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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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Amlung M, Marsden E, Hargreaves T, Sweet LH, Murphy JG, MacKillop J. Neural correlates of increased alcohol demand following alcohol cue exposure in adult heavy drinkers. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2024; 340:111809. [PMID: 38547596 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2024.111809] [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: 11/21/2023] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024]
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder is associated with overvaluation of alcohol relative to other rewards, in part due to dynamic increases in value in response to alcohol-related cues. In a neuroeconomic framework, alcohol cues increase behavioral economic demand for alcohol, but the neural correlates these cue effects are unknown. This functional magnetic resonance imaging study combined a neuroeconomic alcohol purchase task with an alcohol cue exposure in 72 heavy drinkers with established sensitivity to alcohol cues (51 % female; mean age=33.74). Participants reported how many drinks they would consume from $0-$80/drink following exposure to neutral and alcohol images in a fixed order. Participants purchased significantly more drinks in the alcohol compared to the neutral condition, which was also evident for demand indices (i.e., intensity, breakpoint, Omax, elasticity; ps<0.001; ds=0.46-0.92). Alcohol purchase decisions were associated with activation in rostral middle and medial frontal gyri, anterior insula, posterior parietal cortex, and dorsal striatum, among other regions. Activation was lower across regions in the alcohol relative to neutral cue condition, potentially due to greater automaticity of choices in the presence of alcohol cues or attenuation of responses due to fixed cue order. These results contribute to growing literature using neuroeconomics to understand alcohol misuse and provide a foundation for future research investigating decision-making effects of environmental alcohol triggers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Amlung
- Cofrin Logan Center for Addiction Research and Treatment, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA; Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA.
| | - Emma Marsden
- Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Tegan Hargreaves
- Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Lawrence H Sweet
- Department of Psychology, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - James G Murphy
- Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - James MacKillop
- Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
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3
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Bird BM, Belisario K, Minhas M, Acuff SF, Ferro MA, Amlung MT, Murphy JG, MacKillop J. Longitudinal examination of alcohol demand and alcohol-related reinforcement as predictors of heavy drinking and adverse alcohol consequences in emerging adults. Addiction 2024; 119:1090-1099. [PMID: 38374803 DOI: 10.1111/add.16443] [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: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/21/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Behavioral economic theory predicts that high alcohol demand and high proportionate alcohol-related reinforcement are important determinants of risky alcohol use in emerging adults, but the majority of research to date has been cross-sectional in nature. The present study investigated prospective and dynamic relationships between alcohol demand and proportionate alcohol-related reinforcement in relation to heavy drinking days and alcohol problems. DESIGN Longitudinal cohort with assessments every 4 months for 20 months. SETTING Ontario, Canada. PARTICIPANTS Emerging adults reporting regular heavy episodic drinking (n = 636, Mage = 21.44; 55.8% female). MEASUREMENTS Heavy drinking days (HDD; Daily Drinking Questionnaire), alcohol problems (Brief Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire), alcohol demand (Alcohol Purchase Task) and proportionate alcohol-related reinforcement (Activity Level Questionnaire). FINDINGS Linear mixed effects models revealed that behavioral economic indicators and alcohol-related outcomes significantly decreased over the study, consistent with 'aging out' of risky alcohol use. Random intercept cross-lagged panel models revealed significant between-person relationships, such that higher alcohol demand and alcohol-related reinforcement were positively associated with HDD and alcohol problems (random intercepts = 0.187-0.534, Ps < 0.01). Moreover, alcohol demand indicators (particularly the rate of change in elasticity of the demand curve, as measured by α, and the maximum expenditure, Omax) and proportionate alcohol-related reinforcement significantly forecasted changes in HDD at all time points (|βs| = 0.063-0.103, Ps < 0.05) in cross-lagged relationships, with bidirectional associations noted for the rate of change in elasticity (βs = -0.085 to -0.104, Ps < 0.01). Proportionate alcohol-related reinforcement also significantly forecasted changes in alcohol problems at all time points (βs = 0.072-0.112, Ps < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS Multiple behavioral economic indicators (demand elasticity, maximum expenditure and reinforcement ratio) forecast changes in heavy episodic drinking and alcohol problems over the course of emerging adulthood. These results further implicate alcohol demand and proportionate alcohol-related reinforcement as etiologically and developmentally important mechanisms in alcohol use trajectories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian M Bird
- Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton and McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kyla Belisario
- Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton and McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Meenu Minhas
- Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton and McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Samuel F Acuff
- Department of Psychology, University of Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - Mark A Ferro
- School of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michael T Amlung
- Cofrin Logan Center for Addiction Research and Treatment, Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA
| | - James G Murphy
- Department of Psychology, University of Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - James MacKillop
- Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton and McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
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Fahey KML, Cservenka A, Peltier MR, Mereish E, Dermody SS. An experimental laboratory-based minority stress paradigm for alcohol research among sexual minority women: A pilot study. ALCOHOL, CLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 48:345-361. [PMID: 38149357 PMCID: PMC10922336 DOI: 10.1111/acer.15255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sexual minority women (SMW) use alcohol at higher rates and experience greater alcohol-related harms than their heterosexual counterparts. Evidence from observational studies suggests that minority stress (i.e., stress experienced due to marginalization in society) is an important risk factor among SMW, yet there is a lack of experimental evidence to establish a direct causal role of minority stress on alcohol use in this population. We adapted the preexisting personalized guided stress induction paradigm to conduct a pilot study of how minority stress is related to stress response (assessed via subjective measures and salivary cortisol) and mechanisms of alcohol use (craving, demand, and risky decision making) in SMW. METHODS Using a within-subjects design (N = 8) cisgender SMW who endorsed high-risk drinking (≥1 heavy drinking episode in the past 30 days) completed three study visits: a script development session and two in-person imagery induction appointments (minority stress and neutral). Analyses examined feasibility and acceptability, stress response, and mechanisms of alcohol use. RESULTS The paradigm significantly increased subjective stress response (g = 1.32). Data supported the feasibility, acceptability, and appropriateness of the paradigm for use with SMW. While the paradigm did not significantly change scores on minority stress and alcohol outcomes measures, effect sizes for craving and minority stress outcomes were in the small-to-medium range (gs = 0.24-0.54). CONCLUSIONS The adapted minority stress paradigm appears to be feasible and appropriate for use with SMW to induce stress in laboratory settings. Future research can use this paradigm to understand the causal effects of minority stress on alcohol use and related outcomes.
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Dora J, Kuczynski AM, Schultz ME, Acuff SF, Murphy JG, King KM. An experimental investigation into the effect of negative affect on the behavioral economic demand for alcohol. PSYCHOLOGY OF ADDICTIVE BEHAVIORS 2024; 38:1-7. [PMID: 35201808 PMCID: PMC10759813 DOI: 10.1037/adb0000823] [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: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Influential theoretical models hypothesize that alcohol use is an especially potent reinforcer when used as a strategy to cope with negative affect. Although the evidence for this idea in observational data is weak, some experimental evidence suggests that the behavioral economic demand for alcohol increases immediately following a negative emotional event. Because existing studies testing the effect of negative mood inductions on the demand for alcohol have several methodological limitations and do not take inter- and intraindividual variability into account, we developed an improved experimental design to increase our confidence in any potential within-person effect of negative mood inductions on alcohol demand as well as to test whether this effect exhibits systematic inter- and intraindividual variability. We hypothesize that people will show a higher demand for alcohol following negative compared to neutral mood inductions and that this effect is stronger in heavy compared to light drinkers as well as stronger on days characterized by higher coping motives and negative urgency. Three hundred twenty college students will complete the alcohol purchase task (APT) after being subjected to 100 mood inductions (six negative, six neutral) on 20 separate days. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).
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Miller BP, Aston ER, Davis W, Berey BL, Dowd AN, Amlung M. Examining the effect of cannabis cues on cannabis demand in sleep, driving, and typical drug-use contexts. Drug Alcohol Depend 2024; 254:111057. [PMID: 38101283 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2023.111057] [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: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/02/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Given the expanding legal cannabis market in the U.S., it is vital to understand how context impacts cannabis use. Therefore, we explored the effect of cannabis cues and cannabis-use context on cannabis demand in 79 adults who reported smoking cannabis at least weekly. METHODS Participants completed a single laboratory session consisting of four hypothetical marijuana purchase tasks (MPTs) involving either a typical use situation or a driving or sleep context. The MPTs were alternated with exposure to cannabis or neutral picture cues based on block randomization by gender. RESULTS Cannabis cues increased self-reported craving for cannabis (p =.044) but did not significantly alter demand (ps =0.093-0.845). In the driving context, participants demonstrated a significant reduction in cannabis demand, indicated by lower intensity (p <0.001), Omax (p <0.001), and Pmax (p <0.001), breakpoint (p =.003), and higher α (p <0.001). The sleep context was associated with significantly greater α (p <0.006) but nonsignificant effects for other indices (ps =0.123-0.707). Finally, cannabis cues increased Omax (p =.013) and breakpoint (p =.035) in the sleep context but not in the typical-use context. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that cannabis-use behavior is sensitive to contingencies surrounding driving after cannabis use and may also be sensitive to sleep contexts in the presence of cannabis cues. Since this is the first study to examine driving and sleep contexts, we caution against drawing broad conclusions until future research is conducted to replicate these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon P Miller
- Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas, USA.
| | - Elizabeth R Aston
- Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University, USA; Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University, USA
| | - William Davis
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, USA
| | - Benjamin L Berey
- Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University, USA; Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University, USA; Providence VA Medical Center, USA
| | - Ashley N Dowd
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, USA
| | - Michael Amlung
- Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas, USA; Cofrin Logan Center for Addiction Research and Treatment, University of Kansas, USA
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Marsden E, Murphy JG, MacKillop J, Amlung M. Alcohol cues increase behavioral economic demand and craving for alcohol in nontreatment-seeking and treatment-seeking heavy drinkers. ALCOHOL, CLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 47:2149-2160. [PMID: 38226748 DOI: 10.1111/acer.15190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 07/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 01/17/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Behavioral economic research has revealed significant increases in alcohol demand following exposure to alcohol-related cues. Prior research has focused exclusively on nontreatment-seeking heavy drinkers, included only male participants, or used heterogeneous methods. The current studies sought to replicate and extend existing findings in treatment-seeking and nontreatment-seeking heavy drinkers while also examining sex effects and moderation by alcohol use disorder (AUD) severity. METHODS Study 1 included 117 nontreatment-seeking heavy drinkers (51.5% women; M age 34.69; 56.4% AUD+), and Study 2 included 89 treatment-seeking heavy drinkers with AUD (40.4% women; M age = 41.35). In both studies, alcohol demand was measured using a hypothetical alcohol purchase task (APT), and subjective alcohol craving was measured using visual analog scales. Measures were collected following exposure to neutral (water) cues in a standard room and alcohol cues in a bar lab. RESULTS Alcohol demand (intensity, Omax , breakpoint, and elasticity) and craving were significantly increased following alcohol cues compared to neutral cues (ps < 0.005) with effect sizes ranging from small to large (ηp 2 = 0.074-0.480). Participants with AUD (Study 1) or with higher AUD severity (Study 2) reported higher craving and higher demand for most indices (i.e., main effects; ps < 0.032, ηp 2 = 0.043-0.239). A larger alcohol cue increase in Omax was found for AUD+ participants in Study 1 compared to non-AUD participants (p = 0.028, ηp 2 = 0.041) but not for any other indices in Study 1 or Study 2. There were no significant sex effects. CONCLUSIONS These findings replicate and extend prior research by offering additional insight into alcohol cue effects on the reinforcing value of alcohol and subjective motivation to drink. The results also suggest that sex and AUD severity do not meaningfully impact cue effects across most indices of demand.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Marsden
- Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton and McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - James G Murphy
- Department of Psychology, University of Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
| | - James MacKillop
- Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research, St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton and McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neuroscience, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michael Amlung
- Cofrin Logan Center for Addiction Research and Treatment, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA
- Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, USA
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8
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Schultz NR, Frohe T, Correia CJ, Ramirez JJ. Why get high? Coping and enjoyment motives mediate elevated cannabis demand and cannabis-related outcomes. PSYCHOLOGY OF ADDICTIVE BEHAVIORS 2023; 37:796-808. [PMID: 37326532 PMCID: PMC10524677 DOI: 10.1037/adb0000937] [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: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Cannabis is the most used psychoactive substance among adolescents and is a public health concern. Cannabis demand is a quantifiable measure of the reinforcing value of cannabis and comprises two latent-factors-amplitude (maximum consumption) and persistence (sensitivity to increasing costs). Cannabis demand and cannabis motives are important predictors of adolescent cannabis use and associated problems; however, little is known about how these two facets of motivation are causally related. Cannabis motives are thought to represent the final common pathway to cannabis use and may explain why elevated demand is associated with use and consequences. The present study tested whether internal cannabis motives (coping and enjoyment) mediated longitudinal associations between cannabis demand, use (hours high), and negative consequences. METHOD Participants aged 15-18 years old (n = 89, Mage = 17.0, SD = 0.9) who reported lifetime cannabis use completed online assessments of cannabis demand, motives, use and negative consequences at baseline, 3-month, and 6-month follow-up. RESULTS PROCESS mediation models revealed that enjoyment motives mediated the association between amplitude and persistence and use. In addition, coping motives mediated the association between amplitude and negative consequences. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that internal motives, while differentially related to aspects of demand and cannabis outcomes, are important in understanding adolescent cannabis use. Prevention efforts aimed at limiting access to cannabis and increasing access to substance-free activities may be important targets for adolescents. Further, cannabis interventions targeting specific motives for using (e.g., to cope with negative affect) may be important for reducing cannabis demand. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole R. Schultz
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, 2230 Stockton Blvd, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Tessa Frohe
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Box 354944, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA (Institution of origin)
| | - Christopher J Correia
- Department of Psychological Sciences, 226 Thach Hall, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, 36849, USA
| | - Jason J. Ramirez
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Box 354944, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA (Institution of origin)
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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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Abstract
Alcohol is one of the most widely consumed psychoactive drugs globally. Hazardous drinking, defined by quantity and frequency of consumption, is associated with acute and chronic morbidity. Alcohol use disorders (AUDs) are psychiatric syndromes characterized by impaired control over drinking and other symptoms. Contemporary aetiological perspectives on AUDs apply a biopsychosocial framework that emphasizes the interplay of genetics, neurobiology, psychology, and an individual's social and societal context. There is strong evidence that AUDs are genetically influenced, but with a complex polygenic architecture. Likewise, there is robust evidence for environmental influences, such as adverse childhood exposures and maladaptive developmental trajectories. Well-established biological and psychological determinants of AUDs include neuroadaptive changes following persistent use, differences in brain structure and function, and motivational determinants including overvaluation of alcohol reinforcement, acute effects of environmental triggers and stress, elevations in multiple facets of impulsivity, and lack of alternative reinforcers. Social factors include bidirectional roles of social networks and sociocultural influences, such as public health control strategies and social determinants of health. An array of evidence-based approaches for reducing alcohol harms are available, including screening, pharmacotherapies, psychological interventions and policy strategies, but are substantially underused. Priorities for the field include translating advances in basic biobehavioural research into novel clinical applications and, in turn, promoting widespread implementation of evidence-based clinical approaches in practice and health-care systems.
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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: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [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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Motschman CA, Amlung M, McCarthy DM. Alcohol demand as a predictor of drinking behavior in the natural environment. Addiction 2022; 117:1887-1896. [PMID: 35112741 PMCID: PMC10061588 DOI: 10.1111/add.15822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Alcohol demand, a measure of alcohol's reinforcing value, is associated with greater alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems. Although alcohol demand has primarily been evaluated as a 'trait-like', individual difference measure, recent evidence indicates that demand exhibits meaningful short-term fluctuations. We aimed to determine whether moment-to-moment fluctuations in alcohol demand in individuals' natural drinking environments predicted drinking occurrence, drinking continuation, and drinking quantity. DESIGN Observational study. SETTING Individuals' natural drinking environments in Columbia, Missouri, USA. PARTICIPANTS Eighty-nine young adults (56% female; mean age = 24.8) participated from November 2018 to October 2020. Participants reported 14.5 drinking days [standard deviation (SD = 8.1)] and 4.1 drinks per occasion (SD = 2.5) during ecological momentary assessment (EMA). MEASUREMENTS Participants completed the alcohol purchase task at baseline. Following this, participants reported on their alcohol demand (breakpoint, Omax , intensity) and drinking behavior during EMA at daily, timed prompts from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. They provided breathalyzer samples using a BACtrack Mobile® Pro. Models tested concurrent and prospective (lagged) associations between alcohol demand and drinking occurrence and drinking continuation after drinking initiation. Additional models tested concurrent associations between demand and breath alcohol concentrations (BrACs). FINDINGS Higher alcohol demand was associated with higher odds of drinking and continued drinking for all demand indices at the momentary [odds ratio (OR) = 1.27-1.56, ps ≤ 0.03] and day-level (OR = 2.14-3.39, ps < 0.001). Additionally, lagged demand predicted higher odds of drinking occurrence and continuation at the following prompt (OR = 1.32-1.53, ps ≤ 0.004). Higher alcohol demand was associated with higher BrACs at the momentary (bs = 0.0011-0.0026, ps ≤ 0.03) and day-level (bs = 0.0053-0.0062, ps < 0.001). At the person-level, findings varied depending on the demand measure. CONCLUSIONS Alcohol demand appears to be associated with both when and how much individuals drink in their natural drinking environments. Elevations in alcohol demand appear to be associated with increased likelihood of drinking and continuing to drink, and greater total alcohol consumption, both within and across drinking days.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael Amlung
- 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
| | - Denis M McCarthy
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
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13
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A neuroeconomic signature of opioid craving: How fluctuations in craving bias drug-related and nondrug-related value. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022; 47:1440-1448. [PMID: 34916590 PMCID: PMC9205977 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-01248-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
How does craving bias decisions to pursue drugs over other valuable, and healthier, alternatives in addiction? To address this question, we measured the in-the-moment economic decisions of people with opioid use disorder as they experienced craving, shortly after receiving their scheduled opioid maintenance medication and ~24 h later. We found that higher cravers had higher drug-related valuation, and that moments of higher craving within-person also led to higher drug-related valuation. When experiencing increased opioid craving, participants were willing to pay more for personalized consumer items and foods more closely related to their drug use, but not for alternative "nondrug-related" but equally desirable options. This selective increase in value with craving was greater when the drug-related options were offered in higher quantities and was separable from the effects of other fluctuating psychological states like negative mood. These findings suggest that craving narrows and focuses economic motivation toward the object of craving by selectively and multiplicatively amplifying perceived value along a "drug relatedness" dimension.
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14
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Kirson D, Spierling Bagsic SR, Murphy J, Chang H, Vlkolinsky R, Pucci SN, Prinzi J, Williams CA, Fang SY, Roberto M, Zorrilla EP. Decreased excitability of leptin-sensitive anterior insula pyramidal neurons in a rat model of compulsive food demand. Neuropharmacology 2022; 208:108980. [PMID: 35122838 PMCID: PMC9055870 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.108980] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2021] [Revised: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2022] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Compulsive eating is an overlapping construct with binge eating that shares many characteristics with substance use disorders. Compulsive eating may impact millions of Americans; presenting in some cases of binge eating disorders, overweight/obesity, and among individuals who have not yet been diagnosed with a recognized eating disorder. To study the behavioral and neurobiological underpinnings of compulsive eating, we employ a published rodent model using cyclic intermittent access to a palatable diet to develop a self-imposed binge-withdrawal cycle. Here, we further validated this model of compulsive eating in female Wistar rats, through the lens of behavioral economic analyses and observed heightened demand intensity, inelasticity and essential value as well as increased food-seeking during extinction. Using electrophysiological recordings in the anterior insular cortex, a region previously implicated in modulating compulsive-like eating in intermittent access models, we observed functional adaptations of pyramidal neurons. Within the same neurons, application of leptin led to further functional adaptations, suggesting a previously understudied, extrahypothalamic role of leptin in modulating feeding-related cortical circuits. Collectively, the findings suggest that leptin may modulate food-related motivation or decision-making via a plastic cortical circuit that is influenced by intermittent access to a preferred diet. These findings warrant further study of whether behavioral economics analysis of compulsive eating can impact disordered eating outcomes in humans and of the translational relevance of a leptin-sensitive anterior insular circuit implicated in these behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dean Kirson
- The Scripps Research Institute, Department of Molecular Medicine, 10550 N Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA; University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Department of Pharmacology, Addiction Science, and Toxicology, 71 S Manassas, Memphis, TN, 38103, USA
| | - Samantha R Spierling Bagsic
- The Scripps Research Institute, Department of Molecular Medicine, 10550 N Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA; Scripps Health, Scripps Whittier Diabetes Institute, 10140 Campus Point Drive, San Diego, CA, 92121, USA
| | - Jiayuan Murphy
- The Scripps Research Institute, Department of Molecular Medicine, 10550 N Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Hang Chang
- The Scripps Research Institute, Department of Molecular Medicine, 10550 N Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Roman Vlkolinsky
- The Scripps Research Institute, Department of Molecular Medicine, 10550 N Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Sarah N Pucci
- The Scripps Research Institute, Department of Molecular Medicine, 10550 N Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Julia Prinzi
- The Scripps Research Institute, Department of Molecular Medicine, 10550 N Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Casey A Williams
- The Scripps Research Institute, Department of Molecular Medicine, 10550 N Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Savannah Y Fang
- The Scripps Research Institute, Department of Molecular Medicine, 10550 N Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Marisa Roberto
- The Scripps Research Institute, Department of Molecular Medicine, 10550 N Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Eric P Zorrilla
- The Scripps Research Institute, Department of Molecular Medicine, 10550 N Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.
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15
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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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16
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Creswell KG, Sayette MA. How laboratory studies of cigarette craving can inform the experimental alcohol craving literature. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2022; 46:344-358. [PMID: 35037262 PMCID: PMC8920775 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Revised: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Interest in alcohol and other drug craving has flourished over the past two decades, and evidence has accumulated showing that craving can be meaningfully linked to both drug use and relapse. Considerable human experimental alcohol craving research since 2000 has focused on craving as a clinical phenomenon. Self-reported craving to drink typically has served as a catch-all for the craving construct in these studies, whereas few studies have considered craving as a process (or hypothetical construct) that interacts with other phenomena to affect use. In contrast to alcohol, we believe that recently there has been more mechanistic work targeting cigarette craving-related processes. Here, we briefly present a narrative review of studies of acute alcohol craving in humans that have been conducted during the past two decades. We then specify important ways in which alcohol and tobacco differ (e.g., the role of withdrawal), and we note the unique challenges in inducing robust alcohol craving states in the laboratory. Finally, we offer recommendations for how the alcohol field might advance its conceptual understanding of craving by adopting ideas and methods drawn from the smoking research literature. Specifically, we suggest that researchers extend their studies to not only examine the link between alcohol craving and relapse but also to focus on why and, in some instances, how alcohol cravings matter clinically, and the circumstances under which craving especially matters. We propose research to investigate the shifts in alcohol-related cognitive and affective processing that occur during alcohol craving states. Furthermore, we highlight the value of research examining the level of insight that individuals with varying levels of alcohol involvement possess about their own craving-related processing shifts. We believe that laboratory studies can provide rich opportunities to examine conceptual questions about alcohol craving that are central to addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kasey G. Creswell
- Department of PsychologyCarnegie Mellon UniversityPittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Michael A. Sayette
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of PittsburghPittsburghPennsylvaniaUSA
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17
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Motschman CA, Griffin SA, Warner OM, McCarthy DM. Craving, stimulation, and sedation as predictors of alcohol demand under intoxication. PSYCHOLOGY OF ADDICTIVE BEHAVIORS 2022; 36:20-27. [PMID: 35143216 PMCID: PMC8831832 DOI: 10.1037/adb0000719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Objective: Alcohol demand has been evaluated predominately as a trait-like construct, reflecting individual differences in alcohol's reinforcement value. Increases in state-dependent alcohol demand under intoxication have been demonstrated, indicating a potential mechanism that may influence drinking behavior. This study evaluated the roles of craving and subjective alcohol response (stimulation, sedation) in this process, testing whether increases in craving and stimulation, and reductions in sedation, predicted increased alcohol demand during a laboratory-based drinking episode. Method: Young adults (N = 90; 53% male; M age = 22.2) attended two sessions in a within-subjects alcohol/placebo design. Craving, stimulation, sedation, and alcohol demand (breakpoint, Omax, intensity) were assessed once before beverage consumption and at multiple points afterward at varying blood alcohol concentrations (M peak BrAC = 0.102 g%). Multilevel models tested associations between momentary and between-person predictors (craving, stimulation, sedation) and alcohol demand after accounting for sex, time trends, and baseline covariates. Results: When intoxicated, participants reported higher alcohol demand across the majority of the ascending limb and decreasing demand across the descending limb. Participants reported increased demand at moments when experiencing higher craving, ps ≤ .001, and stimulation, with momentary stimulation incrementally predicting demand above craving, ps ≤ .04. Between-persons, higher alcohol-induced craving was associated with increased demand, ps ≤ .001, whereas between-person stimulation and sedation were less robustly associated with demand indicators. Conclusions: Results indicate that within-person craving and stimulation during intoxication are independently associated with changes in alcohol's reinforcing value. Findings suggest the potential for state-dependent alcohol demand to serve as an additional motivational index of processes underlying ongoing drinking behavior. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).
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18
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Pantazis CB, James MH, O’Connor S, Shin N, Aston-Jones G. Orexin-1 receptor signaling in ventral tegmental area mediates cue-driven demand for cocaine. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022; 47:741-751. [PMID: 34635803 PMCID: PMC8782853 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-01173-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Drug-associated sensory cues increase motivation for drug and the orexin system is importantly involved in this stimulus-enhanced motivation. Ventral tegmental area (VTA) is a major target by which orexin signaling modulates reward behaviors, but it is unknown whether this circuit is necessary for cue-driven motivation for cocaine. Here, we investigated the role of VTA orexin signaling in cue-driven motivation for cocaine using a behavioral economics (BE) paradigm. We found that infusion of the orexin-1 receptor (Ox1R) antagonist SB-334867 (SB) into VTA prior to BE testing reduced motivation when animals were trained to self-administer cocaine with discrete cues and tested on BE with those cues. SB had no effect when animals were trained to self-administer cocaine without cues or tested on BE without cues, indicating that learning to associate cues with drug delivery during self-administration training was necessary for cues to recruit orexin signaling in VTA. These effects were specific to VTA, as injections of SB immediately dorsal had no effect. Moreover, intra-VTA SB did not have an impact on locomotor activity, or low- or high-effort consumption of sucrose. Finally, we microinjected a novel retrograde adeno-associated virus (AAVretro) containing an orexin-specific short hairpin RNA (OxshRNA) into VTA to knock down orexin in the hypothalamus-VTA circuit. These injections significantly reduced orexin expression in lateral hypothalamus (LH) and decreased cue-driven motivation. These studies demonstrate a role for orexin signaling in VTA, specifically when cues predict drug reward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline B. Pantazis
- grid.430387.b0000 0004 1936 8796Brain Health Institute, Rutgers University/Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, Piscataway, NJ USA ,grid.94365.3d0000 0001 2297 5165Neurobiology of Addiction Section, Integrative Neuroscience Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD USA
| | - Morgan H. James
- grid.430387.b0000 0004 1936 8796Brain Health Institute, Rutgers University/Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, Piscataway, NJ USA ,grid.430387.b0000 0004 1936 8796Department of Psychiatry, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers Unviversity, Piscataway, NJ USA
| | - Shayna O’Connor
- grid.430387.b0000 0004 1936 8796Brain Health Institute, Rutgers University/Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, Piscataway, NJ USA
| | - Noah Shin
- grid.430387.b0000 0004 1936 8796Brain Health Institute, Rutgers University/Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, Piscataway, NJ USA ,grid.430387.b0000 0004 1936 8796Cell Biology and Neuroscience Department, Rutgers University-New Brunswick, Piscataway, NJ USA
| | - Gary Aston-Jones
- Brain Health Institute, Rutgers University/Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, Piscataway, NJ, USA.
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19
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Sex moderates the effects of experimentally induced musculoskeletal pain on alcohol demand in healthy drinkers. Drug Alcohol Depend 2021; 219:108475. [PMID: 33385694 PMCID: PMC8911397 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2020.108475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Revised: 10/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pain may serve as an antecedent for alcohol use, increasing risk for hazardous drinking and associated consequences. Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) induction produces clinically relevant but time-limited musculoskeletal pain. This study was conducted to determine whether DOMS induction on the dominant elbow flexors influenced alcohol demand using the Alcohol Purchase Task (APT). We hypothesized DOMS would increase alcohol demand relative to a sham control. Based on existing studies of pain self-medication, we expected DOMS-related increases in alcohol demand would be greatest in men. METHODS Participants (N = 53; 57 % women) were randomly assigned to a DOMS (eccentric exercise) or sham condition (concentric exercise). Participants completed the APT pre-exercise and 48 -hs post-exercise. Repeated measures GLM was used to characterize group by sex by time interactions on APT indices, including intensity, breakpoint, essential value (EV), Omax, and Pmax. RESULTS The DOMS procedure significantly increased pain ratings at the elbow flexors. Men had significantly higher demand intensity than women across groups and time points. Significant interactive effects were detected for breakpoint and EV. From pre- to post-test, breakpoint significantly increased in men in the DOMS group. However, breakpoint and EV significantly decreased in women in the DOMS group. CONCLUSIONS Increased alcohol demand in men in the DOMS group was consistent with epidemiological data suggesting men are at higher risk for self-medicating pain with alcohol than women. However, decreased demand in women was unexpected. Taken together, results indicate DOMS induction may be a useful means to characterize pain as an antecedent for alcohol use.
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20
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Ellis JD, Grekin ER. The Effects of Anger on Alcohol Demand and Subjective Alcohol Craving. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2021; 45:436-445. [PMID: 33443770 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14531] [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: 06/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Anger and anger-related traits have been related to alcohol use in both cross-sectional and prospective studies. However, only a small number of studies have experimentally manipulated anger to examine whether the manipulation of anger influences alcohol craving or the relative reinforcing value of alcohol. METHODS Participants (N = 231) recruited through Amazon's MTurk were randomly assigned to a provocation condition or a neutral condition prior to completing both the Alcohol Purchase Task and a self-report measure of alcohol craving. Linear regression analyses were conducted to examine the effects of the anger induction, trait hostility, frequency of alcohol use in the past month, and relevant demographic characteristics (gender, age, income) on alcohol craving and indices of alcohol demand. RESULTS Participants assigned to the provocation condition had greater PMax (B = 0.17, p = 0.012) and breakpoint (B = 0.18, p = 0.006) values, less elastic demand (B = -0.15, p = 0.020), and lower drinking intensity (B = -0.14, p = 0.025) than participants assigned to the neutral condition. Trait hostility was positively related to OMax (B = 0.22, p = 0.001), intensity of demand (B = 0.27, p < 0.001), and subjective alcohol craving posttask (B = 0.32, p < 0.001), but did not moderate the relationship between condition and outcomes. CONCLUSIONS Although most persistence indices of alcohol demand were sensitive to the anger induction, we did not observe higher scores on amplitude indices or subjective craving in the provocation condition relative to the neutral condition. Further investigation into the role which anger plays in alcohol use is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer D Ellis
- Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Emily R Grekin
- Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan
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21
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Nieto SJ, Green R, MacKillop J, Ray LA. Intravenous Alcohol Administration Selectively Decreases Rate of Change in Elasticity of Demand in Individuals With Alcohol Use Disorder. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2020; 44:2336-2342. [PMID: 32945536 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14460] [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: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alcohol demand is a key behavioral economic concept that provides an index of alcohol's relative reinforcing value. Initial studies have reported that alcohol demand increases during alcohol administration and in response to alcohol cues. However, the extent to which these effects are observed explicitly in samples composed of individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and are operative in conjunction with each other has not been studied. METHODS To address this gap in the literature, we assessed alcohol demand during an alcohol challenge and subsequent alcohol cue-exposure paradigm in non-treatment-seeking, alcohol-dependent (i.e., DSM-IV criteria) participants (N = 27). Specifically, participants completed 2 counterbalanced intravenous, placebo-controlled, alcohol administration sessions followed by a controlled cue-exposure paradigm. At baseline and at breath alcohol concentration of 0.06 g/dl, participants completed the alcohol purchase task, assessing estimated alcohol consumption at escalating prices. Participants were also assessed for alcohol demand following each cue exposure. RESULTS During alcohol administration, there was a significant decrease in the rate of change in elasticity compared with placebo, and during the cue-reactivity paradigm, there was a significant main effect such that alcohol cues decreased the rate of change in elasticity relative to water cues. There were no statistically significant differences in other demand indices. CONCLUSIONS These findings provide further evidence that alcohol administration increases price insensitivity and extends the literature on alcohol's effects on demand by using a clinical sample with AUD and by adding a placebo-alcohol condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven J Nieto
- From the, Department of Psychology, (SJN, RG, LAR), University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - ReJoyce Green
- From the, Department of Psychology, (SJN, RG, LAR), University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - James MacKillop
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, (JM), McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Lara A Ray
- From the, Department of Psychology, (SJN, RG, LAR), University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California.,Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, (LAR), University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California.,Brain Research Institute, (LAR), University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
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22
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Strickland JC, Bergeria CL. Contribution of alcohol- and cigarette-related cues to concurrent reinforcer choice in humans. Behav Processes 2020; 176:104124. [PMID: 32305455 PMCID: PMC7283006 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2020.104124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2020] [Revised: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 04/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Drug-related cues have been extensively studied for their contributions to decision-making processes involving drug consumption. Less studied is how drug-related stimuli may impact decisions involving outcomes not directly related to substance use. Studies using concurrent choice tasks have demonstrated that cocaine and cannabis cues result in robust and selective biases for monetary reinforcers contiguous with those cues. The purpose of this study was to provide a conceptual replication of these findings with alcohol and cigarettes. Participants recruited using crowdsourcing completed a cued concurrent choice task involving presentation of two cues (one drug and one neutral) followed by concurrent monetary offers below each image. Alcohol (Experiment 1; N = 103) and cigarette (Experiment 2; N = 256) visual cues were evaluated. Participants with hazardous alcohol use and current cigarette use showed greater-than-indifference selection for the alcohol- (p = .004) and cigarette-cued (p = .02) monetary choices, respectively. Qualitative responses indicated that the most popular rationale for responding was "image quality" despite images having no explicit impact on the reinforcer received. Low alcohol use (p = .03) and non-cigarette using controls (p < .001) showed an avoidance bias with lower-than-indifference selection for drug-cued choices. These findings replicate and extend observations that spatially contiguous drug-related cues can bias decisions involving concurrently presented non-drug reinforcers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin C Strickland
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 5510 Nathan Shock Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA.
| | - Cecilia L Bergeria
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 5510 Nathan Shock Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA
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23
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Acuff SF, Soltis KE, Murphy JG. Using Demand Curves to Quantify the Reinforcing Value of Social and Solitary Drinking. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2020; 44:1497-1507. [PMID: 32472649 PMCID: PMC7572865 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Young adults typically drink in social settings and report high levels of episodic heavy drinking despite a range of adverse consequences. Behavioral economics posits that this may reflect a reinforcer pathology in which alcohol is overvalued relative to other reinforcers. Theoretically, the value of alcohol is related to both the direct pharmacological effects of alcohol (euphoria, sedation) and the associated social reinforcement, but to date no studies have differentiated the value of social vs. solitary drinking. The current study examines two modified hypothetical alcohol purchase tasks (APTs), one explicitly social and one explicitly solitary, in order to quantify the reward value of social vs. solitary drinking and to determine whether there are unique clinical correlates of solitary alcohol demand. METHODS Participants were young adults (N = 274, Mage = 25.15, SD = 4.10) recruited from Mturk and from a university subject pool. Participants completed a solitary and social APT, in addition to measures of alcohol consumption and problems. RESULTS Participants reported significantly greater demand in the social APT compared to the solitary APT across all demand indices. Elevated solitary and social demand were associated with elevated levels of alcohol use and problems. Using a residualized change approach, solitary demand amplitude (maximum consumption and expenditure) and persistence (price sensitivity) contributed additional variance above and beyond their social APT composite counterparts in predicting typical drinks per week and the self-care, academic/occupational, and physical dependence subscales of the YAACQ. CONCLUSIONS The presence of peers increases alcohol demand compared to a solitary scenario, and greater relative solitary drinking demand may be a risk factor for greater alcohol consumption and problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel F. Acuff
- Department of Psychology, University of Memphis, 400 Innovation Dr., Memphis, TN, 38152 United States
| | - Kathryn E. Soltis
- Department of Psychology, University of Memphis, 400 Innovation Dr., Memphis, TN, 38152 United States
| | - James G. Murphy
- Department of Psychology, University of Memphis, 400 Innovation Dr., Memphis, TN, 38152 United States
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24
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Acuff SF, Amlung M, Dennhardt AA, MacKillop J, Murphy JG. Experimental manipulations of behavioral economic demand for addictive commodities: a meta-analysis. Addiction 2020; 115:817-831. [PMID: 31656048 PMCID: PMC7156308 DOI: 10.1111/add.14865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2018] [Revised: 02/19/2019] [Accepted: 10/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Reinforcing value, an index of motivation for a drug, is commonly measured using behavioral economic purchase tasks. State-oriented purchase tasks are sensitive to phasic manipulations, but with heterogeneous methods and findings. The aim of this meta-analysis was to characterize the literature examining manipulations of reinforcing value, as measured by purchase tasks and multiple-choice procedures, to inform etiological models and treatment approaches METHODS: A random-effects meta-analysis of published findings in peer-reviewed articles. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) protocol, studies were gathered through searches in PsycINFO and PubMed/MEDLINE (published 22 May 2018). Searches returned 34 unique studies (aggregate sample n = 2402; average sample size = 68.94) yielding 126 effect sizes. Measurements included change (i.e. Cohen's d) in six behavioral economic indices (intensity, breakpoint, Omax , Pmax , elasticity, cross-over point) in relation to six experimental manipulations (cue exposure, stress/negative affect, reinforcer magnitude, pharmacotherapy, behavioral interventions, opportunity cost). RESULTS Cue exposure (d range = 0.25-0.44, all Ps < 0.05) and reinforcer magnitude [d = 0.60; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.18, 1.01; P < 0.005] manipulations resulted in significant increases in behavioral economic demand across studies. Stress/negative affect manipulations also resulted in a small, significant increase in Omax (d = 0.18; 95% CI = 0.01, 0.34; P = 0.03); all other effect sizes for negative affect/stress were non-significant, albeit similar in size (d range = 0.14-0.18). In contrast, pharmacotherapy (d range = -0.37 to -0.49; Ps < 0.04), behavioral intervention (d = -0.36 to -1.13) and external contingency (d = -1.42; CI = -2.30, -0.54; P = 0.002) manipulations resulted in a significant decrease in intensity. Moderators (substance type) explained some of the heterogeneity in findings across meta-analyses. CONCLUSIONS In behavioral economic studies, purchase tasks and multiple-choice procedures appear to provide indices that are sensitive to manipulations found to influence motivation to consume addictive substances in field experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel F. Acuff
- Department of Psychology, The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, USA
| | - Michael Amlung
- Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University/St Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | | | - James MacKillop
- Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University/St Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - James G. Murphy
- Department of Psychology, The University of Memphis, Memphis, TN, USA
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Strickland JC, Campbell EM, Lile JA, Stoops WW. Utilizing the commodity purchase task to evaluate behavioral economic demand for illicit substances: a review and meta-analysis. Addiction 2020; 115:393-406. [PMID: 31454109 DOI: 10.1111/add.14792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2019] [Revised: 05/17/2019] [Accepted: 08/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND ANDAIMS The commodity purchase task is a simulated demand procedure that is easy and quick to complete (< 5 minutes) as well as adaptable for remote delivery and use with varied study populations. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to synthesize research using the commodity purchase task with illicit substances to evaluate the magnitude of omnibus effects sizes and moderators of the correlation of demand indices with quantity-frequency (QF) and severity measures. DESIGN Random-effects meta-analyses and meta-regressions involving studies with cross-sectional correlational designs. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS Eleven studies, 10 outcomes and 2146 participants from two countries (USA and UK) published up to 1 October 2018. MEASUREMENTS Omnibus effect sizes (correlation coefficients) of five demand indices from the commodity purchase task [intensity (unconstrained consumption), elasticity (price sensitivity), Omax (maximum expenditure), Pmax (price at maximum expenditure) and breakpoint (first price of zero consumption)] with QF and severity measures. Meta-regression models tested moderators of effect sizes (i.e. sample age and sex composition, commodity type and number of prices used in the commodity purchase task). FINDINGS Significant omnibus effect sizes were observed with QF and severity measures for intensity (r = 0.32/0.28, QF/severity, respectively), elasticity (r = -0.14/-0.18), Omax (r = 0.30/0.29) and breakpoint (r = 0.17/0.22) values. Pmax was only significantly associated with severity measures (r = 0.15). The percentage of female participants and number of prices used in the purchase task significantly moderated Pmax and breakpoint effect-size estimates in that stronger associations were observed in samples with a greater percentage of women and in studies using tasks with more price points. Commodity type (cannabis versus cocaine) did not significantly moderate associations involving any demand index. CONCLUSIONS Behavioral economic demand as measured by the commodity purchase task is consistently correlated with measures of illicit substance use quantity-frequency and severity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin C Strickland
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Ethan M Campbell
- Department of Behavioral Science, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Joshua A Lile
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences, Lexington, KY, USA.,Department of Behavioral Science, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - William W Stoops
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences, Lexington, KY, USA.,Department of Behavioral Science, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, USA.,Center on Drug and Alcohol Research, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY, USA
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Merrill JE, Aston ER. Alcohol demand assessed daily: Validity, variability, and the influence of drinking-related consequences. Drug Alcohol Depend 2020; 208:107838. [PMID: 31954948 PMCID: PMC7050944 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2020.107838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2019] [Revised: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 12/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alcohol demand, typically assessed at the trait-level, via single administration, reflects individualized alcohol value. We examined correspondence between baseline trait-level and daily brief measures of alcohol demand, and whether demand changes day-to-day in response to recent drinking-related consequences. Understanding whether consequences influence demand fluctuations may provide insight into when demand can be reduced in the context of intervention. METHODS Heavy drinking college students (n = 95, age 18-20, 52% female) completed a baseline 14-item alcohol purchase task (APT). Observed demand indices were: intensity (consumption at zero cost), Omax (maximum expenditure), and breakpoint (cost whereby consumption is suppressed to zero). Participants subsequently completed 28 daily reports including a 3-item APT (one item corresponding to each baseline index) and prior day drinking and consequences. RESULTS Intraclass correlations revealed within-person variability (i.e., day-to-day change) across daily demand indices. In hierarchical linear models (HLM), each daily demand index was significantly predicted by its corresponding baseline full APT index, when all three baseline indices were entered, suggesting convergent validity of the daily measure. Lower day-level intensity was predicted by more prior day negative consequences, controlling for several day- and person-level variables in HLM. Recent positive consequences did not impact intensity, and daily Omax and breakpoint were not predicted by any tested day- or person-level variables. CONCLUSIONS APT indices collected daily map on well to traditional single-administration APT metrics and change in response to recent consequences. Intensity demonstrated the greatest within-person variability, the strongest association with its corresponding full APT index, and theoretically-consistent prediction by negative consequences of drinking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer E Merrill
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University, Box G-S121-5, Providence RI 02912, United States.
| | - Elizabeth R Aston
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University, Box G-S121-5, Providence, RI 02912, United States.
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Aston ER, Meshesha LZ. Assessing Cannabis Demand: A Comprehensive Review of the Marijuana Purchase Task. Neurotherapeutics 2020; 17:87-99. [PMID: 31916237 PMCID: PMC7007495 DOI: 10.1007/s13311-019-00819-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The marijuana purchase task (MPT) is a behavioral economic measure of individualized cannabis value (i.e., demand). The MPT follows purchase tasks for other substances (e.g., alcohol, tobacco), though presents with unique caveats due to its mixed illicit status, non-uniform units of purchase and use, and substantial within substance variability in strain, potency, and quality. As the regulatory climate surrounding purchase and use of cannabis continues to evolve in the USA and globally, rigorous assessment of cannabis use and value are of the utmost importance. This study represents the first comprehensive review of investigations utilizing the MPT. Searches through PubMed and Web of Science databases by two independent coders identified 15 empirical articles referencing the use of an MPT and were published through the year 2019. Articles were coded for demographic and procedural characteristics, structural characteristics of the MPT itself, data analytic characteristics, and relationships with cannabis-related outcomes. Rigorous assessment of demand for cannabis is essential with respect to the broad public health issues surrounding cannabis legalization. We have synthesized the research presented herein and comment on vital considerations for subsequent MPT work, including recommendations for a unified approach to using the MPT in subsequent research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth R Aston
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, 02912, USA.
- Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University School of Public Heath, Providence, RI, 02912, USA.
| | - Lidia Z Meshesha
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, 02912, USA
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Bickel WK, Athamneh LN, Snider SE, Craft WH, DeHart WB, Kaplan BA, Basso JC. Reinforcer Pathology: Implications for Substance Abuse Intervention. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2020; 47:139-162. [PMID: 32462615 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2020_145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The rate at which individuals discount future rewards (i.e., discounting rate) is strongly associated with their propensity for substance abuse as well as myriad other negative health behaviors. An excessive preference for immediately available rewards suggests a shortened time horizon in which immediate rewards are overvalued and future, potentially negative consequences are undervalued. This review outlines Reinforcer Pathology Theory (i.e., the interaction between excessive preference for immediately available rewards and the overvaluation of a particular commodity that offers brief, intense reinforcement), its neurobiological/behavioral underpinnings, and its implications for treating substance use disorders. In doing so, the current review provides an overview of a variety of ways in which interventions have been used to manipulate aspects of reinforcer pathology in an individual, including narrative theory, framing manipulations, and neuromodulation (e.g., working memory training, TMS) which may serve as promising avenues for the modulation of the temporal window and/or valuation of reinforcers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Warren K Bickel
- Addiction Recovery Research Center, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, Roanoke, VA, USA. .,Center for Transformative Research on Health Behaviors, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, Roanoke, VA, USA.
| | - Liqa N Athamneh
- Addiction Recovery Research Center, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, Roanoke, VA, USA.,Graduate Program in Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Sarah E Snider
- Addiction Recovery Research Center, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, Roanoke, VA, USA
| | - William H Craft
- Addiction Recovery Research Center, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, Roanoke, VA, USA.,Graduate Program in Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - William B DeHart
- Addiction Recovery Research Center, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, Roanoke, VA, USA
| | - Brent A Kaplan
- Addiction Recovery Research Center, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, Roanoke, VA, USA
| | - Julia C Basso
- Addiction Recovery Research Center, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, Roanoke, VA, USA
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Joyner KJ, Meshesha LZ, Dennhardt A, Borsari B, Martens MP, Murphy JG. High Opportunity Cost Demand as an Indicator of Weekday Drinking and Distinctly Severe Alcohol Problems: A Behavioral Economic Analysis. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2019; 43:2607-2619. [PMID: 31661166 PMCID: PMC6904428 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2019] [Accepted: 09/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Behavioral economic theory views addiction as a reinforcer pathology characterized by excessive demand for drugs relative to alternatives. Complementary to this theory, Lamb and Ginsburg (Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior, 164, 2018, 62) describe addiction as a behavioral allocation disorder and predict that decisions to drink under increasingly stringent constraints are a central indicator of addiction. This study used a modified demand-curve paradigm to examine alcohol demand in the context of a next-day contingency (high opportunity cost demand) as a specific indicator of a severe pattern of alcohol problems. METHODS Participants were 370 undergraduates (61.1% female, 86.5% white, Mage = 18.8) reporting multiple past-month heavy drinking episodes (5/4 drinks per occasion for men/women) who completed 2 versions of an alcohol purchase task (APT), along with measures of past-month alcohol use and problems. In 1 APT (low opportunity cost), students imagined they had no next-day responsibilities, and in the other APT (high opportunity cost), they imagined having a 10:00 am test the next day. Item-response theory analyses were used to determine mild and severe alcohol problems from the Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire (Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 67, 2006, 169), and the most and least severe binge drinking days throughout the week. RESULTS Low opportunity cost demand (β = 0.15, p = 0.02) significantly predicted beyond high opportunity cost demand for the least severe problems, and high opportunity cost demand (β = 0.17, p = 0.009) significantly predicted beyond low opportunity cost demand for the most severe problems. Similarly, low opportunity cost demand (β = 0.26, p < 0.001) was more highly associated with weekend drinking, whereas high opportunity cost demand (β = 0.21, p = 0.001) was more highly associated with weekday drinking. CONCLUSIONS The current results suggest high opportunity cost alcohol demand is a distinct marker of severe alcohol problems among college student heavy drinkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keanan J. Joyner
- Florida State University, Department of Psychology, 1107 W Call St., Tallahassee, FL, 32304, USA
| | - Lidia Z. Meshesha
- Center for Alcohol & Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, 02912, USA
| | - Ashley Dennhardt
- University of Memphis, Department of Psychology, 400 Innovation Dr., Memphis, TN 38152, USA
| | - Brian Borsari
- Mental Health Service (116B), San Francisco VA Medical Center, 4150 Clement St., San Francisco CA 94121 and Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, 401 Parnassus Ave, San Francisco, CA 94143
| | - Matthew P. Martens
- University of Missouri, Department of Educational, School, and Counseling Psychology, 203 Jesse Hall, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA
| | - James G. Murphy
- University of Memphis, Department of Psychology, 400 Innovation Dr., Memphis, TN 38152, USA
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Aston ER, Cassidy RN. Behavioral economic demand assessments in the addictions. Curr Opin Psychol 2019; 30:42-47. [PMID: 30807957 PMCID: PMC6661217 DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2019.01.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2018] [Revised: 01/18/2019] [Accepted: 01/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Behavioral economics in the addictions is the application of both economics and psychology to study multifaceted components of substance use decision-making behavior. One such component is demand: the relative value of a substance for a user (i.e., the association between drug use and cost). The degree to which a user values a substance can be measured via performance on hypothetical purchase tasks which replicate drug purchase and consumption. Demand has been evaluated across substances, including alcohol, marijuana, tobacco, and alternative tobacco products. Recent advances in the study of demand have greatly improved the assessment of drug value, including application to novel products, selection of optimal task unit, assessment of demand in naïve or potential future users, and the importance of instructional set specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth R Aston
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, 02912, United States; Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University School of Public Heath, Providence, RI, 02912, United States.
| | - Rachel N Cassidy
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, 02912, United States; Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University School of Public Heath, Providence, RI, 02912, United States
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A concurrent pictorial drug choice task marks multiple risk factors in treatment-engaged smokers and drinkers. Behav Pharmacol 2019; 29:716-725. [PMID: 30169375 DOI: 10.1097/fbp.0000000000000421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Concurrent choice tasks, where participants choose between a drug versus natural reward, predict dependence vulnerability in animals and humans. However, the sensitivity of concurrent choice tasks to multiple risk factors in treatment-engaged drug users has not been comprehensively tested. In experiment 1, 33 recently hospitalized smokers who were engaged with the smoking cessation service made forced choices between enlarging pictures of people smoking versus not smoking. In experiment 2, 48 drinkers who were engaged in an outpatient alcohol treatment service made forced choices between enlarging pictures of alcohol versus food. In these experiments, percent drug picture choice was significantly associated with dependence severity, craving, self-reported reasons for drug use (negative coping and cued craving), depression, anxiety, withdrawal intolerance, drug use frequency prior to treatment, and current abstinence status (coefficients ranged from r=0.39 to 0.66). The concurrent pictorial drug choice task is sensitive to multiple risk factors in clinical, treatment-engaged drug users, and may be used to identify individuals requiring more support, to test experimental treatment manipulations, and to translate to animal concurrent self-administration procedures.
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Martins JS, Bartholow BD, Cooper ML, Irvin KM, Piasecki TM. Interactive Effects of Naturalistic Drinking Context and Alcohol Sensitivity on Neural Alcohol Cue-Reactivity Responses. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2019; 43:1777-1789. [PMID: 31233217 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2019] [Accepted: 06/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Considerable evidence indicates that a low level of subjective response to alcohol's acute effects (i.e., low sensitivity) is associated with enhanced risk for alcohol use disorder (AUD). Recent work suggests that the highest risk response profile consists of blunted sensitivity to alcohol's sedation-like effects, coupled with enhanced sensitivity to alcohol's stimulation-like effects (i.e., differential sensitivity). A largely separate body of work indicates that enhanced reactivity to alcohol-related cues is associated with increased AUD risk. AIMS The current research examined the extent to which variability in alcohol response phenotypes is associated with enhanced P3 event-related potential (ERP) responses to alcohol-related pictures (ACR-P3), and whether this reactivity varies according to depicted drinking contexts. METHODS Eighty young adults (aged 18 to 33 years) completed a self-report measure of alcohol sensitivity (the Alcohol Sensitivity Questionnaire) and viewed images depicting drinking in naturalistic contexts, alcohol and nonalcohol beverages in isolation (devoid of naturalistic drinking context), and neutral nonbeverage control images while ERPs were recorded. RESULTS Results indicated that blunted sensitivity to alcohol's sedative-like effects was differentially associated with enhanced ACR-P3 but reduced P3 reactivity to nonalcohol cues. Variation in sensitivity to alcohol's stimulant-like effects was not associated with differential ACR-P3. Contrary to predictions, these effects were not potentiated by drinking contexts. CONCLUSIONS The current results replicate and extend previous work linking low alcohol sensitivity with enhanced incentive salience for alcohol-related cues and suggest that cues depicting drinking contexts are less likely to differentiate high-risk from low-risk drinkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge S Martins
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
| | - Bruce D Bartholow
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
| | - M Lynne Cooper
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
| | - Kelsey M Irvin
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
| | - Thomas M Piasecki
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
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Abstract
The overarching goal of the present study was to determine whether a behavioral economic framework of demand analysis is applicable to texting while driving. To this end, we developed a novel hypothetical task designed to quantify the intensity and elasticity of the demand for social interaction from texting while driving. This task involved a scenario in which participants receive a text message while driving, and they rated the likelihood of replying to a text message immediately versus waiting to reply until arriving at a destination when the amounts of a fine for texting while driving ranged from $1 to $300. To assess the construct validity of the task, the scenario presented two delays to a destination (15 min and 60 min). The demand for social interaction from texting was more intense (greater at the lowest amount of the fine) and less elastic (less sensitive to the increase in the amounts of the fine) for drivers who self-reported a higher frequency of texting while driving than for those who self-reported a lower frequency of texting while driving. Demand was also more intense and less elastic under the 60-min delay condition than under the 15-min condition. The results of this proof-of-concept study suggest that behavioral economic demand analyses are potentially useful for understanding and predicting texting while driving.
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MacKillop J, Goldenson NI, Kirkpatrick MG, Leventhal AM. Validation of a behavioral economic purchase task for assessing drug abuse liability. Addict Biol 2019; 24:303-314. [PMID: 29314376 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2017] [Revised: 10/17/2017] [Accepted: 11/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Behavioral economic purchase tasks quantify drug demand (i.e. reinforcing value of a drug) and have been used extensively to assess the value of various drugs among current users. However, purchase tasks have been rarely used with unfamiliar drugs to address a compound's abuse liability, and the current study sought to validate the paradigm in this capacity. Using a double-blind placebo-controlled within-subjects drug challenge design, the study evaluated differential drug demand on an experimental drug purchase task for a 20 mg dose of oral D-amphetamine (versus placebo), a prototypic psychostimulant, in 98 stimulant-naïve participants. Compared with placebo, amphetamine significantly increased intensity, breakpoint and Omax , and significantly decreased elasticity. Mechanistic analyses revealed that Omax and breakpoint mediated the relationship between subjective drug effects and 'willingness to take again', a putative indicator of liability via motivation for future drug-seeking behavior. These findings validate the purchase task paradigm for quantifying the reinforcing value and, in turn, abuse liability of unfamiliar compounds, providing a foundation for a variety of future applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- James MacKillop
- Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research; McMaster University/St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton; Hamilton Canada
| | - Nicholas I. Goldenson
- Department of Preventive Medicine; University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine; Los Angeles CA USA
| | - Matthew G. Kirkpatrick
- Department of Preventive Medicine; University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine; Los Angeles CA USA
| | - Adam M. Leventhal
- Department of Preventive Medicine; University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine; Los Angeles CA USA
- Department of Psychology; University of Southern California; Los Angeles CA USA
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Athamneh LN, Stein JS, Amlung M, Bickel WK. Validation of a brief behavioral economic assessment of demand among cigarette smokers. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol 2019; 27:96-102. [PMID: 30265063 PMCID: PMC6355365 DOI: 10.1037/pha0000228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Basic and clinical addiction research use demand measures and analysis extensively to characterize drug use motivations. Hence, obtaining an accurate and brief measurement of demand that can be easily utilized in different settings is highly valued. In the current study, 2 versions of a breakpoint measure, designed to capture cigarette demand, were investigated in 119 smokers who were recruited from an online crowdsourcing platform. The first version determines the maximum price a smoker is willing to pay for one cigarette received right now when paid out of pocket, and the second determines the maximum price when paid using a hypothetical $100 gift card received for free. The breakpoint measures were administered along with the Cigarette Purchase Task (CPT), Fagerström Test for Cigarette Dependence (FTCD), and The Questionnaire of Smoking Urges (QSU-brief). Both single-item breakpoint versions were significantly correlated with CPT-derived demand measures loaded on the persistence factor (i.e., elasticity of demand, breakpoint, Pmax, and Omax), but not with those loaded on the amplitude factor (i.e., intensity of demand). In addition, both single-item measures were associated with metrics of tobacco dependence (e.g., FTCD, QSU) with effect sizes that are similar to the ones found between CPT-derived breakpoint and those same metrics. These findings suggest that the single-item breakpoint measure is a viable method for measuring demand that may provide a useful and efficient tool to capture crucial and distinct aspects of smoking. In addition, the breakpoint measures may help increase the utility of behavioral demand measures in novel research and clinical settings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Liqa N. Athamneh
- Addiction Recovery Research Center, Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, Roanoke, VA, USA; Graduate Program in Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
| | - Jeffrey S. Stein
- Addiction Recovery Research Center, Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, Roanoke, VA, USA; Center for Transformative Research on Health Behaviors, Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, Roanoke, VA, USA; Graduate Program in Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
| | - Michael Amlung
- Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Warren K. Bickel
- Addiction Recovery Research Center, Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, Roanoke, VA, USA; Center for Transformative Research on Health Behaviors, Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, Roanoke, VA, USA; Graduate Program in Translational Biology, Medicine, and Health, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA; Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA; Faculty of Health Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Roanoke, VA, USA
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Abstract
BACKGROUND The alcohol industry recognizes children and pregnant women as population sub-groups vulnerable to the effects of alcohol marketing. Research indicates that heavy alcohol users are also potentially vulnerable to alcohol marketing. The purpose of the current study is to determine if sub-groups defined by psychological characteristics should be classified as potentially vulnerable as well. METHODS College students (n = 326) from two northeast schools were recruited to complete a survey containing questions on demographics, alcohol use, and psychological characteristics (alcohol expectancies, alcohol dependence, sensation seeking traits, and past delinquent behaviors). Additionally, after viewing each of five alcohol ads (4 television and 1 magazine), participants answered questions about their perceptions of alcohol consumption, responsible drinking, excessive drinking, and appeal of the ads. Main effects were assessed using hierarchical linear modeling, with adjustment for age, sex, race, ethnicity, and AUDIT score. RESULTS Alcohol expectancies (p < .001), particularly the social and physical pleasure and social expressiveness sub-scales, and sensation seeking traits (p = .002) were positively associated with alcohol ad appeal. Alcohol dependence symptoms, specifically impaired control and tolerance, were positively associated with perceptions of responsible drinking (p = .035), even though mean perceived number of drinks consumed met the definition of binge drinking. CONCLUSIONS Individuals with positive alcohol expectancies, sensation seeking traits, and alcohol dependence may be vulnerable to alcohol advertising and marketing. Because alcohol advertising often contains content that can serve as a cue or reinforce to drink, specific regulations may be needed to prevent alcohol-related harm from occurring in these sub-populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan K Noel
- a Department of Health Science , Johnson & Wales University , Providence , RI , USA
| | - Ziming Xuan
- b Department of Community Health Sciences , Boston University School of Public Health , Boston , MA , USA
| | - Thomas F Babor
- c Department of Community Medicine and Health Care , University of Connecticut School of Medicine , Farmington , CT , USA
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Amlung M, Reed DD, Morris V, Aston ER, Metrik J, MacKillop J. Price elasticity of illegal versus legal cannabis: a behavioral economic substitutability analysis. Addiction 2019; 114:112-118. [PMID: 30194789 DOI: 10.1111/add.14437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2018] [Revised: 07/31/2018] [Accepted: 08/31/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS The evolving legal status of cannabis world-wide necessitates evidence-based regulatory policies to minimize risks associated with cannabis misuse. A prominent concern is the impact legalization may have on the illegal cannabis market, including whether illegal cannabis will serve as a substitute for legal cannabis. Empirical data on this issue are virtually non-existent. This study used behavioral economics to investigate substitutability of legal and illegal cannabis in legalized catchment areas in the United States. DESIGN A substitution-based marijuana purchase task assessed estimated cannabis consumption from concurrently available legal (a dispensary) and illegal (a dealer) sources. Prices of the two options were reciprocally either held constant ($10/gram) or escalated ($0-$60/gram). SETTING US states with legalized recreational cannabis. PARTICIPANTS Adult cannabis users who were at least 21 years old (n = 724; mean age = 34.13; 52% female; 74% Caucasian) were recruited using online crowdsourcing. MEASUREMENTS Mean consumption values were used in demand curve modeling to generate indices of price sensitivity and elasticity. Differences in demand indices were compared using extra sums-of-squares F-tests. FINDINGS Both legal and illegal fixed-price cannabis options had significant positive cross-price elasticities (Ps < 0.001), indicating that higher prices motivate substitution irrespective of legality. However, the presence of a legal alternative had a substantially greater effect on consumption and elasticity of illegal cannabis (∆elasticity = 0.0019; F(1,37) = 160, P < 0.0001) than the presence of an illegal alternative on demand for legal cannabis (∆elasticity = 0.0002; F(1,37) = 48, P < 0.0001), indicating asymmetric substitution. Demand for legal cannabis was significantly greater than for illegal cannabis (P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS Cannabis users treat legal cannabis as a superior commodity compared with illegal cannabis and exhibit asymmetric substitutability favoring legal product. Cannabis price policies that include somewhat higher consumer costs for legal cannabis relative to contraband (but not excessively higher costs) would not be expected to incentivize and expand the illegal market.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Amlung
- Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research, McMaster University and St Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, ON, Canada.,Michael G. DeGroote Centre for Medicinal Cannabis Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Derek D Reed
- Department of Applied Behavioral Science, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
| | - Vanessa Morris
- Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research, McMaster University and St Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Elizabeth R Aston
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Jane Metrik
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.,Providence VA Medical Center, Providence, RI, 02908, USA
| | - James MacKillop
- Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research, McMaster University and St Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, ON, Canada.,Michael G. DeGroote Centre for Medicinal Cannabis Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.,Homewood Research Institute, Guelph, ON, Canada
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Kaplan BA, Foster RNS, Reed DD, Amlung M, Murphy JG, MacKillop J. Understanding alcohol motivation using the alcohol purchase task: A methodological systematic review. Drug Alcohol Depend 2018; 191:117-140. [PMID: 30099174 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2018.06.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2017] [Revised: 06/27/2018] [Accepted: 06/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Alcohol Purchase Task (APT) is a behavioral economic assessment of alcohol demand (i.e., motivation for consumption during escalating levels of response cost) using simulated marketplace survey techniques. While the APT is often used and widely cited, to date, there has yet to be a systematic review elucidating the variability in administering and analyzing the APT. The purpose of the current paper is to address this knowledge gap in the literature by cataloging the various purchase task methodologies and providing recommendations and future areas of inquiry. METHODS The PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) methodology was utilized (Prospero: No. CRD42017072159). Searches through Google Scholar, PsychINFO, PubMed, and SpringerLink databases identified 47 empirical articles referencing the use of an APT and published through the year 2016. Articles were coded for demographic and procedural characteristics, structural characteristics of the APT itself, and characteristics of data analysis. RESULTS Results indicate substantial variation within categories and suggest that there is no standard approach to administering the APT or analyzing the responses generated from it. The results underscore the need for researchers to report as much information as possible related to administration, instructions, price structuring, and analytical approach, as we found that many articles did not provide these details. CONCLUSION Enhancing the transparency of APT methods and analyses in published reports will aid in reproducibility as well as future meta-analytic studies of alcohol demand that could lead to the development of best-practice recommendations for this procedure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brent A Kaplan
- Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Roanoke, VA USA; Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS USA.
| | - Rachel N S Foster
- Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS USA
| | - Derek D Reed
- Department of Applied Behavioral Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS USA
| | - Michael Amlung
- Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON Canada
| | - James G Murphy
- Department of Psychology, University of Memphis, Memphis, TN USA
| | - James MacKillop
- Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON Canada
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Strickland JC, Marks KR, Beckmann JS, Lile JA, Rush CR, Stoops WW. Contribution of cocaine-related cues to concurrent monetary choice in humans. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2018; 235:2871-2881. [PMID: 30046863 PMCID: PMC6162111 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-018-4978-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2018] [Accepted: 07/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Theoretical accounts highlight the importance of drug-related cues for the development and persistence of drug-taking behavior. Few studies have evaluated the ability of spatially contiguous drug cues to bias decisions between two concurrently presented non-drug reinforcers. OBJECTIVE Evaluate the contribution of spatially contiguous cocaine cues to choice between two concurrently presented monetary reinforcers METHODS: Participants with cocaine use disorder completed a cued concurrent choice task. Two cues (one cocaine and one control image) were presented side-by-side followed by concurrent monetary offers below each image. Concurrent choice was measured for cocaine-side advantageous, equal, and disadvantageous concurrent monetary offers. The primary dependent measure was bias for selecting cocaine-cued monetary reinforcers. Three experiments tested selectivity of cocaine-cued bias in individuals with a cocaine use history (Experiment 1), replication when including additional control trials (Experiment 2), and a potential attentional mechanism evaluated using eye-tracking technology (Experiment 3). RESULTS Significant and robust cocaine-cued bias at equal monetary value was observed in three experiments (mean percent choice = 65-77%) and higher Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST) scores were associated with greater cocaine-choice bias. These experiments demonstrated that cocaine-cued bias was (1) selective to individuals with a cocaine use history, (2) specific to trials involving a cocaine cue, and (3) partially associated with attentional bias. CONCLUSIONS These experiments provide evidence that drug-related cues can influence choice and potentially promote maladaptive decision making during concurrent choice events. Future research evaluating prospective associations of drug-cued bias with drug-associated behaviors will help reveal the clinical relevance for substance use disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin C Strickland
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences, 171 Funkhouser Drive, Lexington, KY, 40506-0044, USA
| | - Katherine R Marks
- Department of Behavioral Science, University of Kentucky Chandler Medical Center, 1100 Veterans Drive, Medical Behavioral Science Building Room 140, Lexington, KY, 40536-0086, USA
| | - Joshua S Beckmann
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences, 171 Funkhouser Drive, Lexington, KY, 40506-0044, USA
| | - Joshua A Lile
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences, 171 Funkhouser Drive, Lexington, KY, 40506-0044, USA
- Department of Behavioral Science, University of Kentucky Chandler Medical Center, 1100 Veterans Drive, Medical Behavioral Science Building Room 140, Lexington, KY, 40536-0086, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, 3470 Blazer Parkway, Lexington, KY, 40509-1810, USA
| | - Craig R Rush
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences, 171 Funkhouser Drive, Lexington, KY, 40506-0044, USA
- Department of Behavioral Science, University of Kentucky Chandler Medical Center, 1100 Veterans Drive, Medical Behavioral Science Building Room 140, Lexington, KY, 40536-0086, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, 3470 Blazer Parkway, Lexington, KY, 40509-1810, USA
| | - William W Stoops
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences, 171 Funkhouser Drive, Lexington, KY, 40506-0044, USA.
- Department of Behavioral Science, University of Kentucky Chandler Medical Center, 1100 Veterans Drive, Medical Behavioral Science Building Room 140, Lexington, KY, 40536-0086, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, 3470 Blazer Parkway, Lexington, KY, 40509-1810, USA.
- Center on Drug and Alcohol Research, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, 845 Angliana Ave, Lexington, KY, 40508, USA.
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Haass-Koffler CL, Goodyear K, Zywiak WH, Leggio L, Kenna GA, Swift RM. Comparing and Combining Topiramate and Aripiprazole on Alcohol-Related Outcomes in a Human Laboratory Study. Alcohol Alcohol 2018; 53:268-276. [PMID: 29281033 DOI: 10.1093/alcalc/agx108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2017] [Accepted: 11/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Aims The goal of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of topiramate up to 200 mg/day and of aripiprazole up to 15 mg/day, alone and combined, in reducing alcohol-related outcomes in a human laboratory study. Method This was a 5 week, between-subject, double-blind, placebo-controlled human laboratory study with topiramate [0 mg/day (placebo), 100 mg/day, 200 mg/day] and aripiprazole [0 mg/day (placebo), 7.5 mg/day, 15 mg/day] in 90 non-treatment seeking, heavy drinking, alcohol-dependent individuals. Main outcomes were the efficacy of 200 mg/day topiramate and 15 mg/day aripiprazole, alone and combined, in reducing drinks consumed during an alcohol self-administration procedure (human laboratory phase) and while receiving the study medications prior to the laboratory session (naturalistic drinking phase). Other outcomes in the laboratory phase included alcohol craving, and alcohol biphasic effects. Results In the human laboratory phase, topiramate 200 mg/day reduced alcohol craving [**P < 0.01] and amplified alcohol-induced stimulation [*P < 0.05], but did not reduce the number of drinks consumed. Topiramate 200 mg/day was also effective in reducing drinking days [*P < 0.05], and alcohol craving [*P < 0.05], in the naturalistic drinking phase. No significant findings were found for aripiprazole for any of the outcomes analyzed. Conclusion Participants receiving 200 mg/day topiramate reported reduced alcohol drinking and craving, and increased alcohol-related stimulation. These findings provide further support for the role of topiramate as a pharmacological treatment for AUD. ClinicalTrial.gov Identifier NCT00884884. Short Summary This study tested topiramate and aripiprazole alone and in combination. The results replicate past findings and suggest that topiramate may be an effective treatment for alcohol use disorder. The present results suggest that the combination of topiramate and aripiprazole do not warrant further evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina L Haass-Koffler
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown University, 121 South Main Street, Providence, RI 02912, USA.,Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University, 121 South Main Street, Providence, RI 02912, USA.,Section on Clinical Psychoneuroendocrinology and Neuropsychopharmacology, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive (10CRC/15330), Bethesda, MD 20892-1108, USA
| | - Kimberly Goodyear
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University, 121 South Main Street, Providence, RI 02912, USA.,Section on Clinical Psychoneuroendocrinology and Neuropsychopharmacology, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive (10CRC/15330), Bethesda, MD 20892-1108, USA
| | - William H Zywiak
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown University, 121 South Main Street, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Lorenzo Leggio
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University, 121 South Main Street, Providence, RI 02912, USA.,Section on Clinical Psychoneuroendocrinology and Neuropsychopharmacology, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive (10CRC/15330), Bethesda, MD 20892-1108, USA
| | - George A Kenna
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown University, 121 South Main Street, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Robert M Swift
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown University, 121 South Main Street, Providence, RI 02912, USA.,Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 830 Chalkstone Ave, Providence, RI 02908, USA
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Jones A, Robinson E, Duckworth J, Kersbergen I, Clarke N, Field M. The effects of exposure to appetitive cues on inhibitory control: A meta-analytic investigation. Appetite 2018; 128:271-282. [DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2018.06.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2018] [Revised: 05/10/2018] [Accepted: 06/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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Spelman PJ, Simons JS. Effects of Sexual Arousal and Alcohol Cues on Acute Motivation for Alcohol. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2018; 47:1577-1589. [PMID: 29582268 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-018-1195-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2017] [Revised: 03/13/2018] [Accepted: 03/14/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Reward-related stimuli can induce motivation to obtain rewards both within and across domains. We tested within- and cross-domain effects of environmental context (mock bar vs. laboratory) and sexually arousing stimuli (pornography vs. nature film) on acute motivation for alcohol as measured by a state-based alcohol purchase task in 109 male and female college students. Our results showed significant effects of both sexual arousal and environmental context on acute motivation for alcohol. A limited subsample analysis (N = 84) revealed significant effects of both sexual arousal and environmental context conditions on elasticity. Consistent with hypotheses, the presence of either sex- or alcohol-related cues increased acute motivation for alcohol and decreased sensitivity to costs of drinking. Furthermore, there was a significant video × laboratory condition interaction in the elasticity analysis. Our findings suggest that both sexually arousing stimuli and incidental environmental alcohol cues may significantly increase the effort one will expend to consume alcohol and thus the potential for risky drinking behavior. We believe this is the first experiment to use demand curves to present evidence of cross-domain effects of sexually arousing stimuli on acute motivation for alcohol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip J Spelman
- Department of Psychology, University of South Dakota, 414 E Clark St., Vermillion, SD, 57069, USA.
| | - Jeffrey S Simons
- Department of Psychology, University of South Dakota, 414 E Clark St., Vermillion, SD, 57069, USA
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43
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Acuff SF, Soltis KE, Dennhardt AA, Berlin KS, Murphy JG. Evaluating Behavioral Economic Models of Heavy Drinking Among College Students. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2018; 42:1304-1314. [PMID: 29757460 DOI: 10.1111/acer.13774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2018] [Accepted: 04/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Heavy drinking among college students is a significant public health concern that can lead to profound social and health consequences, including alcohol use disorder. Behavioral economics posits that low future orientation and high valuation of alcohol (alcohol demand) combined with deficits in alternative reinforcement increase the likelihood of alcohol misuse. Despite this, no study has examined the incremental utility of all 3 variables simultaneously in a comprehensive model. METHODS This study uses structural equation modeling to test the associations between behavioral economic variables-alcohol demand (latent), future orientation (measured with a delay discounting task and the Consideration of Future Consequences [CFC] scale), and proportionate substance-related reinforcement-and alcohol consumption and problems among 393 heavy drinking college students. Two models are tested as follows: (i) an iteration of the reinforcer pathology model that includes an interaction between future orientation and alcohol demand; and (ii) an alternative model evaluating the interconnectedness of behavioral economic variables in predicting problematic alcohol use. RESULTS The interaction effects in Model 1 were nonsignificant. Model 2 suggests that greater alcohol demand and proportionate substance-related reinforcement are associated with greater alcohol consumption and problems. Furthermore, CFC was associated with alcohol-related problems and lower proportionate substance-related reinforcement but was not significantly associated with alcohol consumption or alcohol demand. Finally, greater proportionate substance-related reinforcement was associated with greater alcohol demand. CONCLUSIONS Our results support the validity of the behavioral economic reinforcer pathology model as applied to young adult heavy drinking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel F Acuff
- Department of Psychology, The University of Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee
| | - Kathryn E Soltis
- Department of Psychology, The University of Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee
| | | | | | - James G Murphy
- Department of Psychology, The University of Memphis, Memphis, Tennessee
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Abstract
Craving is a specific desire state that biases choice toward the desired object. Although extremely common, and in its pathological form a major contributor to negative health outcomes as in addiction and obesity, craving is not well understood. In a laboratory model of craving, we find “craving” is reflected in people’s momentary willingness to pay for the things they desire, and for subjectively similar things, consistent with a transient, good-selective change in subjective valuation. We further find the value of the desired goods increases multiplicatively, which might explain several escalation behaviors associated with craving in real-world environments. This opens more lines of research regarding the computational form of craving in health and disease, with implications for marketing actions and consumer choice. Craving is thought to be a specific desire state that biases choice toward the desired object, be it chocolate or drugs. A vast majority of people report having experienced craving of some kind. In its pathological form craving contributes to health outcomes in addiction and obesity. Yet despite its ubiquity and clinical relevance we still lack a basic neurocomputational understanding of craving. Here, using an instantaneous measure of subjective valuation and selective cue exposure, we identify a behavioral signature of a food craving-like state and advance a computational framework for understanding how this state might transform valuation to bias choice. We find desire induced by exposure to a specific high-calorie, high-fat/sugar snack good is expressed in subjects’ momentary willingness to pay for this good. This effect is selective but not exclusive to the exposed good; rather, we find it generalizes to nonexposed goods in proportion to their subjective attribute similarity to the exposed ones. A second manipulation of reward size (number of snack units available for purchase) further suggested that a multiplicative gain mechanism supports the transformation of valuation during laboratory craving. These findings help explain how real-world food craving can result in behaviors inconsistent with preferences expressed in the absence of craving and open a path for the computational modeling of craving-like phenomena using a simple and repeatable experimental tool for assessing subjective states in economic terms.
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45
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Noyes ET, Schlauch RC. Examination of approach and avoidance inclinations on the reinforcing value of alcohol. Addict Behav 2018; 79:61-67. [PMID: 29248864 DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2017.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2017] [Revised: 11/05/2017] [Accepted: 12/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Although behavioral economics tends to focus on environmental factors (i.e., price, availability) that act to influence valuation of alcohol, recent research has begun to address how motivational and cognitive factors influence an individual's demand for alcohol. Motivational states, including craving, are one possible mechanism underlying the value based decision making that demand represents. Using a multidimensional model of craving (Ambivalence Model of Craving), the current study examined the relationships between indices of alcohol demand (i.e., reinforcing value of alcohol) and craving (i.e., approach inclinations), and the ways in which competing desires moderate that relationship (i.e., avoidance inclinations). Individuals who reported consuming alcohol in the past month were recruited for the study using Amazon's Mechanical Turk. A total of 529 participants (mean age=33.03years, SD=8.85) completed a series of surveys assessing their drinking behavior and other alcohol-related measures. Multiple regression analyses indicated that while approach significantly predicted intensity (i.e., consumption at zero cost), Omax (i.e., the maximum alcohol expenditure) and breakpoint (i.e., the first price that seizes consumption), avoidance moderated the relationship between approach and Omax and breakpoint. Specifically, follow up analyses demonstrated that higher avoidance inclinations attenuated the effect of approach inclinations on these demand indices. Finally, despite conceptual overlap between approach, avoidance, and alcohol demand, regression analyses indicated that these constructs account for unique variance in alcohol outcomes. These results illustrate the importance of considering the effects of both approach and avoidance inclinations on an individual's valuation of alcohol.
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Acuff SF, Luciano MT, Soltis KE, Joyner KJ, McDevitt-Murphy M, Murphy JG. Access to environmental reward mediates the relation between posttraumatic stress symptoms and alcohol problems and craving. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol 2018; 26:177-185. [PMID: 29355348 PMCID: PMC5897140 DOI: 10.1037/pha0000181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Symptoms of posttraumatic stress (PTS) show significant comorbidity with alcohol use, but little is known about the mechanisms that might account for this comorbidity. Deficits in reward functioning have long been implicated in alcohol misuse and more recently in PTS reactions, but no study has examined whether reward deprivation may serve as a transdiagnostic risk factor for comorbid PTS-alcohol misuse. The current cross-sectional study sought to test the behavioral economic hypothesis that reward deprivation would be related to both PTS symptoms and alcohol problems, and would mediate the relation between PTS symptoms and alcohol problems in college students. We recruited a diverse sample of urban college students (N = 203, Mage = 21.5 years, SD = 5.5; 79.5% female; 56.8% White, 28.1% Black, .9% Asian, 9.8% Multiracial) who endorsed both alcohol use and PTS symptoms. Reward deprivation (lack of access to, and ability to, experience reward) was related to alcohol problems, and a lack of access to reward was related to PTS symptoms. Furthermore, reward access mediated the relation between PTS symptoms and alcohol problems and craving, after controlling for alcohol use, age, gender, and race. These data provide preliminary support for behavioral economic models of alcohol comorbidity and suggest that treatments for combined PTS and alcohol misuse should attempt to reduce barriers to accessing natural rewards. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Moskal D, Maisto SA, De Vita M, Ditre JW. Effects of experimental pain induction on alcohol urge, intention to consume alcohol, and alcohol demand. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol 2018; 26:65-76. [PMID: 29323505 PMCID: PMC5794517 DOI: 10.1037/pha0000170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Research suggests one determinant of alcohol consumption may be physical pain, but there is no empirical evidence that pain has a causal effect on drinking. Therefore, the primary aim of this study was to test experimental pain as a determinant of several alcohol consumption proxies: self-reported urge to drink, intention to consume alcohol, and alcohol demand. This study also was designed to test negative affect as a mediator of the effects of pain on alcohol use proxies. We hypothesized that participants randomized to experimental pain induction (vs. no pain) would report greater urge, intention, and alcohol demand, and that these effects would be mediated by increased negative affect. Participants were healthy undergraduates who were moderate-heavy drinkers (N = 61). Experimental pain was induced using a novel capsaicin-heat model intended to approximate key features of clinical pain. Results indicated that participants in the pain condition subsequently endorsed greater urge and intention to drink. Furthermore, these effects were mediated by pain-induced negative affect. We observed no effect of pain on alcohol demand. This is the first study to demonstrate a causal effect of acute pain on urge and intention to drink. Given the close association between alcohol consumption, urge and intention to drink, these findings suggest that pain may influence alcohol consumption, which can have implications for individuals with co-occurring pain and alcohol use disorder (AUD). Specifically, individuals with co-occurring pain and AUD may drink to alleviate pain-related negative affect. Therefore, improving pain-coping skills may enhance pain-management abilities, subsequently reducing coping-motivated drinking. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Koffarnus MN, Kaplan BA. Clinical models of decision making in addiction. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2018; 164:71-83. [PMID: 28851586 PMCID: PMC5747979 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2017.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2017] [Revised: 08/08/2017] [Accepted: 08/21/2017] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
As research on decision making in addiction accumulates, it is increasingly clear that decision-making processes are dysfunctional in addiction and that this dysfunction may be fundamental to the initiation and maintenance of addictive behavior. How drug-dependent individuals value and choose among drug and nondrug rewards is consistently different from non-dependent individuals. The present review focuses on the assessment of decision-making in addiction. We cover the common behavioral tasks that have shown to be fruitful in decision-making research and highlight analytical and graphical considerations, when available, to facilitate comparisons within and among studies. Delay discounting tasks, drug demand tasks, drug choice tasks, the Iowa Gambling Task, and the Balloon Analogue Risk Task are included.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikhail N Koffarnus
- Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, 2 Riverside Circle, Roanoke, VA 24016, United States.
| | - Brent A Kaplan
- Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, 2 Riverside Circle, Roanoke, VA 24016, United States
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Aston ER, Farris SG, MacKillop J, Metrik J. Latent factor structure of a behavioral economic marijuana demand curve. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2017; 234:2421-2429. [PMID: 28508921 PMCID: PMC5538908 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-017-4633-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2016] [Accepted: 04/11/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Drug demand, or relative value, can be assessed via analysis of behavioral economic purchase task performance. Five demand indices are typically obtained from drug purchase tasks. OBJECTIVES The goal of this research was to determine whether metrics of marijuana reinforcement from a marijuana purchase task (MPT) exhibit a latent factor structure that efficiently characterizes marijuana demand. METHODS Participants were regular marijuana users (n = 99; 37.4% female, 71.5% marijuana use days [5 days/week], 15.2% cannabis dependent) who completed study assessments, including the MPT, during a baseline session. Principal component analysis was used to examine the latent structure underlying MPT indices. Concurrent validity was assessed via examination of relationships between latent factors and marijuana use, past quit attempts, and marijuana expectancies. RESULTS A two-factor solution was confirmed as the best fitting structure, accounting for 88.5% of the overall variance. Factor 1 (65.8% variance) reflected "Persistence," indicating sensitivity to escalating marijuana price, which comprised four MPT indices (elasticity, O max, P max, and breakpoint). Factor 2 (22.7% variance) reflected "Amplitude," indicating the amount consumed at unrestricted price (intensity). Persistence factor scores were associated with fewer past marijuana quit attempts and lower expectancies of negative use outcomes. Amplitude factor scores were associated with more frequent use, dependence symptoms, craving severity, and positive marijuana outcome expectancies. CONCLUSIONS Consistent with research on alcohol and cigarette purchase tasks, the MPT can be characterized with a latent two-factor structure. Thus, demand for marijuana appears to encompass distinct dimensions of price sensitivity and volumetric consumption, with differential relations to other aspects of marijuana motivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth R Aston
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, 02903, USA.
| | - Samantha G Farris
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, 02906, USA
- The Miriam Hospital, Centers for Behavioral and Preventative Medicine, Providence, RI, 02906, USA
- Butler Hospital, Providence, RI, 02906, USA
| | - James MacKillop
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, 02903, USA
- Peter Boris Centre for Addictions Research, McMaster University/St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton, Hamilton, ON, L8N 3K7, Canada
- Homewood Research Institute, Guelph, ON, N1E 6K9, Canada
| | - Jane Metrik
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, 02903, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, 02906, USA
- Providence Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Providence, RI, 02908, USA
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Bentzley BS, Aston-Jones G. Inhibiting subthalamic nucleus decreases cocaine demand and relapse: therapeutic potential. Addict Biol 2017; 22:946-957. [PMID: 26935125 PMCID: PMC5010790 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2015] [Revised: 01/31/2016] [Accepted: 02/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Preclinical evidence indicates that inactivation of subthalamic nucleus (STN) may be effective for treating cocaine addiction, and therapies that target STN, e.g. deep brain stimulation, are available indicating that this may have clinical promise. Here, we assessed the therapeutic potential of STN inactivation using a translationally relevant economic approach that quantitatively describes drug-taking behavior, and tested these results with drug-seeking tasks. Economic demand for cocaine was assessed in rats (n = 11) using a within-session threshold procedure in which cocaine price (responses/mg cocaine) was sequentially increased throughout the session. Cocaine demand was assessed in this manner immediately after bilateral microinfusions into STN of either vehicle (artificial cerebrospinal fluid) or the GABAA receptor agonist muscimol. A separate group of animals (n = 8) was tested for changes in cocaine seeking either during extinction or in response to cocaine-associated cues. Muscimol-induced inhibition of STN significantly attenuated cocaine consumption at high prices, drug seeking during extinction and cued reinstatement of cocaine seeking. In contrast, STN inhibition did not reduce cocaine consumption at low prices or locomotor activity. Thus, STN inactivation reduced economic demand for cocaine and multiple measures of drug seeking during extinction. In view of the association between economic demand and addiction severity in both rat and human, these results indicate that STN inactivation has substantial clinical potential for treatment of cocaine addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon S. Bentzley
- Medical University of South Carolina, Department of Neurosciences, Charleston, SC, USA
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