expenditure) values in both populations (rs = 0.42-0.68, ps < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS We provide preliminary evidence of the relatively high RRV of smoking in morally injured veteran women. Continued research is needed to refine the characterization of this relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin T McDaniel
- School of Human Sciences, Southern Illinois University, 475 Clocktower Drive, Carbondale, IL 62901, USA.
| | - Ryan Redner
- School of Psychological and Behavioral Sciences, Southern Illinois University, 1125 Lincoln Drive, Carbondale, IL 62901, USA.
| | - Jolie N Haun
- James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital, Veterans Health Administration, 13000 Bruce B Downs Blvd., Tampa, FL 33612, USA.
| | - Patrick McCowen
- School of Human Sciences, Southern Illinois University, 475 Clocktower Drive, Carbondale, IL 62901, USA.
| | - Stephen T Higgins
- Departments of Psychiatry and Psychological Science, University of Vermont, 1 South Prospect Street, OH3, MS482, Burlington, VT 05401, USA.
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Coelho SG, Hendershot CS, Aston ER, Ruocco AC, Quilty LC, Tyndale RF, Wardell JD. Executive functions and behavioral economic demand for cannabis among young adults: Indirect associations with cannabis consumption and cannabis use disorder. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol 2024; 32:305-315. [PMID: 37732960 PMCID: PMC10954585 DOI: 10.1037/pha0000678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
Behavioral economic demand for cannabis is robustly associated with cannabis consumption and cannabis use disorder (CUD). However, few studies have examined the processes underlying individual differences in the relative valuation of cannabis (i.e., demand). This study examined associations between executive functions and cannabis demand among young adults who use cannabis. We also examined indirect associations of executive functions with cannabis consumption and CUD symptoms through cannabis demand. Young adults (N = 113; 58.4% female; mean age 22 years) completed a Marijuana Purchase Task. Participants also completed cognitive tasks assessing executive functions (set shifting, inhibitory control, working memory) and semistructured interviews assessing past 90-day cannabis consumption (number of grams used) and number of CUD symptoms. Poorer inhibitory control was significantly associated with greater Omax (peak expenditure on cannabis) and greater intensity (cannabis consumption at zero cost). Poorer working memory was significantly associated with lower elasticity (sensitivity of consumption to escalating cost). Lower inhibitory control was indirectly associated with greater cannabis consumption and CUD symptoms through greater Omax and intensity, and poorer working memory was indirectly associated with greater cannabis consumption and CUD symptoms through reduced elasticity. This study provides novel evidence that executive functions are associated with individual differences in cannabis demand. Moreover, these results suggest that cannabis demand could be a mechanism linking poorer executive functioning with heavier cannabis use and CUD, which should be confirmed in future longitudinal studies. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Christian S. Hendershot
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Elizabeth R. Aston
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University School of Public Health
| | - Anthony C. Ruocco
- Department of Psychological Clinical Science, University of Toronto
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto
| | - Lena C. Quilty
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto
| | - Rachel F. Tyndale
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Toronto
| | - Jeffrey D. Wardell
- Department of Psychology, York University
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto
- Institute for Mental Health Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada
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Liu C, Filbey FM. Unlocking the age-old secrets of reward and substance use. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2024; 239:173766. [PMID: 38604456 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2024.173766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
Although substance use is widespread across the lifespan from early adolescence to older adulthood, the prevalence of substance use disorder (SUD) differs between age groups. These age differences in SUD rates necessitate an investigation into how age moderates reward sensitivity, and consequently influences the risks and consequences related to substance use. This theoretical review integrates evidence from the literature to address the dynamic interplay between age and reward in the context of substance use. Overall, increasing evidence demonstrates that age moderates reward sensitivity and underlying reward system neurobiology. Reward sensitivity undergoes a non-linear trajectory across the lifespan. Low levels of reward sensitivity are associated with childhood and late adulthood. In contrast, high levels are associated with early to late adolescence, followed by a decline in the twenties. These fluctuations in reward sensitivity across the lifespan contribute to complex associations with substance use. This lends support to adolescence and young adulthood as vulnerable periods for the risk of subsequent SUD. More empirical research is needed to investigate reward sensitivity during SUD maintenance and recovery. Future research should also involve larger sample sizes and encompass a broader range of age groups, including older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Che Liu
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, TX 75235, United States of America.
| | - Francesca M Filbey
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, TX 75235, United States of America
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Hoetger C, White A, Bono RS, Hall CJ, Hood KB, Everhart RS, Nana-Sinkam P, Barnes AJ, Cobb CO. Perceptions of African American Youth and Adults Regarding Tobacco Use-Related Factors in Their Community: A Mixed-Methods Approach in Richmond, Virginia. FAMILY & COMMUNITY HEALTH 2024; 47:176-190. [PMID: 38372334 PMCID: PMC10878718 DOI: 10.1097/fch.0000000000000398] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/20/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The US Food and Drug Administration is poised to restrict the availability of menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars, products disproportionately used by Black/African American (B/AA) individuals. We examined B/AA youth and adult perceptions regarding factors contributing to tobacco use, as well as prevention/cessation resources. METHODS In 2 mixed-methods studies in Richmond, Virginia, we conducted cross-sectional surveys among youth (n = 201) and adult (n = 212) individuals who were primarily B/AA and reported past 30-day cigar smoking or nontobacco use, followed by focus groups with a subset (youth: n = 30; adults: n = 24). Focus groups were analyzed using a thematic analysis framework, and descriptive survey data provided context to themes. RESULTS Among focus group participants, 20% of youth and 75% of adults reported current cigar smoking. Six themes emerged across the groups: advertising/brands, sensory experiences, costs, social factors, youth-related factors, and dependence/cessation. Youth and adults perceived cigars as popular; cigar use was attributed to targeted advertising, flavors, affordability, and accessibility. While adults expressed concern regarding youth tobacco use, youth did not perceive tobacco prevention programs as helpful. Adults and youth reported limited access to community tobacco prevention/cessation programs. DISCUSSION Expanded tobacco prevention and cessation resources for B/AA people who smoke could leverage federal regulatory actions to ban tobacco products targeted toward this group and decrease disparities in tobacco-related morbidity and mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cosima Hoetger
- Center for the Study of Tobacco Products, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
- Universitat of Witten/Herdecke, Institute for Integrative Health Care and Health Promotion, Witten, Germany
| | - Augustus White
- Center for the Study of Tobacco Products, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
- Health Behavior and Policy, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Rose S. Bono
- Center for the Study of Tobacco Products, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
- Health Behavior and Policy, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Calvin J. Hall
- Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Andrew J. Barnes
- Center for the Study of Tobacco Products, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
- Health Behavior and Policy, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Caroline O. Cobb
- Center for the Study of Tobacco Products, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
- Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
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González-Roz A, Belisario K, Secades-Villa R, Muñiz J, MacKillop J. Behavioral economic analysis of legal and illegal cannabis demand in Spanish young adults with hazardous and non-hazardous cannabis use. Addict Behav 2024; 149:107878. [PMID: 37924581 DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2023.107878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In October 2021, a legal framework that regulates cannabis for recreational purposes in Spain was proposed, but research on its potential impacts on cannabis use is currently limited. This study examined the reliability and discriminant validity of two Marijuana Purchase Tasks (MPTs) for measuring hypothetical legal and illegal cannabis demand, and to examine differences in demand of both commodities in young adults at hazardous vs. non-hazardous cannabis use risk levels. METHODS A total of 171 Spanish young adults [Mage = 19.82 (SD = 1.81)] with past-month cannabis use participated in a cross-sectional study from September to November 2021. Two 27-item MPTs were used to estimate hypothetical demand for legal and illegal cannabis independently. The Cannabis Use Disorder Identification Test (CUDIT-R) was used to assess hazardous cannabis use and test for discriminant validity of the MPTs. Reliability analyses were conducted using Classical Test Theory (Cronbach's alpha) and Item Response Theory (Item Information Functions). RESULTS The MPT was reliable for measuring legal (α = 0.94) and illegal (α = 0.90) cannabis demand. Breakpoint (price at which demand ceases), and Pmax (price associated with maximum expenditure) were the most sensitive indicators to discriminate participants with different levels of the cannabis reinforcing trait. No significant differences between legal and illegal cannabis demand in the whole sample were observed, but hazardous vs. non-hazardous users showed higher legal and illegal demand, and decreased Breakpoint and Pmax if cannabis were legal vs illegal. CONCLUSION The MPT exhibits robust psychometric validity and may be useful to inform on cannabis regulatory science in Spain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alba González-Roz
- Addictive Behaviors Research Group (GCA), Department of Psychology, University of Oviedo, Oviedo 33003, Spain.
| | - Kyla Belisario
- Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research, St Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton and McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L9C 0E3, Canada
| | - Roberto Secades-Villa
- Addictive Behaviors Research Group (GCA), Department of Psychology, University of Oviedo, Oviedo 33003, Spain
| | - José Muñiz
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Nebrija, Madrid 28015, Spain
| | - James MacKillop
- Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research, St Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton and McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L9C 0E3, Canada
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Collado A, Stokes A. Imagining the future can shape the present: A systematic review of the impact of episodic future thinking on substance use outcomes. PSYCHOLOGY OF ADDICTIVE BEHAVIORS 2024; 38:134-152. [PMID: 37307365 PMCID: PMC10713863 DOI: 10.1037/adb0000933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The combination of the high prevalence of problematic substance use and substance use disorders (SUD) with the low rates of spontaneous remission continues to generate interest in the development of novel and efficacious interventions. Theoretically, episodic future thinking (EFT) is capable of targeting various underlying psychological and neurobiological substrates of SUD by traversing various research domain criteria systems. METHOD The systematic review examines EFT as a potentially efficacious intervention for problematic substance use and SUD. The review follows the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. We examined 46 full-text studies (from 1,238 total records obtained from APA PsycInfo and Pubmed databases and reference list search), which yielded a final sample of 16 studies. RESULTS The studies showed heterogeneity in their risk of bias, EFT protocols, and control conditions. Overall, EFT showed benefits in reducing self-reported or task-based substance use-related outcomes. CONCLUSIONS Future research directions include establishing the feasibility of EFT, examining the generalizability in decreasing real-world substance use, identifying mediators and moderators of EFT outcomes, and determining the sustainability of EFT effects over time. EFT has high potential for dissemination. Limitations and potential for future research are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Anahi Collado
- Renée Crown Wellness Institute, University of Colorado-Boulder
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10
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Gelino BW, Graham ME, Strickland JC, Glatter HW, Hursh SR, Reed DD. Using behavioral economics to optimize safer undergraduate late-night transportation. J Appl Behav Anal 2024; 57:117-130. [PMID: 37932923 DOI: 10.1002/jaba.1029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
Many universities sponsor student-oriented transit services that could reduce alcohol-induced risks but only if services adequately anticipate and adapt to student needs. Human choice data offer an optimal foundation for planning and executing late-night transit services. In this simulated choice experiment, respondents opted to either (a) wait an escalating delay for a free university-sponsored "safe" option, (b) pay an escalating fee for an on-demand rideshare service, or (c) pick a free, immediately available "unsafe" option (e.g., ride with an alcohol-impaired driver). Behavioral-economic nonlinear models of averaged-choice data describe preference across arrangements. Best-fit metrics indicate adequate sensitivity to contextual factors (i.e., wait time, preceding late-night activity). At short delays, students preferred the free transit option. As delays extend beyond 30 min, most students preferred competing alternatives. These data depict a policy-relevant delay threshold to better safeguard undergraduate student safety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brett W Gelino
- Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Madison E Graham
- Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Justin C Strickland
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Hannah W Glatter
- Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Steven R Hursh
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Institutes for Behavior Resources, Inc., Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Derek D Reed
- Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
- Cofrin-Logan Center for Addiction Research and Treatment, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
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11
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Tomlinson DC, Freitas-Lemos R, Tegge AN, Yeh YH, Dwyer CL, Stein JS, Bickel WK. Presentation matters: Effects of cigarette purchase task design on systematic data and purchasing behavior. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol 2023; 31:1017-1022. [PMID: 36877478 PMCID: PMC10480337 DOI: 10.1037/pha0000643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/07/2023]
Abstract
Hypothetical purchase tasks (HPTs) are effective tools for evaluating participants' demand for substances. The present study evaluated the effect of task presentation on producing unsystematic data and purchasing behavior in a sample of individuals who smoke cigarettes. Participants (n = 365) were recruited from Amazon Mechanical Turk and randomly assigned to complete two of three HPT presentations: List (prices on one page in an increasing order), Ascending (one price per page in an increasing order), or Random (one price per page in a random order). We evaluated outcomes using a mixed model regression with a random effect for participants. We observed a significant effect of task presentation on passing the criterion assessing consistency in effects of contiguous prices (i.e., Bounce; X²(2) = 13.31, p = .001). A significant effect of task presentation on Trend or Reversals from Zero was not observed. For purchasing behavior, we observed a significant effect of task presentation on R², X²(2) = 17.89, p < .001; BP₁, X²(2) = 13.64, p = .001; ln(α), X²(2) = 332.94, p < .001; and ln(Omax), X²(2) = 20.26, p < .001; we did not observe a significant effect of task presentation on ln(Q₀) or ln(Pmax). We recommend against using the Random HPT presentation to avoid unsystematic data. While the List and Ascending presentations do not differ across unsystematic criteria or purchasing behavior, the List presentation may be preferred due to participant experience. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Devin C. Tomlinson
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, Roanoke, VA, USA
- Graduate Program in Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | | | - Allison N. Tegge
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, Roanoke, VA, USA
- Department of Statistics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Yu-Hua Yeh
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, Roanoke, VA, USA
| | - Candice L. Dwyer
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, Roanoke, VA, USA
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Jeffrey S. Stein
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, Roanoke, VA, USA
| | - Warren K. Bickel
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, Roanoke, VA, USA
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12
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Aston ER, Meshesha LZ, Stevens AK, Borsari B, Metrik J. Cannabis demand and use among veterans: A prospective examination. PSYCHOLOGY OF ADDICTIVE BEHAVIORS 2023; 37:985-995. [PMID: 37079805 PMCID: PMC10587363 DOI: 10.1037/adb0000916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/22/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Cannabis demand (i.e., relative value), assessed cross-sectionally via a hypothetical marijuana purchase task (MPT), has been associated with use, problems, and dependence symptoms, among others. However, limited work exists on the prospective stability of the MPT. Furthermore, cannabis demand among veterans endorsing cannabis use, and the prospective cyclical relationship between demand and use over time, have yet to be investigated. METHOD Two waves of data from a veteran sample (N = 133) reporting current (past 6-month) cannabis use were analyzed to assess stability in cannabis demand over 6 months. Autoregressive cross-lagged panel models (CLPMs) assessed the longitudinal associations between demand indices (i.e., intensity, Omax, Pmax, breakpoint) and cannabis use. RESULTS Baseline cannabis use predicted greater intensity (β = .32, p < .001), Omax (β = .37, p < .001), breakpoint (β = .28, p < .001), and Pmax (β = .21, p = .017) at 6 months. Conversely, baseline intensity (β = .14, p = .028), breakpoint (β = .12, p = .038), and Pmax (β = .12, p = .043), but not Omax, predicted greater use at 6 months. Only intensity demonstrated acceptable prospective reliability. CONCLUSIONS Cannabis demand demonstrated stability over 6 months in CLPM models, varying along with natural changes in cannabis use. Importantly, intensity, Pmax, and breakpoint displayed bidirectional predictive associations with cannabis use, and the prospective pathway from use to demand was consistently stronger. Test-retest reliability ranged from good to poor across indices. Findings highlight the value of assessing cannabis demand longitudinally, particularly among clinical samples, to determine how demand fluctuates in response to experimental manipulation, intervention, and treatment. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth R. Aston
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, 02912
- Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University School of Public Heath, Providence, RI, 02912
| | - Lidia Z. Meshesha
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, 02912
- Department of Psychology, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, 32816
| | - Angela K. Stevens
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, 02912
| | - Brian Borsari
- San Francisco Veterans Affairs Health Care System
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco
| | - Jane Metrik
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, 02912
- Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University School of Public Heath, Providence, RI, 02912
- Providence Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Providence, RI, 02908
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13
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Freitas-Lemos R, Tegge AN, Tomlinson DC, Yeh YH, Stein JS, Michael Cummings K, Fong GT, Shields PG, Hatsukami DK, Bickel WK. Illegal product purchasing in the experimental tobacco marketplace: Effects of menthol cigarette and cigarette ventilation ban. Drug Alcohol Depend 2023; 253:111015. [PMID: 37951005 PMCID: PMC10885639 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2023.111015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tobacco regulations may increase demand for illegal cigarettes. We use the Experimental Tobacco Marketplace to estimate the impact of banning menthol cigarettes (Experiment 1) and decreasing allowable cigarette filter ventilation levels (Experiment 2). METHODS Crowdsourced participants were randomized into one of four groups (2×2 factorial design). Experiment 1 included menthol availability (yes/no) by purchasing option (legal only vs illegal available). Experiment 2 included filter-vented cigarettes availability (yes/no) by purchasing option (legal only vs illegal available). Participants were given an individualized budget to purchase tobacco. Percent budget spent was the outcome measure. RESULTS Experiment 1, with a legal marketplace only, non-menthol cigarette purchasing was lower (p=0.010) and electronic-cigarette purchasing was higher (p=0.016), when cigarettes were banned compared to when they were available. With an illegal marketplace, switching to legal non-menthol cigarettes was less likely (p<0.001) and purchasing illegal menthol cigarettes was higher (p<0.001), when cigarettes were banned compared to when they were available. Experiment 2, with a legal marketplace only, cigarette purchasing was lower (p=0.010), when the participant's filtered vented cigarettes were banned compared to when they were available. With an illegal marketplace, purchasing the legal low-ventilated cigarette option was lower (p<0.001) and significant differences in illegal filter-vented cigarette purchasing were not observed, when their filter-vented cigarettes were banned compared to when they were available legally. CONCLUSIONS Without an illegal option, both restrictions decreased cigarette purchasing, but the menthol ban increased e-cigarette purchasing. With an illegal option, a menthol ban increased illegal cigarette purchasing, but decreasing filter ventilation did not.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Allison N Tegge
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, Roanoke, VA, USA; Department of Statistics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Devin C Tomlinson
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, Roanoke, VA, USA; Graduate Program in Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Yu-Hua Yeh
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, Roanoke, VA, USA
| | - Jeffrey S Stein
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, Roanoke, VA, USA
| | - K Michael Cummings
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Geoffrey T Fong
- Department of Psychology and School of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada; Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Peter G Shields
- Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University and James Cancer Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Dorothy K Hatsukami
- Masonic Cancer Center and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Warren K Bickel
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, Roanoke, VA, USA.
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14
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Dolan SB, Bradley MK, Johnson MW. E-cigarette Price Impacts legal and Black-Market Cigarette Purchasing Under a Hypothetical Reduced-Nicotine Cigarette Standard. Nicotine Tob Res 2023; 25:1556-1564. [PMID: 37195268 PMCID: PMC10439485 DOI: 10.1093/ntr/ntad067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Revised: 01/29/2023] [Accepted: 05/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The Tobacco Control Act gives the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authority to establish a reduced-nicotine content standard in combusted cigarettes. This future potential regulation may pose a significant public health benefit; however, black markets may arise to meet demand for normal-nicotine content cigarettes among smokers unwilling to transition to or use an alternative product. AIMS AND METHODS We determined the behavioral-economic substitutability of illicit normal-nicotine content cigarettes and e-cigarettes for reduced-nicotine content cigarettes in a hypothetical reduced-nicotine regulatory market. Adult cigarette smokers were recruited online to complete hypothetical cigarette purchasing tasks for usual-brand cigarettes, reduced-nicotine content cigarettes, and illicit normal-nicotine content cigarettes, as well as a cross-commodity task in which reduced-nicotine content cigarettes were available across multiple prices and illicit cigarettes were concurrently available for $12/pack. Participants completed two three-item cross-commodity purchasing tasks in which e-cigarettes were available for $4/pod or $12/pod alongside reduced-nicotine content cigarettes and illicit cigarettes. RESULTS Usual-brand cigarette purchasing was greater than illicit normal-nicotine content cigarettes and less than reduced-nicotine content cigarettes. In the cross-commodity purchasing tasks, illicit cigarettes and e-cigarettes both served as economic substitutes for reduced-nicotine content cigarettes; however, when e-cigarettes were available for $4/pod, they were purchased at greater levels than illicit cigarettes and resulted in greater reductions in reduced-nicotine content cigarettes purchasing than when available for $12/pod. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that some smokers are willing to engage in illicit cigarette purchasing in a reduced-nicotine regulatory environment, but e-cigarette availability at lower prices may reduce black-market engagement and shift behavior away from combusted cigarette use. IMPLICATIONS E-cigarettes available at low, but not high, prices were stronger substitutes for legal, reduced-nicotine content cigarettes than illegal, normal-nicotine content cigarettes in a hypothetical reduced-nicotine tobacco market. Our findings suggest the availability of relatively inexpensive e-cigarettes may reduce illicit cigarette purchasing and combusted cigarette use under a reduced-nicotine cigarette standard.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean B Dolan
- The Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Melissa K Bradley
- The Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Matthew W Johnson
- The Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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15
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Webber HE, Yoon JH, de Dios C, Suchting R, Dang V, Versace F, Green CE, Wardle MC, Lane SD, Schmitz JM. Assessing cocaine motivational value: Comparison of brain reactivity bias toward cocaine cues and cocaine demand. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol 2023; 31:861-867. [PMID: 36480395 PMCID: PMC10247896 DOI: 10.1037/pha0000622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The behavioral economic measure drug demand and the neural measure late positive potential (LPP) are two measures of motivational value that have been associated with drug relapse risk and treatment outcomes. Despite having overlapping themes, no studies have directly compared drug demand and LPP. Participants (N = 59) included treatment-seeking individuals with cocaine use disorder that had completed both a baseline cocaine demand task and an electroencephalogram (EEG) picture-viewing task of drug-related and pleasant picture cues. Associations between the LPP difference score amplitude (drug-pleasant) and five demand indices (Q₀, essential value [EV], Omax, Pmax, and breakpoint [BP]) were evaluated via Bayesian generalized linear modeling. Positive associations (posterior probabilities ≥ 75%) were found between LPP amplitude and four demand indices (Q₀, EV, Omax, BP). These results suggest that individuals who attach greater relevance to cocaine cues also exhibit greater valuation of cocaine reward. Implications for incorporating methodology from behavioral science and brain imaging are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather E. Webber
- Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston TX
| | - Jin H. Yoon
- Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston TX
| | - Constanza de Dios
- Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston TX
| | - Robert Suchting
- Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston TX
| | - Vincent Dang
- Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston TX
| | - Francesco Versace
- Department of Behavioral Science, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston TX
| | - Charles E. Green
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston TX
| | - Margaret C. Wardle
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, ILs
| | - Scott D. Lane
- Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston TX
| | - Joy M. Schmitz
- Faillace Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston TX
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16
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André J, Diouf M, Martinetti MP, Ortelli O, Gierski F, Fürst F, Pierrefiche O, Naassila M. A new statistical model for binge drinking pattern classification in college-student populations. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1134118. [PMID: 37529316 PMCID: PMC10390312 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1134118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Binge drinking (BD) among students is a frequent alcohol consumption pattern that produces adverse consequences. A widely discussed difficulty in the scientific community is defining and characterizing BD patterns. This study aimed to find homogenous drinking groups and then provide a new tool, based on a model that includes several key factors of BD, to assess the severity of BD regardless of the individual's gender. Methods Using the learning sample (N1 = 1,271), a K-means clustering algorithm and a partial proportional odds model (PPOM) were used to isolate drinking and behavioral key factors, create homogenous groups of drinkers, and estimate the probability of belonging to these groups. Robustness of our findings were evaluated with Two validations samples (N2 = 2,310, N3 = 120) of French university students (aged 18-25 years) were anonymously investigated via demographic and alcohol consumption questionnaires (AUDIT, AUQ, Alcohol Purchase Task for behavioral economic indices). Results The K-means revealed four homogeneous groups, based on drinking profiles: low-risk, hazardous, binge, and high-intensity BD. The PPOM generated the probability of each participant, self-identified as either male or female, to belong to one of these groups. Our results were confirmed in two validation samples, and we observed differences between the 4 drinking groups in terms of consumption consequences and behavioral economic demand indices. Conclusion Our model reveals a progressive severity in the drinking pattern and its consequences and may better characterize binge drinking among university student samples. This model provides a new tool for assessing the severity of binge drinking and illustrates that frequency of drinking behavior and particularly drunkenness are central features of a binge drinking model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith André
- INSERM UMR 1247, Groupe de Recherche sur l’alcool et les Pharmacodépendances, GRAP, Université Picardie Jules Verne, Amiens, France
| | - Momar Diouf
- Biostatistics Unit, Clinical Research Department, Amiens-Picardie University Hospital, Amiens, France
| | - Margaret P. Martinetti
- INSERM UMR 1247, Groupe de Recherche sur l’alcool et les Pharmacodépendances, GRAP, Université Picardie Jules Verne, Amiens, France
- Department of Psychology, The College of New Jersey, Ewing, NJ, United States
| | - Olivia Ortelli
- Department of Psychology, The College of New Jersey, Ewing, NJ, United States
| | - Fabien Gierski
- INSERM UMR 1247, Groupe de Recherche sur l’alcool et les Pharmacodépendances, GRAP, Université Picardie Jules Verne, Amiens, France
- Cognition, Health, Society Laboratory (C2S – EA 6291), University of Reims Champagne Ardenne (URCA), Reims, France
- Fédération Hospitalo-Universitaire A2M2P, Améliore le Pronostic des Troubles Addictifs et Mentaux par une Médecine Personnalisée, Paris, France
- GDR CNRS 3557 Psychiatrie-Addictions, Institut de Psychiatrie, Paris, France
| | - Frederic Fürst
- Laboratoire MIS (Modélisation, Information et Système) UR 4290, Université Picardie Jules Verne, Amiens, France
| | - Olivier Pierrefiche
- INSERM UMR 1247, Groupe de Recherche sur l’alcool et les Pharmacodépendances, GRAP, Université Picardie Jules Verne, Amiens, France
| | - Mickael Naassila
- INSERM UMR 1247, Groupe de Recherche sur l’alcool et les Pharmacodépendances, GRAP, Université Picardie Jules Verne, Amiens, France
- Fédération Hospitalo-Universitaire A2M2P, Améliore le Pronostic des Troubles Addictifs et Mentaux par une Médecine Personnalisée, Paris, France
- GDR CNRS 3557 Psychiatrie-Addictions, Institut de Psychiatrie, Paris, France
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17
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Miller BP, Murphy JG, MacKillop J, Amlung M. Next-day responsibilities attenuate demand for alcohol among a crowdsourced sample of community adults. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol 2023; 31:633-642. [PMID: 36174145 PMCID: PMC10082474 DOI: 10.1037/pha0000609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
While several studies have examined how class time and internship responsibilities impact demand for alcohol in undergraduate samples, no study has examined this question using more universally applicable responsibilities with a sample of community adults. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the impact of a range of next-day responsibilities on demand for alcohol among a crowdsourced sample of community adults using a hypothetical alcohol purchase task (APT). Community adults (n = 261; 79% White; 60% identified as men; 39% identified as women; and 1% identified as nonbinary) with a mean age of 38.42 recruited from Amazon Mechanical Turk rank-ordered eight hypothetical next-day responsibilities across three categories (i.e., work, caregiving, and recreational). Participants first completed a standard APT with no explicit next-day responsibilities, followed by purchase tasks in the context of their two highest ranked responsibilities. All participants needed to pass several stages of attention and data quality checks to be included in the final sample. All observed demand indices (i.e., intensity, breakpoint, Omax, and Pmax) were significantly higher in the no responsibilities condition compared to both the first- and second-ranked responsibility condition (ps < .001); however, there was no significant difference in any demand index between the first- and second-ranked responsibility (p range .65-.91). These results extend prior work by demonstrating engagement with substance-free alternatives may reduce demand for alcohol among community adults. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon P. Miller
- Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS
| | - James G. Murphy
- Department of Psychology, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN
| | - James MacKillop
- Peter Boris Center for Addictions Research, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario
| | - Michael Amlung
- Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS; Cofrin Logan Center for Addiction Research and Treatment, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS
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18
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Berry MS, Naudé GP, Johnson PS, Johnson MW. The Blinded-Dose Purchase Task: assessing hypothetical demand based on cocaine, methamphetamine, and alcohol administration. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2023; 240:921-933. [PMID: 36869212 PMCID: PMC10006272 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-023-06334-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Behavioral economic drug purchase tasks quantify the reinforcing value of a drug (i.e., demand). Although widely used to assess demand, drug expectancies are rarely accounted for and may introduce variability across participants given diverse drug experiences. OBJECTIVES Three experiments validated and extended previous hypothetical purchase tasks by using blinded drug dose as a reinforcing stimulus, and determined hypothetical demand for experienced effects while controlling for drug expectancies. METHODS Across three double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subject experiments, cocaine (0, 125, 250 mg/70 kg; n=12), methamphetamine (0, 20, 40 mg; n=19), and alcohol (0, 1 g/kg alcohol; n=25) were administered and demand was assessed using the Blinded-Dose Purchase Task. Participants answered questions regarding simulated purchasing of the blinded drug dose across increasing prices. Demand metrics, subjective effects, and self-reported real-world monetary spending on drugs were evaluated. RESULTS Data were well modeled by the demand curve function, with significantly higher intensity (purchasing at low prices) for active drug doses compared to placebo for all experiments. Unit-price analyses revealed more persistent consumption across prices (lower α) in the higher compared to lower active dose condition for methamphetamine (a similar non-significant finding emerged for cocaine). Significant associations between demand metrics, peak subjective effects, and real-world spending on drugs also emerged across all experiments. CONCLUSIONS Orderly demand curve data revealed differences across drug and placebo conditions, and relations to real-world measures of drug spending, and subjective effects. Unit-price analyses enabled parsimonious comparisons across doses. Results lend credence to the validity of the Blinded-Dose Purchase Task, which allows for control of drug expectancies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meredith S Berry
- Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 5510 Nathan Shock Drive, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA.
- Department of Health Education and Behavior, University of Florida, Yon Hall Room 031, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA.
| | - Gideon P Naudé
- Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 5510 Nathan Shock Drive, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Patrick S Johnson
- Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 5510 Nathan Shock Drive, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Matthew W Johnson
- Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 5510 Nathan Shock Drive, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA.
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19
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González-Roz A, Martínez-Loredo V, Aston ER, Metrik J, Murphy J, Balodis I, Secades-Villa R, Belisario K, MacKillop J. Concurrent validity of the marijuana purchase task: a meta-analysis of trait-level cannabis demand and cannabis involvement. Addiction 2023; 118:620-633. [PMID: 36305652 PMCID: PMC10020890 DOI: 10.1111/add.16075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS The Marijuana Purchase Task (MPT) is increasingly used to measure cannabis reinforcing value and has potential use for cannabis etiological and regulatory research. This meta-analysis sought to evaluate for the first time the MPT's concurrent validity in relation to cannabis involvement. METHODS Electronic databases and pre-print repositories were searched for MPT studies that examined the cross-sectional relationship between frequency and quantity of cannabis use, problems, dependence, and five MPT indicators: intensity (i.e. unrestricted consumption), Omax (i.e. maximum consumption), Pmax (i.e. price at which demand becomes elastic), breakpoint (i.e. first price at which consumption ceases), and elasticity (i.e. sensitivity to rising costs). Random effects meta-analyses of cross-sectional effect sizes were conducted, with Q tests for examining differences by cannabis variables, meta-regression to test quantitative moderators, and publication bias assessment. Moderators included sex, number of MPT prices, variable transformations, and year of publication. Populations included community and clinical samples. RESULTS The searches yielded 14 studies (n = 4077, median % females: 44.8%: weighted average age = 29.08 [SD = 6.82]), published between 2015 and 2022. Intensity, Omax , and elasticity showed the most robust concurrent validity (|r's| = 0.147-325, ps < 0.014) with the largest significant effect sizes for quantity (|r| intensity = 0.325) and cannabis dependence (|r| Omax = 0.320, |r| intensity = 0.305, |r| elasticity = 0.303). Higher proportion of males was associated with increased estimates for elasticity-quantity and Pmax -problems. Higher number of MPT prices significantly altered magnitude of effects sizes for Pmax and problems, suggesting biased estimations if excessively low prices are considered. Methodological quality was generally good, and minimal evidence of publication bias was observed. CONCLUSIONS The marijuana purchase task presents adequate concurrent validity to measure cannabis demand, most robustly for intensity, Omax , and elasticity. Moderating effects by sex suggest potentially meaningful sex differences in the reinforcing value of cannabis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alba González-Roz
- Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research, St Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Addictive Behaviors Research Group, Department of Psychology, University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain
| | | | - Elizabeth R Aston
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Jane Metrik
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, USA
- Providence VA Medical Center, Providence, RI, USA
| | - James Murphy
- Department of Psychology, The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Iris Balodis
- Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research, St Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Roberto Secades-Villa
- Addictive Behaviors Research Group, Department of Psychology, University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Kyla Belisario
- Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research, St Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - James MacKillop
- Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research, St Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, ON, Canada
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20
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Jarmolowicz DP, Schneider TD, Strickland JC, Bruce AS, Reed DD, Bruce JM. Reinforcer pathology, probabilistic choice, and medication adherence in patients with multiple sclerosis. J Exp Anal Behav 2023; 119:275-285. [PMID: 36710645 DOI: 10.1002/jeab.830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2021] [Revised: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
The reinforcer pathology model posits that core behavioral economic mechanisms, including delay discounting and behavioral economic demand, underlie adverse health decisions and related clinical disorders. Extensions beyond substance use disorder and obesity, however, are limited. Using a reinforcer pathology framework, this study evaluates medical adherence decisions in patients with multiple sclerosis. Participants completed behavioral economic measures, including delay discounting, probability discounting, and a medication purchase task. A medical decision-making task was also used to evaluate how sensitivity to mild side effect risk and efficacy contributed to the likelihood of taking a hypothetical disease-modifying therapy. Less steep delay discounting and more intense (greater) medication demand were independently associated with greater adherence to the medication decision-making procedure. More generally, the pattern of interrelations between the medication-specific and general behavioral economic metrics was consistent with and contributes to the reinforcer pathology model. Additional research is warranted to expand these models to different populations and health behaviors, including those of a positive health orientation (i.e., medication adherence).
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Affiliation(s)
- David P Jarmolowicz
- Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
- Cofrin-Logan Center for Addiction Research and Treatment, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
- Healthcare Institute for Innovations in Quality, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | - Tadd D Schneider
- Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
- Cofrin-Logan Center for Addiction Research and Treatment, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Justin C Strickland
- Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Amanda S Bruce
- Center for Children's Healthy Lifestyles and Nutrition, Children's Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, MO, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA
| | - Derek D Reed
- Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
- Cofrin-Logan Center for Addiction Research and Treatment, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Jared M Bruce
- Department(s) of Biomedical and Health Informatics, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine, Kansas City, MO, USA
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21
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Craft WH, Dwyer CL, Tomlinson DC, Yeh YH, Tegge AN, Bickel WK. Rate-dependent effects of narrative interventions in a longitudinal study of individuals who use alcohol. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2023; 47:566-576. [PMID: 36810763 DOI: 10.1111/acer.15020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Revised: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Delay discounting (DD), the decrease in reward valuation as a function of delay to receipt, is a key process undergirding alcohol use. Narrative interventions, including episodic future thinking (EFT), have decreased delay discounting and demand for alcohol. Rate dependence, the relationship between a baseline rate and change in that rate after an intervention, has been evidenced as a marker of efficacious substance use treatment, but whether narrative interventions have rate-dependent effects needs to be better understood. We investigated the effects of narrative interventions on delay discounting and hypothetical demand for alcohol in this longitudinal, online study. METHODS Individuals (n = 696) reporting high- or low-risk alcohol use were recruited for a longitudinal 3-week survey via Amazon Mechanical Turk. Delay discounting and alcohol demand breakpoint were assessed at baseline. Individuals returned at weeks 2 and 3 and were randomized into the EFT or scarcity narrative interventions and again completed the delay discounting tasks and alcohol breakpoint task. Oldham's correlation was used to explore the rate-dependent effects of narrative interventions. Study attrition as a function of delay discounting was assessed. RESULTS Episodic future thinking significantly decreased, while scarcity significantly increased delay discounting relative to baseline. No effects of EFT or scarcity on the alcohol demand breakpoint were observed. Significant rate-dependent effects were observed for both narrative intervention types. Higher delay discounting rates were associated with a greater likelihood of attrition from the study. CONCLUSION The evidence of a rate-dependent effect of EFT on delay discounting rates offers a more nuanced, mechanistic understanding of this novel therapeutic intervention and can allow more precise treatment targeting by demonstrating who is likely to receive the most benefit from it.
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Affiliation(s)
- William H Craft
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, Roanoke, Virginia, USA.,Graduate Program in Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
| | - Candice L Dwyer
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, Roanoke, Virginia, USA.,Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
| | - Devin C Tomlinson
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, Roanoke, Virginia, USA.,Graduate Program in Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
| | - Yu-Hua Yeh
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, Roanoke, Virginia, USA
| | - Allison N Tegge
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, Roanoke, Virginia, USA.,Department of Statistics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
| | - Warren K Bickel
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, Roanoke, Virginia, USA
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22
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Varshneya NB, Dunn KE, Grubb CJ, Okobi SI, Huhn AS, Bergeria CL. Can initial experiences with drugs predict future drug abuse risks? Exp Clin Psychopharmacol 2023; 31:186-193. [PMID: 35266780 PMCID: PMC9463404 DOI: 10.1037/pha0000559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Initial experiences with drugs may influence an individual's motivations for continued use. This study evaluated the relationship between subjective effects elicited by an individual's first use of alcohol or cannabis, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) alcohol use disorder (AUD) or cannabis use disorder (CUD) severity, and behavioral economic demand for alcohol or cannabis. Self-reports of initial subjective effects associated with drugs were analyzed for N = 463 participants whose first substance use was either alcohol or cannabis. The likelihood that a particular subjective effect at the time of first use was associated with current AUD/CUD was assessed using ordinal logistic regression with subjective effects as predictors of DSM-5 severity. Behavioral economic demand was assessed using a hypothetical purchase task in which participants indicated their hypothetical consumption of alcohol or cannabis as a function of price. Significant associations were observed for initial subjective effects elicited by alcohol or cannabis and increased DSM-5 severity: (alcohol) relief (OR = 2.52 [95% CI 1.51-4.25], p = .0005) and (cannabis) energetic (OR = 2.31 [95% CI 3.27-55.5], p = .0004). The mean (± SEM) Pmax value for the alcohol subgroup endorsing relief ($96.22 ± $26.48) was significantly greater than the Pmax value for the alcohol subgroup not endorsing relief ($33.81 ± $12.93), t(237) = 2.276, p = .0237. These results suggest that the initial subjective effects associated with a given substance may predict the development and/or severity of substance misuse and substance use disorders (SUDs). These findings are consistent with anecdotal reports that persons with SUD feel energized by the use of substances whereas persons without SUD do not report experiencing such subjective effects upon first use. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).
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23
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Aston ER, Merrill JE. Alcohol demand assessed daily as a predictor of same day drinking. PSYCHOLOGY OF ADDICTIVE BEHAVIORS 2023; 37:114-120. [PMID: 36455005 PMCID: PMC9852008 DOI: 10.1037/adb0000890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE In this investigation, baseline (trait) and daily (brief) alcohol purchase task (APT) indices (intensity: consumption at zero cost; Omax: maximum expenditure; breakpoint: cost suppressing consumption to zero) were used to investigate the influence of morning demand on subsequent alcohol consumption. METHOD Heavy drinking college students (n = 92, age 18-20, 50% female) completed 28 daily morning reports including demand and prior day drinking. Hierarchical linear modeling, with days (Level 1) nested within-person (Level 2) were used to test the effect of morning demand on number of drinks consumed on planned drinking days, with Level 1 (study day, survey time, weekend/weekday) and Level 2 (spending money, typical drinks) covariates. Subsequently, the relative impact on daily drinking of (a) the average of each daily demand index on planned drinking days versus (b) the matched trait demand index was assessed. RESULTS Higher morning intensity was related to increased alcohol consumption later that night. This finding held in sensitivity analyses wherein demand was assumed to be zero on unplanned drinking days. When tested individually, both aggregate daily and baseline trait intensity were significantly associated with average drinks measured daily. However, in the same model, only aggregate daily intensity was significant. Neither daily aggregate nor trait breakpoint or Omax were significant. CONCLUSIONS Findings replicate previous work suggesting that brief demand (intensity) can predict same day drinking. Elevation in intensity in particular may denote greater risk for elevated alcohol consumption at subsequent episodes, thus intervention among at-risk drinkers may be possible prior to drinking initiation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).
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24
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Evemy CG, Kurti AN, Skelly JM, Medina NA, Higgins ST. Examining the latent factor structure of a hypothetical cigarette purchase task among pregnant women. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol 2023; 31:23-28. [PMID: 35587423 PMCID: PMC10900909 DOI: 10.1037/pha0000571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
The cigarette purchase task (CPT) is a valid behavioral-economic measure of demand that has smokers estimate hypothetical cigarette consumption under a range of escalating prices. The task involves no experimenter exposure of participants to smoking. CPT demand is measured in terms of five indices: intensity (cigarettes consumed at $0), Omax (largest expenditure), Pmax (price associated with peak expenditure), breakpoint (the first price at which consumption is 0), and elasticity (rate at which consumption changes as a function of increasing price). Out of concern for collinearity, prior studies investigated a more parsimonious CPT latent-factor structure for these derived indices consisting of two factors. The present study examined whether the same two latent-factor solutions extend to pregnant women who smoke. Six hundred sixty-five women completed the CPT as part of recruitment for a clinical trial examining the efficacy of a remote contingency-management intervention to promote smoking cessation during pregnancy. Factor analysis confirmed a two-factor solution to the CPT accounting for 87% of the variance in the five indices with demand intensity and Omax loading onto amplitude and Omax, Pmax, breakpoint, and elasticity loading onto persistence. Backward elimination regression revealed a significant negative relationship between amplitude and persistence (i.e., lower amplitude and persistence scores predicted a higher likelihood of making at least one quit attempt upon learning of pregnancy). These results further support the utility of the CPT for experimentally examining individual differences in smoking among pregnant women in an efficient and ethical manner that does not involve exposing them to cigarette smoke. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).
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25
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Traxler HK, Kaplan BA, Rzeszutek MJ, Franck CT, Koffarnus MN. Interest in and perceived effectiveness of contingency management among alcohol drinkers using behavioral economic purchase tasks. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol 2023; 31:127-139. [PMID: 35708948 PMCID: PMC10103538 DOI: 10.1037/pha0000580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Contingency management (CM), in which financial incentives are provided upon verification of abstinence from alcohol, cigarettes, and/or illicit substances, is one of the most highly effective and empirically supported treatments for substance use disorders. However, the financial cost of implementation has been identified as a major barrier to implementation of this treatment. The purpose of this study was to develop behavioral economic purchase tasks to assess interest in CM as a function of treatment cost and perceived effectiveness of CM as a function of abstinence incentive size in alcohol drinkers. Alcohol drinkers recruited from Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) completed behavioral economic purchase tasks measuring demand for CM based on targeted abstinence intervals and treatment effectiveness and alcohol use disorder severity assessments. Nonlinear mixed-effects modeling was used to fit demand curves and assess the relationship between individual characteristics and demand metrics for CM. Results reveal that participants reported higher probability of remaining abstinent from drinking when offered larger incentives and required larger incentives when duration of abstinence required to earn the incentive was increased. Additionally, willingness to pay for treatment increased as effectiveness of treatment increased. Abstinence interval and treatment effectiveness are important features to consider when developing effective CM for widespread use, as these variables affected participants' likelihood of being abstinent and their interest in treatment. Future work will validate these assessments with actual treatment outcomes and determine predictors of CM treatment effectiveness. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).
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26
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Ferguson E, Fiore A, Yurasek AM, Cook RL, Boissoneault J. Association of therapeutic and recreational reasons for alcohol use with alcohol demand. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol 2023; 31:106-115. [PMID: 35201830 PMCID: PMC9399303 DOI: 10.1037/pha0000554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Motives for alcohol use and behavioral economic measures of demand are associated with alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems. However, it is unclear how differences in reasons for alcohol use may affect alcohol demand. Additionally, although alcohol is commonly used to self-manage conditions such as pain and sleep problems, the impact of these reasons for alcohol use on alcohol demand is not well characterized. The present study addressed this gap. Participants were adults recruited via Amazon Mechanical Turk as part of a larger study investigating health behaviors. Analyses included participants who reported alcohol use in the past year (N = 637). Participants were categorized as having recreational, therapeutic, or both recreational and therapeutic reasons for using alcohol. A brief, three-item measure of alcohol demand was administered. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) analyses revealed that alcohol drinkers endorsing both recreational and therapeutic reasons for use had significantly higher average intensity, Omax, and breakpoint indices compared to those who only reported recreational or therapeutic drinking motives (ps < .05; Cohen's d = .09-.17). Secondary analyses revealed differences in demand according to therapeutic reason for alcohol use endorsed. Significant main effects were found for use to relieve pain and anxiety/depression/stress, while interactive effects were detected for use to relieve pain and improve sleep and use to relieve pain and anxiety/depression/stress. Overall, results suggest that alcohol demand is highest in drinkers who consume alcohol for both therapeutic and recreational reasons. This group may be at elevated risk for alcohol use disorder and alcohol-related consequences. Continued research is necessary to examine this possibility. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin Ferguson
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Center for Pain Research and Behavioral Health, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL USA
| | - Andrew Fiore
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL USA
| | - Ali M. Yurasek
- Department of Health Education and Behavior, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL USA
| | - Robert L. Cook
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL USA
| | - Jeff Boissoneault
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Center for Pain Research and Behavioral Health, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL USA
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27
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Ray LA, Nieto SJ, Grodin EN. Translational models of addiction phenotypes to advance addiction pharmacotherapy. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2023; 1519:118-128. [PMID: 36385614 PMCID: PMC10823887 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.14929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol and substance use disorders are heterogeneous conditions with limited effective treatment options. While there have been prior attempts to classify addiction subtypes, they have not been translated into clinical practice. In an effort to better understand heterogeneity in psychiatric disorders, the National Institute for Mental Health Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) has challenged scientists to think beyond diagnostic symptoms and to consider the underlying features of psychopathology from a neuroscience-based framework. The field of addiction has grappled with this approach by considering several key constructs with the potential to capture RDoC domains. This critical review will focus on the efforts to apply translational models of addiction phenomenology in human clinical samples, including their relative strengths and weaknesses. Opportunities for forward and reverse translation are also discussed. Deep behavioral phenotyping using neuroscience-informed batteries shows promise for a better understanding of the clinical neuroscience of addiction and advancing precision medicine for alcohol and substance use disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara A. Ray
- Department of Psychology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Shirley & Stefan Hatos Center for Neuropharmacology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Jane & Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Steven J. Nieto
- Department of Psychology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Erica N. Grodin
- Department of Psychology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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28
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Rzeszutek MJ, Kaplan BA, Traxler HK, Franck CT, Koffarnus MN. Hyperbolic discounting and exponentiated demand: Modeling demand for cigarettes in three dimensions. J Exp Anal Behav 2023; 119:169-191. [PMID: 36562640 PMCID: PMC9872831 DOI: 10.1002/jeab.818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Behavioral economics has been a fruitful area of research in substance use. Mathematical descriptions of how individuals temporally discount the value of a commodity have been correlated with substance use and mathematical descriptions of drug consumption decreasing as a function of price (i.e., demand) predict maladaptive substance use. While there is a logical assumption that temporal factors affect demand for a drug, little has been done to merge these models. Thus, the purpose of this study was to combine models of discounting and demand, extending Howard Rachlin's work and contributions to novel areas of study. Data from 85 participants from Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) who completed a hypothetical cigarette purchase task that included price of and delay to cigarettes were analyzed. Multilevel modeling was used to determine descriptive accuracy of combined additive and multiplicative models of discounting and demand. Of the discounting models used in conjunction with the exponentiated demand equation, the Rachlin hyperboloid best described the delay dimension of consumption. The multiplicative version of the Rachlin equation applied to both delay and price outperformed other models tested. Therefore, existing models of discounting and demand can be extended to modeling consumption data from complex multidimensional experimental arrangements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark J Rzeszutek
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky
| | - Brent A Kaplan
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky
| | - Haily K Traxler
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky
| | | | - Mikhail N Koffarnus
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky
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29
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Higgins ST, Erath TG, DeSarno M, Reed DD, Gaalema DE, Sigmon SC, Heil SH, Tidey JW. Leveraging the cigarette purchase task to understand relationships between cumulative vulnerabilities, the relative reinforcing effects of smoking, and response to reduced nicotine content cigarettes. Prev Med 2022; 165:107206. [PMID: 35995102 DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2022.107206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Revised: 07/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
We examined if the relative-reinforcing effects of smoking increase with greater cumulative vulnerability and whether cumulative vulnerability moderates response to reduced nicotine content cigarettes. Participants were 775 adults from randomized clinical trials evaluating research cigarettes differing in nicotine content (0.4, 2.4, 15.8 mg/g). Participants were categorized as having low (0-1), moderate (2-3), or high (≥4) cumulative vulnerability. Vulnerabilities included rural residence, opioid use disorder, affective disorder, low educational attainment, poverty, unemployment, and physical disability. We used the cigarette purchase task (CPT) to assess the relative-reinforcing effects of participants' usual-brand cigarettes at baseline and study cigarettes during the 12-week trial. The CPT is a behavioral-economic task wherein participants estimate likely smoking (demand) over 24 h under escalating cigarette price. Demand is characterized by two factors: Amplitude (demand volume at zero/minimal price) and Persistence (demand sensitivity to price). Greater cumulative vulnerability was associated with greater demand Amplitude (F[2709] = 16.04,p < .0001) and Persistence (F[2709] = 8.35,p = .0003) for usual-brand cigarettes. Demand Amplitude for study cigarettes increased with increasing cumulative vulnerability (F[2619] = 19.59, p < .001) and decreased with decreasing nicotine content ([4879] = 5.45, p < .001). The only evidence of moderation was on demand Persistence (F[8867] = 2.00,p = .04), with larger reductions at the 0.4 mg/g compared to 15.8 mg/g doses among participants with low compared to moderate or high cumulative vulnerability. The relative-reinforcing effects of smoking clearly increase with greater cumulative vulnerability. Reducing nicotine content would likely reduce demand Amplitude across cumulative-vulnerability levels but reductions in demand Persistence may be more limited among those with greater cumulative vulnerability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen T Higgins
- Vermont Center on Behavior and Health, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States of America.
| | - Tyler G Erath
- Vermont Center on Behavior and Health, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States of America
| | - Michael DeSarno
- Vermont Center on Behavior and Health, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States of America
| | - Derek D Reed
- Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States of America
| | - Diann E Gaalema
- Vermont Center on Behavior and Health, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States of America
| | - Stacey C Sigmon
- Vermont Center on Behavior and Health, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States of America
| | - Sarah H Heil
- Vermont Center on Behavior and Health, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States of America
| | - Jennifer W Tidey
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States of America
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30
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Browning KO, DeSarno MJ, Davis DR, Streck JM, Bergeria CL, Harfmann RF, Parker MA, Heil SH, Sigmon SC, Gaalema DE, Tidey JW, Lee DC, Tetreault HJ, Higgins ST. Relating individual differences in the reinforcing value of smoking and dependence severity to nicotine exposure levels in vulnerable populations. Prev Med 2022; 165:107312. [PMID: 36272516 PMCID: PMC9986960 DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2022.107312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2022] [Revised: 10/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Cigarette smoking is overrepresented in populations with psychiatric conditions and socioeconomic disadvantage. Greater understanding of the role of reinforcement and nicotine dependence in smoking among vulnerable populations may facilitate development of better targeted interventions to reduce smoking. Prior research demonstrated that individual differences in the reinforcing value of smoking and nicotine-dependence severity predicted total nicotine-exposure in vulnerable populations. The present study uses multivariate regression to address two aims: (1) Quantify the degree to which the reinforcing value of smoking, assessed using the Cigarette Purchase Task (CPT), and dependence severity assessed using the Fagerström Test of Nicotine Dependence and Brief Wisconsin Inventory of Smoking Dependence Motives (B-WISDM) each account for individual differences in cotinine-plus-3'-hydroxycotinine (COT+3HC) levels. (2) Explore whether there is overlap in the variance accounted for by the CTP, FTND, and B-WISDM. Participants were 628 adults with co-morbid psychiatric conditions or socioeconomic disadvantage who smoked daily. The CPT, FTND, and B-WISDM models accounted for 23.76%, 32.45%, and 29.61% of the variance in COT+3HC levels, respectively. Adding CPT to the FTND model failed to increase the variance accounted for and adding it to the B-WISDM model did so by only 1.2% demonstrating considerable overlap in the variance in nicotine exposure levels accounted for by these three instruments. These results provide new knowledge on the relationship between individual differences in the reinforcing value of smoking and nicotine-exposure levels and suggest differences in reinforcing value may underpin a considerable portion of the variance in nicotine exposure accounted for by dependence severity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlyn O Browning
- Vermont Center on Behavior and Health, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States of America
| | - Michael J DeSarno
- Vermont Center on Behavior and Health, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States of America
| | - Danielle R Davis
- Yale University Tobacco Center of Regulatory Science, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - Joanna M Streck
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Cecilia L Bergeria
- Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Roxanne F Harfmann
- Vermont Center on Behavior and Health, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States of America
| | - Maria A Parker
- School of Public Health, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States of America
| | - Sarah H Heil
- Vermont Center on Behavior and Health, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States of America
| | - Stacey C Sigmon
- Vermont Center on Behavior and Health, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States of America
| | - Diann E Gaalema
- Vermont Center on Behavior and Health, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States of America
| | - Jennifer W Tidey
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States of America
| | - Dustin C Lee
- Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Haley J Tetreault
- Vermont Center on Behavior and Health, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States of America
| | - Stephen T Higgins
- Vermont Center on Behavior and Health, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States of America.
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31
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Freitas-Lemos R, Stein JS, Tegge AN, Kaplan BA, Heckman BW, McNeill A, Cummings KM, Fong GT, Bickel WK. Illegal Experimental Tobacco Marketplace II: effects of vaping product bans - findings from the 2020 International Tobacco Control Project. Tob Control 2022; 31:s214-s222. [PMID: 36328461 PMCID: PMC9664097 DOI: 10.1136/tc-2022-057515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
SIGNIFICANCE Restrictive e-cigarette policies may increase purchases from illegal sources. The Illegal Experimental Tobacco Marketplace (IETM) allows examination of how restrictions impact illegal purchases. We investigated (1) the effect of a vaping ban, total flavour vaping ban and partial flavour vaping ban on the probability of purchasing illegal vaping products among different regulatory environments (USA, Canada and England) and tobacco user types (cigarette smokers, dual users and e-cigarette users); and (2) the relation between ban endorsement and illegal purchases. METHODS Participants (N=459) from the International Tobacco Control Survey rated their support of bans and chose to purchase from a hypothetical legal experimental tobacco marketplace or IETM under control and the three ban conditions. RESULTS In total, 25% of cigarette smokers, 67% of dual users and 79% of e-cigarette users made IETM purchases. Cross-country comparisons depicted dual users from Canada (OR: 19.8), and e-cigarette users from the USA (OR: 12.9) exhibited higher illegal purchases odds than the same user type in England. Within-country comparisons showed e-cigarette and dual users are more likely to purchase from the IETM than cigarette smokers in the most restrictive condition, with the largest effects in e-cigarette users (England-OR: 1722.6, USA-OR: 22725.3, Canada-OR: 6125.0). Increased opposition towards partial or total flavour ban was associated with increased IETM purchasing in the corresponding condition. CONCLUSIONS Vaping restrictions may shift users' preference to the illegal marketplace in a regulatory environment. Evidence of the IETM generalisability in a geographically dispersed sample enhances its utility in tobacco regulatory science.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jeffrey S Stein
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, Roanoke, Virginia, USA
| | - Allison N Tegge
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, Roanoke, Virginia, USA
| | - Brent A Kaplan
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
| | - Bryan W Heckman
- Center for the Study of Social Determinants on Health, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Ann McNeill
- UK Centre for Tobacco Control Studies, National Addiction Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK
| | - K Michael Cummings
- Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Geoffrey T Fong
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.,Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Warren K Bickel
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, Roanoke, Virginia, USA
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32
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Berey BL, Aston ER, Kearns NT, McGeary JE, Borsari B, Metrik J. Prospective associations between sleep disturbances and cannabis use among Veterans: A behavioral economic approach. Addict Behav 2022; 134:107424. [PMID: 35863267 DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2022.107424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Revised: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Veterans often use cannabis for sleep despite limited evidence of its efficacy. Moreover, how sleep disturbances impact cannabis use longitudinally is unclear. We applied a behavioral economic framework to examine whether sleep disturbances and cannabis demand (i.e., relative value) were related risk-factors for future cannabis use and problems. METHODS Veterans deployed post-9/11/2001 who reported past 6-month cannabis use at baseline (n = 126) completed surveys on their sleep disturbances, demand via the Marijuana Purchase Task (MPT), and cannabis use. Mediation analyses using Hayes' PROCESS Macro and zero-inflated negative binomial models tested indirect effects of baseline sleep disturbances on 12-month cannabis use frequency, quantity, and problems via 6-month cannabis demand (i.e., intensity, Omax, Pmax, and breakpoint). RESULTS Only Omax (i.e., maximum expenditure for cannabis) was a significant mediator for 12-month cannabis use quantity and problems when examined concurrently with other demand indices after controlling for covariates. Intensity (i.e., purchase at zero cost) was a significant mediator for 12-month cannabis use frequency when examined concurrently with other demand indices in models controlling for lifetime cannabis use, but not past 30-day use at baseline. CONCLUSION Cannabis demand, specifically intensity and Omax, may help to identify Veterans with sleep disturbances who are at increased risk for escalating their cannabis use. Subsequent research should assess the extent that sleep disturbances impact cannabis demand in the context of withdrawal, which will inform novel prevention and intervention strategies geared toward reducing negative cannabis-related outcomes among Veterans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin L Berey
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, United States
| | - Elizabeth R Aston
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, United States
| | - Nathan T Kearns
- U.S. Army Medical Research Directorate - West, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, United States
| | - John E McGeary
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, United States; Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown University, United States; Providence VA Medical Center, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Brian Borsari
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California San Francisco, United States; Mental Health Service, San Francisco VA Health Care System, United States
| | - Jane Metrik
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, United States; Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown University, United States; Providence VA Medical Center, Providence, RI, United States.
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Simuzingili M, Hoetger C, Garner W, Everhart RS, Hood KB, Nana-Sinkam P, Cobb CO, Barnes AJ. What influences demand for cigars among African American adult cigar smokers? Results from a hypothetical purchase task. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol 2022; 30:479-485. [PMID: 34110888 PMCID: PMC8660958 DOI: 10.1037/pha0000491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
African Americans (AA) have historically been targeted by the tobacco industry and have the highest rates of current cigar use among racial/ethnic groups in the U.S. Yet, there is limited evidence on other factors influencing cigar use. Amongst a sample of 78 AA current cigar (any type) smokers, log-linear regression models examined correlates of cigar demand obtained from a validated behavioral economic purchase task. Mean intensity, or cigar demand when free, was 6.68 cigars (standard deviation [SD]: 8.17), while mean breakpoint, or the highest price a participant was willing to pay, was $4.62 (SD: 3.88). Mean maximum daily expenditure, Omax was $15.20 (SD: 25.73) and Pmax, the price at Omax was $5.25 (SD: 3.95). Participants aged 21 to 30 years compared to those aged 18 to 20 years, those with higher levels of dependence, and females compared to males, had a significantly higher intensity. Participants with cannabis use above the sample median in the last 30 days (4 + days) had significantly higher intensity and Omax than those below the median. Further, participants with a high school education or more had a significantly lower intensity, breakpoint, and Omax than those with less than high school education. Individuals with income below the federal poverty line (FPL) also had a significantly lower breakpoint and Omax than those above. Finally, tobacco harm perceptions were inversely associated with Pmax. Stricter policies on cigar products, such as higher taxes and product-specific harm messaging, may have an immediate and sustained impact on health disparities related to cigar use. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Cosima Hoetger
- Center for the Study of Tobacco Products, Virginia Commonwealth University
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University
| | - William Garner
- Department of Life and Health Sciences, University of North Texas at Dallas
| | | | | | | | - Caroline O. Cobb
- Center for the Study of Tobacco Products, Virginia Commonwealth University
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University
| | - Andrew J. Barnes
- Department of Health Behavior and Policy, Virginia Commonwealth University
- Center for the Study of Tobacco Products, Virginia Commonwealth University
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Acuff SF, Pilatti A, Collins M, Hides L, Thingujam NS, Chai WJ, Yap WM, Shuai R, Hogarth L, Bravo AJ, Murphy JG. Reinforcer pathology of internet-related behaviors among college students: Data from six countries. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol 2022; 30:725-739. [PMID: 33914568 PMCID: PMC8553798 DOI: 10.1037/pha0000459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Research has demonstrated that repeated engagement in low-effort behaviors that are associated with immediate reward, such as Internet use, can result in a pathological reinforcement process in which the behavior is increasingly selected over other activities due, in part, to a low availability of alternative activities and to a strong preference for immediate rather than delayed rewards (delay discounting). However, this reinforcer pathology model has not been generalized to other Internet-related behaviors, such as online gaming or smartphone use. Given the widespread availability of these technologies, it is also important to examine whether reinforcer pathology of Internet-related behaviors is culturally universal or culture-specific. The current study examines relations between behavioral economic constructs (Internet demand, delay discounting, and alternative reinforcement) and Internet-related addictive behaviors (harmful Internet use, smartphone use, online gaming, and Internet sexual behavior) in a cross-sectional sample of college students (N = 1,406) from six different countries (Argentina, Australia, India, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, and the United States). Using structural equation modeling, Internet demand was associated with harmful Internet use, smartphone use, and online gaming; delay discounting was associated with harmful smartphone use; and alternative reinforcement was associated with harmful Internet and smartphone use. The models were partially invariant across countries. However, mean levels of behavioral economic variables differed across countries, country-level gross domestic product, person-level income, and sex at birth. Results support behavioral economic theory and highlight the importance of considering both individual and country-level sociocultural contextual factors in models for understanding harmful engagement with Internet-related behaviors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Angelina Pilatti
- Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba
| | | | - Leanne Hides
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland
| | | | - Wen Jia Chai
- Department of Neurosciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia
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Borissova A, Soni S, Aston ER, Lees R, Petrilli K, Wall MB, Bloomfield MAP, Mertzani E, Paksina A, Freeman TP, Mokrysz C, Lawn W, Curran HV. Age differences in the behavioural economics of cannabis use: Do adolescents and adults differ on demand for cannabis and discounting of future reward? Drug Alcohol Depend 2022; 238:109531. [PMID: 35809475 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2022.109531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2021] [Revised: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adolescence is a period of psychological and neural development in which harms associated with cannabis use may be heightened. We hypothesised that adolescent who use cannabis (adolescentsWUC) would have steeper delay discounting (preference for immediate over future rewards) and greater demand (relative valuation) for cannabis than adults who use cannabis (adultsWUC). METHODS This cross-sectional study, part of the 'CannTeen' project, compared adultsWUC (n = 71, 26-29 years old) and adolescentsWUC (n = 76, 16-17 years old), and gender- and age-matched adolescent (n = 63) and adult (n = 64) controls. AdolescentsWUC and adultsWUC used cannabis 1-7 days/week and were matched on cannabis use frequency (4 days/week). The Monetary Choice Questionnaire assessed delay discounting. A modified Marijuana Purchase Task (MPT) assessed cannabis demand in adolescentsWUC and adultsWUC. The MPT yielded five indices: intensity (amount of cannabis used at zero cost), Omax (total peak expenditure), Pmax (price at peak expenditure), breakpoint (cost at which cannabis demand is suppressed to zero) and elasticity (degree to which cannabis use decreases with increasing price). Analyses were adjusted for covariates of gender, socioeconomic status, other illicit drug use. RESULTS Both adolescentsWUC and adultsWUC had steeper delay discounting than controls (F, (1,254)= 9.13, p = 0.003, ηp2= 0.04), with no significant age effect or interaction. AdolescentsWUC showed higher intensity (F, (1,138)= 9.76, p = 0.002, ηp2= 0.07) and lower elasticity (F, (1,138)= 15.25, p < 0.001, ηp2= 0.10) than adultsWUC. There were no significant differences in Pmax, Omax or breakpoint. CONCLUSION Individuals who use cannabis prefer immediate rewards more than controls. AdolescentsWUC, compared to adultsWUC, may be in a high-risk category with diminished sensitivity to cannabis price increases and a greater consumption of cannabis when it is free.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Borissova
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, University College London, London, United Kingdom; Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; NIHR University College London Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre, University College Hospital, London, United Kingdom.
| | - S Soni
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - E R Aston
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, USA
| | - R Lees
- Addiction and Mental Health Group (AIM), Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
| | - K Petrilli
- Addiction and Mental Health Group (AIM), Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
| | - M B Wall
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, University College London, London, United Kingdom; Invicro London, Burlington Danes Building, Hammersmith Hospital, Du Cane Road, London, United Kingdom
| | - M A P Bloomfield
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, University College London, London, United Kingdom; NIHR University College London Hospitals Biomedical Research Centre, University College Hospital, London, United Kingdom; Translational Psychiatry Research Group, Research Department of Mental Health Neuroscience, Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, United Kingdom; Psychiatric Imaging Group, Medical Research Council London Institute of Medical Sciences, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | - E Mertzani
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - A Paksina
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - T P Freeman
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, University College London, London, United Kingdom; Addiction and Mental Health Group (AIM), Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
| | - C Mokrysz
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - W Lawn
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, University College London, London, United Kingdom; National Addiction Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - H V Curran
- Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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Gex KS, Acuff SF, Campbell KW, Mun EY, Dennhardt AA, Borsari B, Martens MP, Murphy JG. Change in alcohol demand following a brief intervention predicts change in alcohol use: A latent growth curve analysis. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2022; 46:1525-1538. [PMID: 35707989 PMCID: PMC9427684 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Revised: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The association between behavioral economic demand and various alcohol use outcomes is well established. However, few studies have examined whether changes in demand occur following a brief alcohol intervention (BAI), and whether this change predicts alcohol outcomes over the long term. METHODS Parallel process piecewise latent growth curve models were examined in a sample of 393 heavy drinking emerging adults (60.8% women; 85.2% white; Mage = 18.77). In these models, two linear slopes represented rates of change in alcohol use, heavy drinking episodes, alcohol-related problems, and demand (intensity and highest expenditure across all price points or Omax ) from baseline to 1 month (slope 1) and 1 month to 16 months (slope 2). Mediation analyses were conducted to estimate the effect of a BAI on 16-month alcohol outcomes through slope 1 demand. RESULTS A two-session BAI predicted significant reductions in all five outcomes from baseline to 1-month follow-up. Although no further reduction was observed from the 1-month to the 16-month follow-up, there was no regression to baseline levels. Slope 1 demand intensity, but not Omax , significantly mediated the association between BAI and both outcomes-heavy drinking episodes (Est. = -0.23, SE = 0.08, p < 0.01) and alcohol-related problems (Est. = -0.15, SE = 0.07, p < 0.05)-at the 16-month follow-up. CONCLUSIONS Reducing high valuation of alcohol among heavy drinking emerging adults within the first month following BAI is critical for the long-term efficacy of the intervention. A two-session BAI was associated with enduring reductions in alcohol demand, and the change in demand intensity, but not Omax , was associated with sustained reductions in heavy drinking and alcohol-related problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn S. Gex
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Addiction Sciences Division, Medical University of South Carolina, 67 President St. MSC 864, Charleston, SC 29425,Corresponding Author and Phone: (843) 876-2084
| | - Samuel F. Acuff
- Department of Psychology, The University of Memphis, 400 Innovation Drive, Memphis, TN 38152
| | - Kevin W. Campbell
- Department of Psychology, The University of Memphis, 400 Innovation Drive, Memphis, TN 38152
| | - Eun-Young Mun
- Department of Health Behavior and Health Systems, School of Public Health, University of North Texas Health Science Center, 3500 Camp Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth, TX 76107
| | - Ashley A. Dennhardt
- Department of Psychology, The University of Memphis, 400 Innovation Drive, Memphis, TN 38152
| | - Brian Borsari
- San Francisco Veterans Affairs Health Care System, 4150 Clement St., San Francisco, CA 94121,University of California – San Francisco, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, 982 Mission St., San Francisco, CA 94103
| | - Matthew P. Martens
- The University of Missouri, Department of Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology, 118D Hill Hall, Columbia, MO 65211
| | - James G. Murphy
- Department of Psychology, The University of Memphis, 400 Innovation Drive, Memphis, TN 38152
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Freitas-Lemos R, Tegge AN, Craft WH, Tomlinson DC, Stein JS, Bickel WK. Understanding data quality: Instructional comprehension as a practical metric in crowdsourced investigations of behavioral economic cigarette demand. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol 2022; 30:415-423. [PMID: 35862135 PMCID: PMC9469988 DOI: 10.1037/pha0000579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Crowdsourcing platforms allow researchers to quickly recruit and collect behavioral economic measures in substance-using populations, such as cigarette smokers. Despite the broad utility and flexibility, data quality issues have been an object of concern. In two separate studies recruiting cigarette smokers, we sought to investigate the association between a practical quality control measure (accuracy on an instruction quiz), on internal consistency of number of cigarettes smoked per day and purchasing patterns of tobacco products in an experimental tobacco marketplace (ETM; Study 1), and in a cigarette purchase task (CPT; Study 2). Participants (N = 312 in Study 1; N = 119 in Study 2) were recruited from Amazon mechanical turk. Both studies included task instructions, a quiz, a purchase task, cigarette usage and dependence questions, and demographics. The results show that participants who answered all instruction items correctly: (a) reported the number of cigarettes per day more consistently (partial η² = 0.11, p < .001, Study 1; partial η² = 0.09, p = .016, Study 2), (b) demonstrated increased model fit among the cigarette demand curves (partial η² = 0.23, p < .001, Study 1; partial η² = 0.08, p = .002, Study 2), and purchased tobacco products in the ETM more consistently with their current usage. We conclude that instruction quizzes before purchase tasks may be useful for researchers evaluating demand data. Instruction quizzes with multiple items may allow researchers to choose the level of data quality appropriate for their studies. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Allison N. Tegge
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, Roanoke, VA, USA,Department of Statistics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - William H. Craft
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, Roanoke, VA, USA,Graduate Program in Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Devin C. Tomlinson
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, Roanoke, VA, USA,Graduate Program in Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Jeffrey S. Stein
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, Roanoke, VA, USA
| | - Warren K. Bickel
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, Roanoke, VA, USA
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Schwartz LP, Hursh SR. Time Cost and Demand: Implications for Public Policy. Perspect Behav Sci 2022; 46:51-66. [PMID: 35812525 PMCID: PMC9256361 DOI: 10.1007/s40614-022-00349-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The success of policy involves not only good design but a good understanding of how the public will respond behaviorally to the benefits or detriments of that policy. Behavioral science has greatly contributed to how we understand the impact of monetary costs on behavior and has therefore contributed to policy design. Consumption taxes are a direct result of this; for example, cigarette taxes that aim to reduce cigarette consumption. In addition to monetary costs, time may also be conceptualized as a constraint on consumption. Time costs may therefore have policy implications, for example, long waiting times could deter people from accessing certain benefits. Recent data show that behavioral economic demand curve methods used to understand monetary cost may also be used to understand time costs. In this article we discuss how the impact of time cost can be conceptualized as a constraint on demand for public benefits utilization and public health when there are delays to receiving the benefits. Policy examples in which time costs may be relevant and demand curve methods may be useful are discussed in the areas of government benefits, public health, and transportation design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay P. Schwartz
- Applied Behavioral Research, Institutes for Behavior Resources, 2104 Maryland Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21218 USA
| | - Steven R. Hursh
- Applied Behavioral Research, Institutes for Behavior Resources, 2104 Maryland Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21218 USA ,Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD USA
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Mead-Morse EL, Cassidy RN, Oncken C, Tidey JW, Delnevo CD, Litt M. Validity of a little cigars/cigarillos purchase task in dual users of cigars and cigarettes. Addict Behav 2022; 130:107285. [PMID: 35255241 DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2022.107285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Revised: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Hypothetical purchase tasks have been widely used to assess the reinforcing value of tobacco products. However, a task has not yet been validated for little cigars and cigarillos (LCCs), a popular tobacco product class among vulnerable populations. This study sought to validate the LCC Purchase Task (LCCPT) in a sample of experienced LCC smokers. METHODS Data were collected from 65 young adult (18-34 years) LCC and cigarette dual users (78.5% male) in Connecticut (2018-2020). Participants completed the usual-brand LCCPT for consumption in 24 h at increasing prices. We calculated four observed demand indices: intensity (consumption at $0), breakpoint (price after which consumption reaches 0), Omax (maximum daily expenditure), and Pmax (price at which daily expenditure was maximized). Two indices were estimated from demand curves: Q0 (predicted consumption as price approaches $0) and price-sensitivity (sensitivity to price increases). Spearman correlations and multivariable regressions examined the associations between demand indices, self-reported cigar use, and dependence. RESULTS Correlations were in expected directions. All indices except breakpoint and Pmax were positively correlated with use, and all indices were correlated with multiple measures of dependence. Overall, greater demand and expenditure for LCCs and lower sensitivity to price changes were correlated with greater use and dependence. In regression analyses intensity and price-sensitivity showed the strongest relationships with use and dependence. CONCLUSIONS The validity of the LCCPT was supported in a sample of experienced LCC smokers. This instrument can be incorporated into other protocols to assess the abuse liability of LCCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin L Mead-Morse
- Department of Medicine, UConn Health, 263 Farmington Ave., Farmington, CT 06030, USA.
| | - Rachel N Cassidy
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University, Box G-S121-4, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Cheryl Oncken
- Department of Medicine, UConn Health, 263 Farmington Ave., Farmington, CT 06030, USA
| | - Jennifer W Tidey
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University, Box G-S121-4, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Cristine D Delnevo
- Rutgers Center for Tobacco Studies, 303 George St., New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
| | - Mark Litt
- Division of Behavioral Science and Community Health, UConn Health, 263 Farmington Ave., Farmington, CT 06030, USA
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Koffarnus MN, Kaplan BA, Franck CT, Rzeszutek MJ, Traxler HK. Behavioral economic demand modeling chronology, complexities, and considerations: Much ado about zeros. Behav Processes 2022; 199:104646. [PMID: 35472630 PMCID: PMC10583856 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2022.104646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2021] [Revised: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Behavioral economic demand has been shown to have high utility in quantifying the value or consumption of a commodity. Demand describes the relationship between cost and consumption of a commodity, and tends to be curvilinear with consumption approaching zero as the cost increases to a sufficiently high cost to suppress consumption completely. Over a period spanning greater than three decades, behavioral economists have made great strides in the modeling of demand and addressing analytical challenges, although this work is not complete and unresolved challenges remain. The analytical challenges associated with modeling zeros both when they arise as consumption values of zero and when consumption at zero cost is assessed have been a substantial part of this evolution in models. The goals of this methodological review are to provide a historical overview of the major behavioral economic demand models that have been proposed, describe some of the common difficulties with analyzing behavioral economic demand, and discuss general considerations for the analysis of demand. In an environment with evolving and multiple competing analytical practices, we conclude that researchers can maximize scientific rigor by embracing transparency in their analysis choices and employing techniques such as sensitivity analyses to determine if their analysis choices impact the conclusions of their experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikhail N Koffarnus
- University of Kentucky, Department of Family and Community Medicine, 2195 Harrodsburg Rd., Suite 125, Lexington, KY 40504, USA.
| | - Brent A Kaplan
- University of Kentucky, Department of Family and Community Medicine, 2195 Harrodsburg Rd., Suite 125, Lexington, KY 40504, USA.
| | - Christopher T Franck
- Virginia Tech, Department of Statistics, 250 Drillfield Dr., Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA.
| | - Mark J Rzeszutek
- University of Kentucky, Department of Family and Community Medicine, 2195 Harrodsburg Rd., Suite 125, Lexington, KY 40504, USA.
| | - Haily K Traxler
- University of Kentucky, Department of Family and Community Medicine, 2195 Harrodsburg Rd., Suite 125, Lexington, KY 40504, USA.
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Effects of Very Low Nicotine Content Cigarette use on Cigarette Reinforcement among Smokers with Serious Mental Illness. Addict Behav 2022; 133:107376. [PMID: 35671553 DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2022.107376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2021] [Revised: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Among people without psychiatric disorders who smoke, very low nicotine content (VLNC) cigarette use reduces cigarette reinforcement. Whether this is true of people with serious mental illness (SMI) who smoke is unknown. Using a hypothetical purchase task, we compared the effects of 6-week use of VLNC versus normal nicotine content (NNC) cigarettes on study cigarette and usual brand (UB) cigarette reinforcement among people with SMI who smoke. METHODS After a baseline period of UB cigarette use, participants with SMI (n = 58) were randomized to use NNC cigarettes (15.8 mg nicotine/g tobacco) or VLNC cigarettes (0.4 mg/g) for 6 weeks. At Week 6, they completed the CPT for both their assigned study cigarette and UB. The groups were compared on demand intensity (number of cigarettes purchased at no cost) and elasticity (rate of decline in demand as price increases) using extra sum-of-squares F-tests. The effects of treatment on demand indices while controlling for covariates were assessed using hierarchical regression. RESULTS At Week 6, intensity of demand for study cigarettes was lower and elasticity was higher for the VLNC group relative to the NNC group (p < 0.0001). Furthermore, intensity of demand for UB cigarettes was lower for participants in the VLNC group relative to participants in the NNC group (p < 0.01). When controlling for baseline cigarettes per day, intensity remained significantly different for study cigarettes and usual brand cigarettes at Week 6. CONCLUSION A nicotine reduction policy may reduce cigarette reinforcement in this vulnerable population.
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Gilroy SP, Picardo R. Applications of operant demand to treatment selection III: Consumer behavior analysis of treatment choice. J Exp Anal Behav 2022; 118:46-58. [PMID: 35416300 DOI: 10.1002/jeab.758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Behavior analysts and psychologists advocate for the use of therapies and strategies based on credible, scientific evidence. Researchers and clinicians regularly advocate for Evidence-based Practices (EBPs) over questionable "alternatives" because caregivers seldom choose interventions based on scientific evidence alone. This study applied methods and concepts from Consumer Behavior Analysis to conduct a reinforcer-based evaluation of the consequences that influence treatment choices. Hypothetical Treatment Purchase Tasks (HTPTs) were designed to evaluate how utilitarian (UR; i.e., the efficacy of treatment) and informational sources of reinforcement (IR; i.e., community support for treatment) jointly influence treatment-related choices. A total of 104 caregivers were recruited using the Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) framework to complete two HTPTs. Results indicated that caregivers overall favored treatments with greater IR over those with greater UR, suggesting that indirect contingencies for treatment choices exerted greater overall influence than the direct contingencies of treatment choices (i.e., efficacy). This finding extends the literature on treatment choice by providing a reinforcer-based perspective on why 'fad', questionable, and pseudoscientific practices can achieve and maintain high levels of adoption by caregivers. This work concludes with a discussion of Consumer Behavior Analysis and how reinforcer-based interpretations of choice can be used to improve efforts to support and advocate for evidence-based child behavior treatments.
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Reed DD, Strickland JC, Gelino BW, Hursh SR, Jarmolowicz DP, Kaplan BA, Amlung M. Applied Behavioral Economics and Public Health Policies: Historical Precedence and Translational Promise. Behav Processes 2022; 198:104640. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2022.104640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Revised: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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Dolan SB, Spindle TR, Vandrey R, Johnson MW. Behavioral economic interactions between cannabis and alcohol purchasing: Associations with disordered use. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol 2022; 30:159-171. [PMID: 33001691 PMCID: PMC8209692 DOI: 10.1037/pha0000397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
As cannabis policy changes, there is an urgent need to understand interactions between cannabis and alcohol couse. An online sample of 711 adult past-month cannabis and alcohol users completed both single-item hypothetical purchasing tasks for cannabis and alcohol and cross-commodity purchasing tasks assessing adjusting-price cannabis with concurrently available, fixed-price alcohol, and vice versa. Participants provided information about cannabis and alcohol use patterns, and completed the Alcohol and Cannabis Use Disorder Identification Tests (AUDIT and CUDIT, respectively). Group data showed that cannabis and alcohol served as complements (as the price of the adjusting-price commodity increased, consumption of both commodities decreased). However, individual data showed substantial variability with nontrivial proportions showing patterns of complementarity, substitution, and independence. More negative slopes (greater complementarity) for fixed-price cannabis and alcohol were both associated with greater self-reported drug consumption and CUDIT and AUDIT scores. The negative relation between cross-price slope and CUDIT/AUDIT score indicates that individuals who treat cannabis and alcohol more as complements are more likely to experience disordered use. Based on these cross-commodity purchasing data, when both cannabis and alcohol are concurrently available at low prices, both may be used at high levels, whereas limiting consumption of one commodity (e.g., through increased price) may reduce consumption of the other. These data show the importance of examining individual participant analyses of behavioral economic drug interactions and suggest that manipulation of cost (e.g., through taxes) or cosale restrictions are potential public health regulatory mechanisms for reducing alcohol and cannabis use and couse behaviors. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean B Dolan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
| | | | - Ryan Vandrey
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
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45
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Kaplan BA, Crill EM, Franck CT, Bickel WK, Koffarnus MN. Blood Nicotine Predicts the Behavioral Economic Abuse Liability of Reduced-Nicotine Cigarettes. Nicotine Tob Res 2022; 24:728-735. [PMID: 34865118 PMCID: PMC8962718 DOI: 10.1093/ntr/ntab227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Revised: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cigarette smoking continues to be a major health concern and remains the leading preventable cause of death in the US. Recent efforts have been made to determine the potential health and policy benefits of reducing nicotine in combustible cigarettes. The degree to which changes in blood nicotine relate to measures of the abuse liability of reduced-nicotine cigarettes is unknown. The current study examined the relation between blood nicotine and behavioral economic demand measures of cigarettes differing in nicotine content. METHODS Using a within-subject design, participants smoked a single cigarette during each experimental session. Cigarettes included the participant's usual-brand cigarette and SPECTRUM investigational cigarette differing in nicotine level (mg of nicotine to g of tobacco; 15.8 mg/g, 5.2 mg/g, 2.4 mg/g, 1.3 mg/g, and 0.4 mg/g). During each session, blood was collected at multiple timepoints and behavioral economic demand was assessed. Nonlinear mixed-effects models were used to estimate differences in derived intensity (Q0) and change in elasticity (α). RESULTS Measures of blood nicotine decreased in an orderly fashion related to nicotine level and significantly predicted change in elasticity (α), but not derived intensity. No differences in demand parameters between the usual brand and 15.8mg/g cigarettes were observed. However, α was significantly higher (lower valuation) for 0.4mg/g than 15.8mg/g cigarettes. CONCLUSIONS The lowest nicotine level (0.4mg/g) corresponded with the lowest abuse liability (α) compared to the full-strength control (15.8mg/g), with the 1.3mg/g level also resulting in low abuse liability. IMPLICATIONS This is the first study examining the relative contributions of nicotine content in cigarettes and blood nicotine levels on the behavioral economic demand abuse liability of cigarettes ranging in nicotine content. Our results suggest blood nicotine and nicotine content both predict behavioral economic demand abuse liability. In addition, our results suggest a nicotine content of 1.3mg/g or lower may be effective at reducing cigarette uptake among first-time (naïve) smokers. Our results largely conform to previous findings suggesting a very low nicotine content cigarette maintains lower abuse liability than full-strength cigarettes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brent A Kaplan
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Elisa M Crill
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | | | - Warren K Bickel
- Addiction Recovery Research Center, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, Roanoke, VA, USA
- Graduate Program in Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Mikhail N Koffarnus
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
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Abstract
Purpose of Review To explore relations between behavioral economic demand for cannabis and cannabis use disorder (CUD). Prior reviews have focused on drug demand in relation to use outcomes more generally. Complementing and enhancing prior work synthesizing research on cannabis demand, the present review endeavors to determine whether specific demand indices derived from the marijuana purchase task are most reliably related to CUD. Additionally, sociodemographic characteristics of participants in these studies were reviewed to identify whether certain populations were underrepresented in behavioral economic cannabis research. Recent Findings Behavioral economic demand is related to CUD; intensity and elasticity of cannabis demand were consistently associated with CUD diagnosis and severity. However, frequently, only select demand indices were assessed or reported, precluding the ability to confirm which indices are superior for denoting CUD risk. Further, most studies enrolled samples that were predominately young adults, Caucasian, and male. Summary As CUD becomes more prevalent in the wake of cannabis legalization, identification of robust predictors of CUD risk is paramount. Cannabis demand is consistently associated with CUD; however, individual indices of import in this relationship remain ambiguous. Subsequent research is needed to confirm index-specific markers of disordered cannabis use, and whether links between demand and CUD generalize across diverse populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth R. Aston
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, Box GS121-5, Providence, RI 02912, USA
- Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University School of Public Heath, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Benjamin L. Berey
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, Box GS121-5, Providence, RI 02912, USA
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47
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Zhang S, Chu H, Bickel WK, Le CT, Smith TT, Thomas JL, Donny EC, Hatsukami DK, Luo X. A Bayesian hierarchical model for individual participant data meta-analysis of demand curves. Stat Med 2022; 41:2276-2290. [PMID: 35194829 DOI: 10.1002/sim.9354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2019] [Revised: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Individual participant data meta-analysis is a frequently used method to combine and contrast data from multiple independent studies. Bayesian hierarchical models are increasingly used to appropriately take into account potential heterogeneity between studies. In this paper, we propose a Bayesian hierarchical model for individual participant data generated from the Cigarette Purchase Task (CPT). Data from the CPT details how demand for cigarettes varies as a function of price, which is usually described as an exponential demand curve. As opposed to the conventional random-effects meta-analysis methods, Bayesian hierarchical models are able to estimate both the study-specific and population-level parameters simultaneously without relying on the normality assumptions. We applied the proposed model to a meta-analysis with baseline CPT data from six studies and compared the results from the proposed model and a two-step conventional random-effects meta-analysis approach. We conducted extensive simulation studies to investigate the performance of the proposed approach and discussed the benefits of using the Bayesian hierarchical model for individual participant data meta-analysis of demand curves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengwei Zhang
- Division of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Haitao Chu
- Division of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Warren K Bickel
- Addiction Recovery Research Center, Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, Roanoke, Virginia, USA
| | - Chap T Le
- Division of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Tracy T Smith
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Janet L Thomas
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Eric C Donny
- Baptist Comprehensive Cancer Center and Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Dorothy K Hatsukami
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.,Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Xianghua Luo
- Division of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.,Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
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48
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Strickland JC, Reed DD, Hursh SR, Schwartz LP, Foster RNS, Gelino BW, LeComte RS, Oda FS, Salzer AR, Schneider TD, Dayton L, Latkin C, Johnson MW. Behavioral economic methods to inform infectious disease response: Prevention, testing, and vaccination in the COVID-19 pandemic. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0258828. [PMID: 35045071 PMCID: PMC8769299 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0258828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 10/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The role of human behavior to thwart transmission of infectious diseases like COVID-19 is evident. Psychological and behavioral science are key areas to understand decision-making processes underlying engagement in preventive health behaviors. Here we adapt well validated methods from behavioral economic discounting and demand frameworks to evaluate variables (e.g., delay, cost, probability) known to impact health behavior engagement. We examine the contribution of these mechanisms within a broader response class of behaviors reflecting adherence to public health recommendations made during the COVID-19 pandemic. Four crowdsourced samples (total N = 1,366) completed individual experiments probing a response class including social (physical) distancing, facemask wearing, COVID-19 testing, and COVID-19 vaccination. We also measure the extent to which choice architecture manipulations (e.g., framing, opt-in/opt-out) may promote (or discourage) behavior engagement. We find that people are more likely to socially distance when specified activities are framed as high risk, that facemask use during social interaction decreases systematically with greater social relationship, that describing delay until testing (rather than delay until results) increases testing likelihood, and that framing vaccine safety in a positive valence improves vaccine acceptance. These findings collectively emphasize the flexibility of methods from diverse areas of behavioral science for informing public health crisis management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin C. Strickland
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Derek D. Reed
- Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States of America
- Cofrin Logan Center for Addiction Research and Treatment, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States of America
| | - Steven R. Hursh
- Applied Behavioral Biology Unit, Institutes for Behavior Resources, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Lindsay P. Schwartz
- Applied Behavioral Biology Unit, Institutes for Behavior Resources, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Rachel N. S. Foster
- Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States of America
| | - Brett W. Gelino
- Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States of America
| | - Robert S. LeComte
- Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States of America
| | - Fernanda S. Oda
- Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States of America
| | - Allyson R. Salzer
- Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States of America
| | - Tadd D. Schneider
- Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States of America
| | - Lauren Dayton
- Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Carl Latkin
- Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Matthew W. Johnson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
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49
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Aston ER, Berey BL, Boyle HK, Riordan B, Merrill JE. Associations between alcohol demand and both the experience and subjective evaluation of positive and negative alcohol-related consequences. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2021; 45:2357-2369. [PMID: 34843115 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Considerable variation exists in the extent to which alcohol-related consequences are evaluated as positive or negative. These evaluations, in turn, predict subsequent drinking behavior. Understanding the etiological pathways to positive and negative alcohol-related consequences is essential to the design of interventions aimed at reducing drinking consequences. Behavioral economic models posit that excessive alcohol valuation contributes to problematic use. Elevated alcohol demand (i.e., relative alcohol value) is associated with negative alcohol-related consequences; however, it is unclear whether demand is related to positive consequences or subjective consequence evaluations. METHODS College student drinkers (n = 114; 74.6% female) completed an online survey. Participants indicated whether they had ever experienced any of 24 negative and 14 positive consequences and subjectively evaluated their most recent experience of each consequence endorsed. An alcohol purchase task assessed hypothetical alcohol consumption across 14 prices and three observed demand indices were calculated: intensity (i.e., consumption at zero cost), Omax (i.e., maximum expenditure), and Pmax (i.e., price associated with maximum expenditure). Bivariate correlations and hierarchical regressions were used to test associations between observed demand indices and the number and subjective evaluations of positive and negative (researcher- and participant-defined) consequences. RESULTS Intensity and Omax , but not Pmax , were bivariately associated with researcher- and participant-defined negative and positive consequences. However, in hierarchical regression models that controlled for the maximum number of drinks consumed in a single day over the past month, only intensity was significantly associated with more negative and positive consequences. Intensity was associated with positive consequence evaluations in bivariate but not regression models. CONCLUSION Students with higher intensity reported more prior alcohol consequences (positive and negative), independent of drinking level. However, subjective evaluations of recent consequences did not vary as a function of demand. Results support using behavioral economic models to facilitate identifying etiologic pathways to alcohol consequences and suggest that novel interventions incorporating demand manipulation may reduce drinking consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth R Aston
- Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Benjamin L Berey
- Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Holly K Boyle
- Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Benjamin Riordan
- Centre for Alcohol Policy Research, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jennifer E Merrill
- Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
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50
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The Influence of Episodic Future Thinking and Graphic Warning Labels on Delay Discounting and Cigarette Demand. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph182312637. [PMID: 34886370 PMCID: PMC8656814 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182312637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Delay discounting and operant demand are two behavioral economic constructs that tend to covary, by degree, with cigarette smoking status. Given historically robust associations between adverse health outcomes of smoking, a strong preference for immediate reinforcement (measured with delay discounting), and excessive motivation to smoke cigarettes (measured with operant demand), researchers have made numerous attempts to attenuate the extent to which behaviors corresponding to these constructs acutely appear in smokers. One approach is episodic future thinking, which can reportedly increase the impact of future events on present decision making as well as reduce the reinforcing value of cigarettes. Graphic cigarette pack warning labels may also reduce smoking by increased future orientation. Experiment 1 evaluated the combined effects of episodic future thinking and graphic warning labels on delay discounting; Experiment 2 evaluated solely the effects of episodic future thinking on delay discounting and operant demand. We observed no statistically significant effects of episodic future thinking when combined with graphic warning labels or when assessed on its own. These results serve as a call for further research on the boundary conditions of experimental techniques reported to alter behaviors associated with cigarette smoking.
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