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Griffith AK, Martel MM, Fillmore MT. Attentional bias to alcohol-related cues: effects of menstrual cycle phase and sex differences. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2024:10.1007/s00213-024-06652-3. [PMID: 39177809 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-024-06652-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 08/24/2024]
Abstract
RATIONALE A recent study by our group found that women displayed greater attentional bias to alcohol-related cues during the late versus early follicular phase in both sober and intoxicated states, suggesting a greater risk of excessive drinking among women during this phase. Changes in attentional bias as a function of menstrual cycle phase raise questions about potential sex differences in the relative consistency by which women and men display attentional bias to alcohol over time. OBJECTIVES The present study tested sex differences in attentional bias to alcohol by comparing the change in women's attentional bias from early to late follicular phase to that observed in men over the same period. METHODS Twenty-five men and 25 women aged 21-32 participated in a placebo-controlled study examining sex differences in the rewarding properties of alcohol. Participants completed measures of attentional bias to alcohol-related cues during two sessions following both 0.6 g/kg alcohol and placebo. Test sessions occurred one week apart, and for female participants coincided with the early and late follicular phases. RESULTS Men consistently displayed attentional bias to alcohol-related cues across sessions under both doses. By contrast, women showed attentional bias only during the late follicular phase, at a magnitude greater than that observed in men, and persistent under both doses. CONCLUSIONS These findings highlight the potential role of sex and menstrual cycle phase in sensitizing drinkers to rewarding properties of alcohol-related cues. Men's motivation to drink may remain relatively consistent, whereas women may be most motivated during the late follicular phase.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annie K Griffith
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences, 110 Kastle Hall, 40506-0044, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Michelle M Martel
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences, 110 Kastle Hall, 40506-0044, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - Mark T Fillmore
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences, 110 Kastle Hall, 40506-0044, Lexington, KY, USA.
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2
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Ghiţă A, Hernández-Serrano O, Moreno M, Monràs M, Gual A, Maurage P, Gacto-Sánchez M, Ferrer-García M, Porras-García B, Gutiérrez-Maldonado J. Exploring Attentional Bias toward Alcohol Content: Insights from Eye-Movement Activity. Eur Addict Res 2024; 30:65-79. [PMID: 38423002 PMCID: PMC11126206 DOI: 10.1159/000536252] [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: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Attentional bias (AB) is an implicit selective attention toward processing disorder-significant information while neglecting other environmental cues. Considerable empirical evidence highlights the clinical implication of AB in the onset and maintenance of substance use disorder. An innovative method to explore direct measures of AB relies on the eye-movement activity using technologies like eye-tracking (ET). Despite the growing interest regarding the clinical relevance of AB in the spectrum of alcohol consumption, more research is needed to fully determine the AB patterns and its transfer from experimental to clinical applications. The current study consisted of three consecutive experiments. The first experiment aimed to design an ad-hoc visual attention task (VAT) consisting of alcohol-related and neutral images using a nonclinical sample (n = 15). The objective of the second and third experiments was to analyze whether the effect of type of image (alcohol-related vs. neutral images) on AB toward alcohol content using the VAT developed in the first experiment was different for type of drinker (light vs. heavy drinker in the second experiment [n = 30], and occasional social drinkers versus alcohol use disorder (AUD) patients in the third experiment [n = 48]). METHODS Areas of interest (AOIs) within each type of image (neutral and alcohol-related) were designed and raw ET-based data were subsequently extracted through specific software analyses. For experiment 1, attention maps were created and processed for each image. For experiments 2 and 3, data on ET variables were gathered and subsequently analyzed through a two-way ANOVA with the aim of examining the effects of the type of image and drinker on eye-movement activity. RESULTS There was a statistically significant interaction effect between type of image and type of drinker (light vs. heavy drinker in experiment 2, F(1, 56) = 13.578, p < 0.001, partial η2 = 0.195, and occasional social drinker versus AUD patients in the experiment 3, F(1, 92) = 35.806, p < 0.001, partial η2 = 0.280) for "first fixation" with large effect sizes, but not for "number of fixations" and "dwell time." The simple main effect of type of image on mean "first fixation" score for AUD patients was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION The data derived from the experiments indicated the importance of AB in sub-clinical populations: heavy drinkers displayed an implicit preference for alcohol-related images compared to light drinkers. Nevertheless, AB fluctuations in patients with AUD compared to the control group were found. AUD patients displayed an early interest in alcohol images, followed by an avoidance attentional processing of alcohol-related images. The results are discussed in light of recent literature in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Ghiţă
- Department of Health, Medical and Neuropsychology, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | | - Manuel Moreno
- Department of Cognition, Development and Educational Psychology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Miquel Monràs
- Addictive Behaviors Unit, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Antoni Gual
- Addictive Behaviors Unit, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pierre Maurage
- Psychological Sciences Research Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | | | - Marta Ferrer-García
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Bruno Porras-García
- Departament of Basic Sciences, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
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3
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Ariss T, Fairbairn CE, Sayette MA, Velia BA, Berenbaum H, Brown-Schmidt S. Where to Look? Alcohol, Affect, and Gaze Behavior During a Virtual Social Interaction. Clin Psychol Sci 2023; 11:239-252. [PMID: 37229513 PMCID: PMC10208234 DOI: 10.1177/21677026221096449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/20/2024]
Abstract
COVID-19 forced social interactions to move online. Yet researchers have little understanding of the mental health consequences of this shift. Given pandemic-related surges in emotional disorders and problematic drinking, it becomes imperative to understand the cognitive and affective processes involved in virtual interactions and the impact of alcohol in virtual social spaces. Participants (N=246) engaged in an online video call while their gaze behavior was tracked. Prior to the interaction, participants were randomly assigned to receive an alcoholic or control beverage. Participants' affect was repeatedly assessed. Results indicated that a proportionally larger amount of time spent gazing at oneself (vs. one's interaction partner) predicted significantly higher negative affect after the exchange. Further, alcohol independently increased self-directed attention, failing to demonstrate its typically potent social-affective enhancement in this virtual context. Results carry potential implications for understanding factors that increase risk for hazardous drinking and negative affect in our increasingly virtual world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Talia Ariss
- University of Illinois— Urbana-Champaign, United States of America
| | | | | | | | - Howard Berenbaum
- University of Illinois— Urbana-Champaign, United States of America
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4
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Halsall L, Jones A, Roberts C, Knibb G, Rose AK. The impact of alcohol priming on craving and motivation to drink: a meta-analysis. Addiction 2022; 117:2986-3003. [PMID: 35638379 PMCID: PMC9796461 DOI: 10.1111/add.15962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS An initial dose of alcohol can motivate-or prime-further drinking and may precipitate (re)lapse and bingeing. Lab-based studies have investigated the alcohol priming effect; however, heterogeneity in designs has resulted in some inconsistent findings. The aims of this meta-analysis were to (i) determine the pooled effect size for motivation to drink following priming, measured by alcohol consumption and craving, and (ii) examine whether design characteristics influenced any priming effect. METHODS Literature searches of PsycINFO, PubMed and Scopus in October 2020 (updated October 2021) identified lab-based alcohol priming studies that assessed effect of priming on motivation to drink. A tailored risk-of-bias tool assessed quality of lab-based studies. Random effects meta-analyses were computed on outcome data from 38 studies comparing the effect of a priming dose of alcohol against control on subsequent alcohol consumption/self-reported craving. Study characteristics that might have affected outcomes were design type (within/between-participant), dose of prime, time of motivation assessment, type of control drink (placebo alcohol/soft drink). RESULTS Relative to control, alcohol had a small-to-moderate priming effect on subsequent alcohol consumption (standardised mean difference [SMD] = 0.336 [95% CI, 0.171, 0.500]) and craving (SMD = 0.431 [95% CI, 0.306, 0.555]). Aspects of study design differentially affected consumption and craving. The size of the priming dose had no effect on consumption, but larger doses were sometimes associated with greater craving (with craving generally following the blood alcohol curve). Alcohol priming effects for consumption, but not craving, were smaller when compared with placebo, relative to soft drink, control. CONCLUSIONS Lab-based alcohol priming studies are a valid paradigm from which to investigate the impact of acute intoxication on alcohol motivation. Designs are needed that assess the impact of acute consumption on motivation to drink in more varied and realistic ways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Halsall
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Population HealthUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUnited Kingdom
| | - Andrew Jones
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Population HealthUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUnited Kingdom,Liverpool Centre for Alcohol ResearchLiverpoolUnited Kingdom
| | - Carl Roberts
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Population HealthUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUnited Kingdom
| | - Graeme Knibb
- Department of PsychologyEdge Hill UniversityOrmskirkUnited Kingdom
| | - Abigail K. Rose
- Liverpool Centre for Alcohol ResearchLiverpoolUnited Kingdom,School of PsychologyLiverpool John Moore's UniversityLiverpoolUnited Kingdom
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5
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Bollen Z, Field M, Billaux P, Maurage P. Attentional bias in alcohol drinkers: A systematic review of its link with consumption variables. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 139:104703. [PMID: 35643118 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2021] [Revised: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
In severe alcohol use disorder (SAUD), attentional bias refers to the preferential allocation of attentional resources toward alcohol-related cues. Dominant models consider that this bias plays a key role in the emergence and maintenance of SAUD. We evaluate the available experimental support for this assumption through a systematic literature review, providing a critical synthesis of studies exploring the links between alcohol consumption and attentional bias. Using PRISMA guidelines, we explored three databases (PsycINFO, PubMed, Scopus) and extracted 95 papers. We assessed their methodological quality and categorized them based on the population targeted, namely patients with SAUD or subclinical populations with various drinking patterns. We also classified papers according to the measures used (i.e., behavioral or eye-tracking measures). Overall, subclinical populations present an alcohol-related bias, but many studies in SAUD did not find such bias, nor approach/avoidance patterns. Moreover, attentional bias fluctuates alongside motivational states rather than according to alcohol use severity, which questions its stability. We provide recommendations to develop further theoretical knowledge and overcome methodological shortcomings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoé Bollen
- Louvain Experimental Psychopathology Research Group (LEP), Psychological Science Research Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Matt Field
- Department of Psychology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Pauline Billaux
- Institute of Psychology, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Pierre Maurage
- Louvain Experimental Psychopathology Research Group (LEP), Psychological Science Research Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
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6
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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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7
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Si Y, Wang L, Zhao M. Anti-saccade as a Tool to Evaluate Neurocognitive Impairment in Alcohol Use Disorder. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:823848. [PMID: 35573351 PMCID: PMC9094713 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.823848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
It has been widely shown that chronic alcohol use leads to cognitive dysfunctions, especially inhibitory control. In an extension of the traditional approach, this research field has benefited from the emergence of innovative measures, among which is an anti-saccade, allowing direct and sensitive measure of the eye movements indexing attention bias to alcohol-related cues and the capability of inhibiting the reflexive saccades to the cues. During the past decade, there are numerous reports showing that drinkers make more unwanted reflexive saccades and longer latency in the anti-saccade task. These increased errors are usually explained by the deficits in inhibitory control. It has been demonstrated that inhibitory control on eye movement may be one of the earliest biomarkers of the onset of alcohol-related cognitive impairments. This review summarizes how an anti-saccade task can be used as a tool to investigate and assess the cognitive dysfunctions and the early detection of relapsing risk of alcohol dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuqi Si
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Lihui Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Institute of Psychology and Behavioral Science, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
| | - Min Zhao
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai, China.,CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology (CEBSIT), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
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8
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McNeill AM, Monk RL, Qureshi A, Heim D. Intoxication without anticipation: Disentangling pharmacological from expected effects of alcohol. J Psychopharmacol 2021; 35:1398-1410. [PMID: 34694191 DOI: 10.1177/02698811211050567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The pharmacological effects of alcohol on executive function, craving and subsequent alcohol-seeking have been well documented. Yet, insufficient methodological controls within existing alcohol administration paradigms have meant that the relative importance of alcohol's pharmacological and anticipatory effects remains in need of further elucidation. AIM The objective of this study is to disentangle alcohol's pharmacological effects from its anticipatory effects on alcohol-related cognitions and subsequent consumption. METHODS Inhibitory control, attentional bias and craving were assessed pre- and post-consumption in 100 participants who were randomly allocated to one of four beverage conditions in a two by two design: (1) alcohol aware (alcohol with participant knowledge (pharmacological/anticipation effects)), (2) alcohol blind (alcohol without participant knowledge; in a novel grain alcohol masking condition (pharmacological/no anticipation effects)), (3) placebo (no alcohol but participants were deceived (anticipation/non-pharmacological effects)) and (4) pure control (no alcohol with participant knowledge (no anticipation/non-pharmacological effects)). RESULTS Findings suggest that the pharmacological effects of alcohol result in greater inhibitory control impairments compared with anticipated effects. Anticipatory but not the pharmacological effects of alcohol were found to increase attentional bias. Both pharmacology and anticipation resulted in increased craving, though higher levels of craving were observed due to alcohol's pharmacology. Furthermore, alcohol pharmacology resulted in heightened ad libitum consumption; however, anticipation did not. Changes in craving partially mediated the relationship between initial intoxication and subsequent drinking, while inhibitory control impairments did not. CONCLUSIONS Successive alcohol consumption appears driven primarily by the pharmacological effects of alcohol which are exerted via changes in craving.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam M McNeill
- School of Social Sciences, Birmingham City University, Birmingham, UK
| | - Rebecca L Monk
- Department of Psychology, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, UK.,Liverpool Centre for Alcohol Research, Liverpool Health Partners, Liverpool, UK
| | - Adam Qureshi
- Department of Psychology, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, UK.,Liverpool Centre for Alcohol Research, Liverpool Health Partners, Liverpool, UK
| | - Derek Heim
- Department of Psychology, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, UK.,Liverpool Centre for Alcohol Research, Liverpool Health Partners, Liverpool, UK
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9
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McNeill AM, Monk RL, Qureshi AW, Litchfield D, Heim D. The Effects of Placebo and Moderate Dose Alcohol on Attentional Bias, Inhibitory Control and Subjective Craving. Alcohol Alcohol 2021; 56:763-770. [PMID: 33693481 DOI: 10.1093/alcalc/agab011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2020] [Revised: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 01/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
AIMS Previous research indicates that acute alcohol intoxication and placebo can inhibit people's control over consumption behaviour and heighten attentional bias (AB) towards alcohol-related stimuli and craving. We designed a study to disentangle anticipated from pharmacological effects of alcohol in order to gain a clearer view of their relative contributions to alcohol consumption. METHODS In a within-participants design (moderate alcohol dose, placebo and control), and over a minimum 2-week period, participants completed a battery of questionnaires and cognitive tasks, followed by a bogus taste task to measure ad libitum consumption. RESULTS Both alcohol preload and placebo resulted in cognitive and psychological changes, including impaired inhibitory control, heightened AB and craving. However, ad libitum consumption only increased following alcohol and not placebo. Furthermore, inhibitory control impairments did not mediate the relationship between initial intoxication and ad libitum consumption, and findings indicate that increases in craving may mediate this association. CONCLUSION Psychological processes such as craving may be more important in driving consummatory behaviour relative to transient changes in cognitive processes, such as inhibitory control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam M McNeill
- School of Social Sciences, Birmingham City University, 4 Cardigan Street, Birmingham B4 7BD, UK
| | - Rebecca L Monk
- Department of Psychology, Edge Hill University, St Helens Road, Ormskirk L39 4QP, UK.,Liverpool Alcohol Research Centre, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 3BX, UK
| | - Adam W Qureshi
- Department of Psychology, Edge Hill University, St Helens Road, Ormskirk L39 4QP, UK.,Liverpool Alcohol Research Centre, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 3BX, UK
| | - Damien Litchfield
- Department of Psychology, Edge Hill University, St Helens Road, Ormskirk L39 4QP, UK
| | - Derek Heim
- Department of Psychology, Edge Hill University, St Helens Road, Ormskirk L39 4QP, UK.,Liverpool Alcohol Research Centre, Crown Street, Liverpool L69 3BX, UK
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10
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Bollen Z, Pabst A, Masson N, Billaux P, D'Hondt F, Deleuze J, De Longueville X, Lambot C, Maurage P. Alcohol-related attentional biases in recently detoxified inpatients with severe alcohol use disorder: an eye-tracking approach. Drug Alcohol Depend 2021; 225:108803. [PMID: 34182378 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2021.108803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Revised: 04/24/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Dominant theoretical models consider that attentional biases (AB) towards alcohol-related stimuli play a key role in the development and maintenance of alcohol use disorder (AUD). Their assessment has however showed high inconsistencies and has been mostly based on unreliable behavioral measures. This study evaluated the presence and extent of alcohol-related AB in recently detoxified inpatients with severe AUD by combining the visual probe task (VPT) paradigm with eye-tracking measures, known to improve the VPT reliability in subclinical populations. METHODS We recruited 24 patients and 27 matched healthy controls. They performed the VPT (measuring reaction time when processing visual targets preceded by alcoholic and matched non-alcoholic pictures) combined with eye-tracking measures (dwell time, first fixation direction/duration, second fixation direction) during two sessions. Estimates of internal consistency, split-half reliability, and test-retest reliability were measured. RESULTS Patients showed shorter dwell time for alcohol cues (p = .004, d=.853) and reduced number of fixations towards alcohol after a first fixation on non-alcohol cues (p = .012, d=.758) compared to controls. These findings suggest the presence of alcohol-related avoidance AB in detoxified patients with severe AUD. The VPT achieved excellent reliability for these eye-tracking measures. Reaction times and first fixation measures did not indicate any AB pattern and showed poor reliability. CONCLUSIONS The VPT, when combined with dwell time and second fixation direction, constitutes a reliable method for assessing AB in detoxified patients. It showed the presence of an alcohol-related avoidance bias in this clinical population, in contradiction with the approach bias predicted by theoretical models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoé Bollen
- Louvain Experimental Psychopathology Research Group (LEP), Psychological Science Research Institute, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Arthur Pabst
- Louvain Experimental Psychopathology Research Group (LEP), Psychological Science Research Institute, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Nicolas Masson
- Numerical Cognition Group, Psychological Science Research Institute and Neuroscience Institute, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium; Cognitive Science and Assessment Institute, University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg
| | - Pauline Billaux
- Louvain Experimental Psychopathology Research Group (LEP), Psychological Science Research Institute, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Fabien D'Hondt
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, U1172 - LilNCog - Lille Neuroscience & Cognition, Lille, France; CHU Lille, Clinique de Psychiatrie, CURE, Lille, France; Centre National de Ressources et de Résilience Lille-Paris (CN2R), Lille, France
| | - Jory Deleuze
- Cellule de Recherche du Beau Vallon, Saint-Servais, Belgium; Hôpital Psychiatrique du Beau Vallon, Regina Pacis, Saint-Servais, Belgium
| | | | - Carine Lambot
- Hôpital Psychiatrique du Beau Vallon, Regina Pacis, Saint-Servais, Belgium
| | - Pierre Maurage
- Louvain Experimental Psychopathology Research Group (LEP), Psychological Science Research Institute, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
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11
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Albery IP, Spada MM. Does alcohol-related desire thinking predict in-the-moment drinking behaviours? Addict Behav 2021; 118:106899. [PMID: 33744619 DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2021.106899] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2020] [Revised: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Desire thinking (voluntary thinking involving a perseverative focusing on desired target-related memories, images, and information), is an important factor in the experience of drinking urges and cravings. Research has not examined the relationship between desire thinking, behavioural intention and the implementation of that behaviour into action, nor how one's past repeated behaviour in situ (expressed as habit) may moderate these relationships. We employed an ad libitum drinking paradigm to provide indirect measures of in-the-moment drinking behaviours (amount poured [mls] and amount consumed [mls]) in a group of eighty-eight self-defined social drinkers immediately after measuring self-reported drinking habit, drinking-related desire thinking, and general drinking behaviour. Results confirmed the predicted positive relationship between desire thinking and in-the-moment drinking behaviour with the effects increasing as a function of rising drinking habit strength. We also observed a dissociation between desire thinking components (verbal perseveration and imaginal prefiguration) in the moderating effects of habit strength on drinking behaviour. For imaginal prefiguration (thoughts related to construction of mental images of a desired target or of its context for consumption) a direct effect on drinking behaviours was shown. In comparison, the effect for verbal perseveration (repetitive self-talk regarding the need to achieve a desired target) was not shown to independently predict drinking-related behaviour but was significantly moderated by increasing drinking-related habit strength. Future work should formulate the nature of this moderating influence on perseverative goal-directed thinking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian P Albery
- Centre for Addictive Behaviours Research, School of Applied Sciences, London South Bank University, London, UK.
| | - Marcantonio M Spada
- Centre for Addictive Behaviours Research, School of Applied Sciences, London South Bank University, London, UK
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12
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Maurage P, Bollen Z, Masson N, D'Hondt F. A review of studies exploring fetal alcohol spectrum disorders through eye tracking measures. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2020; 103:109980. [PMID: 32470497 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2020.109980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2019] [Revised: 01/10/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
The widespread cognitive and cerebral consequences of prenatal alcohol exposure have been established during the last decades, through the exploration of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) using neuropsychological and neuroscience tools. This research field has recently benefited from the emergence of innovative measures, among which eye tracking, allowing a precise measure of the eye movements indexing a large range of cognitive functions. We propose a comprehensive review, based on PRISMA guidelines, of the eye tracking studies performed in populations with FASD. Studies were selected from the PsycINFO, PubMed and Scopus databases, and were evaluated through a standardized methodological quality assessment. Studies were classified according to the eye tracking indexes recorded (saccade characteristics, initial fixation, number of fixations, dwell time, gaze pattern) and the process measured (perception, memory, executive functions). Eye tracking data showed that FASD are mostly associated with impaired ocular perceptive/motor abilities (i.e., altered eye movements, centrally for saccade initiation), lower accuracy as well as increased error rates in saccadic eye movements involving working memory abilities, and reduced inhibitory control on saccades. After identifying the main limitations presented by the reviewed studies, we propose guidelines for future research, underlining the need to increase the standardization of diagnosis and evaluation tools, and to improve the methodological quality of eye tracking measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Maurage
- Louvain for Experimental Psychopathology Research Group, Psychological Sciences Research Institute, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
| | - Zoé Bollen
- Louvain for Experimental Psychopathology Research Group, Psychological Sciences Research Institute, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
| | - Nicolas Masson
- Numerical Cognition Group, Psychological Sciences Research Institute and Neuroscience Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
| | - Fabien D'Hondt
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, U1172 - Lille Neuroscience & Cognition, Lille, France; CHU Lille, Clinique de Psychiatrie, Unité CURE, Lille, France; Centre National de Ressources et de Résilience Lille-Paris (CN2R), Lille, France.
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13
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Maurage P, Bollen Z, Masson N, D'Hondt F. Eye Tracking Studies Exploring Cognitive and Affective Processes among Alcohol Drinkers: a Systematic Review and Perspectives. Neuropsychol Rev 2020; 31:167-201. [PMID: 33099714 DOI: 10.1007/s11065-020-09458-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2019] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Acute alcohol intoxication and alcohol use disorders are characterized by a wide range of psychological and cerebral impairments, which have been widely explored using neuropsychological and neuroscientific techniques. Eye tracking has recently emerged as an innovative tool to renew this exploration, as eye movements offer complementary information on the processes underlying perceptive, attentional, memory or executive abilities. Building on this, the present systematic and critical literature review provides a comprehensive overview of eye tracking studies exploring cognitive and affective processes among alcohol drinkers. Using PRISMA guidelines, 36 papers that measured eye movements among alcohol drinkers were extracted from three databases (PsycINFO, PubMed, Scopus). They were assessed for methodological quality using a standardized procedure, and categorized based on the main cognitive function measured, namely perceptive abilities, attentional bias, executive function, emotion and prevention/intervention. Eye tracking indexes showed that alcohol-related disorders are related to: (1) a stable pattern of basic eye movement impairments, particularly during alcohol intoxication; (2) a robust attentional bias, indexed by increased dwell times for alcohol-related stimuli; (3) a reduced inhibitory control on saccadic movements; (4) an increased pupillary reactivity to visual stimuli, regardless of their emotional content; (5) a limited visual attention to prevention messages. Perspectives for future research are proposed, notably encouraging the exploration of eye movements in severe alcohol use disorders and the establishment of methodological gold standards for eye tracking measures in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Maurage
- Louvain Experimental Psychopathology research group (LEP), Psychological Sciences Research Institute, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
| | - Zoé Bollen
- Louvain Experimental Psychopathology research group (LEP), Psychological Sciences Research Institute, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Nicolas Masson
- Numerical Cognition Group, Psychological Sciences Research Institute and Neuroscience Institute, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.,Institute of Cognitive Science and Assessment (COSA), Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences (DBCS), Faculty of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences (FHSE), University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg, Luxembourg
| | - Fabien D'Hondt
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, U1172 - LilNCog - Lille Neuroscience & Cognition, Université de Lille, Lille, France.,Centre National de Ressources et de Résilience (CN2R), Lille, France
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14
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Pennington CR, Shaw DJ, Adams J, Kavanagh P, Reed H, Robinson M, Shave E, White H. Where's the wine? Heavy social drinkers show attentional bias towards alcohol in a visual conjunction search task. Addiction 2020; 115:1650-1659. [PMID: 32003522 DOI: 10.1111/add.14997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2019] [Revised: 11/25/2019] [Accepted: 01/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Research indicates that high consumers of alcohol exhibit attentional bias (AB) towards alcohol-related cues, suggestive of a cognitive mechanism that might drive substance seeking. Many tasks that measure AB (e.g. visual probe, addiction Stroop), however, are limited by their reliance on non-appetitive control cues, the serial presentation of stimuli and their poor internal reliability. The current study employed a visual conjunction search (VCS) task capable of presenting multiple alcoholic and non-alcoholic appetitive cues simultaneously to assess whether social drinkers attend selectively to alcoholic stimuli. To assess the construct validity of this task, we examined whether alcohol consumption and related problems, subjective craving and drinking motives predict alcohol-specific AB. DESIGN AND SETTING A VCS task was performed in a laboratory setting, which required participants to detect the presence of appetitive alcoholic (wine, beer) and non-alcoholic (cola, lemonade) targets within arrays of matching and non-matching distractors. PARTICIPANTS Data from 99 participants were assessed [meanage = 20.77, standard deviation (SD) = 2.98; 64 (65%) females], with 81.8% meeting the threshold for harmful alcohol consumption (meanAUDIT = 12.89, SD = 5.79). MEASUREMENTS Self-reports of alcohol consumption and related problems [Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT)], subjective craving (Alcohol Craving Questionnaire Short Form) and drinking motives (Drinking Motives Questionnaire Short Form) were obtained, and the VCS task measured response times for the correct detection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic targets. FINDINGS Participants were significantly quicker to detect alcoholic relative to non-alcoholic appetitive targets (P < 0.001, dz = 0.41), which was predicted positively by AUDIT scores (P = 0.013, R2 = 0.06%). The VCS task achieved excellent reliability (α > 0.79), superior to other paradigms. CONCLUSIONS The visual conjunction search task appears to be a highly reliable method for assessing alcohol-related attentional bias, and shows that heavy social drinkers prioritize alcoholic cues in their immediate environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte R Pennington
- Department of Psychology, School of Life and Health Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham, UK
| | - Daniel J Shaw
- Department of Psychology, School of Life and Health Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham, UK
| | - Jennifer Adams
- Department of Health and Social Sciences, Faculty of Health and Applied Sciences, University of the West, Bristol, UK
| | - Phoebe Kavanagh
- Department of Health and Social Sciences, Faculty of Health and Applied Sciences, University of the West, Bristol, UK
| | - Holly Reed
- Department of Health and Social Sciences, Faculty of Health and Applied Sciences, University of the West, Bristol, UK
| | - Madeleine Robinson
- Department of Health and Social Sciences, Faculty of Health and Applied Sciences, University of the West, Bristol, UK
| | - Emily Shave
- Department of Health and Social Sciences, Faculty of Health and Applied Sciences, University of the West, Bristol, UK
| | - Hollie White
- Department of Health and Social Sciences, Faculty of Health and Applied Sciences, University of the West, Bristol, UK
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15
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Maurage P, Masson N, Bollen Z, D’Hondt F. Eye tracking correlates of acute alcohol consumption: A systematic and critical review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 108:400-422. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2019] [Revised: 08/30/2019] [Accepted: 10/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
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16
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Cofresí RU, Bartholow BD, Piasecki TM. Evidence for incentive salience sensitization as a pathway to alcohol use disorder. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 107:897-926. [PMID: 31672617 PMCID: PMC6878895 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2019] [Revised: 10/14/2019] [Accepted: 10/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The incentive salience sensitization (ISS) theory of addiction holds that addictive behavior stems from the ability of drugs to progressively sensitize the brain circuitry that mediates attribution of incentive salience (IS) to reward-predictive cues and its behavioral manifestations. In this article, we establish the plausibility of ISS as an etiological pathway to alcohol use disorder (AUD). We provide a comprehensive and critical review of evidence for: (1) the ability of alcohol to sensitize the brain circuitry of IS attribution and expression; and (2) attribution of IS to alcohol-predictive cues and its sensitization in humans and non-human animals. We point out gaps in the literature and how these might be addressed. We also highlight how individuals with different alcohol subjective response phenotypes may differ in susceptibility to ISS as a pathway to AUD. Finally, we discuss important implications of this neuropsychological mechanism in AUD for psychological and pharmacological interventions attempting to attenuate alcohol craving and cue reactivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto U Cofresí
- University of Missouri, Department of Psychological Sciences, Columbia, MO 65211, United States.
| | - Bruce D Bartholow
- University of Missouri, Department of Psychological Sciences, Columbia, MO 65211, United States
| | - Thomas M Piasecki
- University of Missouri, Department of Psychological Sciences, Columbia, MO 65211, United States
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17
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Berey BL, Leeman RF, Pittman B, Franco N, Krishnan-Sarin S. Does Self-Reported or Behavioral Impulsivity Predict Subjective Response to Low-Dose Alcohol? Alcohol Alcohol 2019; 54:180-187. [PMID: 30649160 PMCID: PMC6476413 DOI: 10.1093/alcalc/agy092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2018] [Revised: 11/28/2018] [Accepted: 01/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
AIMS Subjective response to alcohol and impulsivity are both independent predictors of alcohol use and may be related risk factors for alcohol use disorders (AUDs). Recent findings suggest that more impulsive individuals may experience higher risk subjective response patterns at moderate-to-high doses of alcohol. However, whether these relationships are observable early in a drinking occasion remains an open question. This study examined multiple measures of impulsivity in relation to subjective response following low-dose alcohol. METHOD Eighty-seven non-treatment-seeking heavy drinkers were enrolled in a placebo-controlled alcohol administration study testing the effects of NMDA receptor antagonist, Memantine. Baseline impulsivity assessments included the Cued Go/No-Go Task, Experiential Discounting Task, and Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, Version 11 (BIS-11). Following consumption of low-dose alcohol aimed to increase blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.03%, subjective stimulation and sedation were measured using the Biphasic Alcohol Effects Scale. Models were tested to relate impulsivity measures to subjective response with a post hoc exploratory model exploring boredom as an alternate predictor. RESULTS Increases in stimulation and sedation were observed following low-dose alcohol, but were not predicted significantly by impulsivity measures. Although greater impulsivity on the BIS-11 was a trend-level predictor of increased sedation, post hoc analyses suggested these results were an artifact of boredom. CONCLUSION Although impulsivity did not predict subjective response to low-dose alcohol, the results suggest that small amounts of alcohol can produce a range of subjective effects, even among heavy drinkers. Future studies would benefit by examining subjective response across a range of BACs among both light and heavy drinkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin L Berey
- Department of Health Education and Behavior, University of Florida, 1908 Stadium Road, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Robert F Leeman
- Department of Health Education and Behavior, University of Florida, 1908 Stadium Road, Gainesville, FL, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Yale University, 34 Park Street, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Brian Pittman
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Yale University, 34 Park Street, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Nicholas Franco
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Yale University, 34 Park Street, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Suchitra Krishnan-Sarin
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Yale University, 34 Park Street, New Haven, CT, USA
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18
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Beer? Over here! Examining attentional bias towards alcoholic and appetitive stimuli in a visual search eye-tracking task. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2019; 236:3465-3476. [PMID: 31286155 PMCID: PMC6892770 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-019-05313-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2019] [Accepted: 06/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Experimental tasks that demonstrate alcohol-related attentional bias typically expose participants to single-stimulus targets (e.g. addiction Stroop, visual probe, anti-saccade task), which may not correspond fully with real-world contexts where alcoholic and non-alcoholic cues simultaneously compete for attention. Moreover, alcoholic stimuli are rarely matched to other appetitive non-alcoholic stimuli. OBJECTIVES To address these limitations by utilising a conjunction search eye-tracking task and matched stimuli to examine alcohol-related attentional bias. METHODS Thirty social drinkers (Mage = 19.87, SD = 1.74) were asked to detect whether alcoholic (beer), non-alcoholic (water) or non-appetitive (detergent) targets were present or absent amongst a visual array of matching and non-matching distractors. Both behavioural response times and eye-movement dwell time were measured. RESULTS Social drinkers were significantly quicker to detect alcoholic and non-alcoholic appetitive targets relative to non-appetitive targets in an array of matching and mismatching distractors. Similarly, proportional dwell time was lower for both alcoholic and non-alcoholic appetitive distractors relative to non-appetitive distractors, suggesting that appetitive targets were relatively easier to detect. CONCLUSIONS Social drinkers may exhibit generalised attentional bias towards alcoholic and non-alcoholic appetitive cues. This adds to emergent research suggesting that the mechanisms driving these individual's attention towards alcoholic cues might 'spill over' to other appetitive cues, possibly due to associative learning.
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19
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Jędras P, Jones A, Stancak A, Field M. The effects of reward and loss anticipation on attentional bias for reward-related stimuli. Appetite 2018; 133:93-100. [PMID: 30300670 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2018.10.007] [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: 03/23/2018] [Revised: 08/30/2018] [Accepted: 10/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Attentional biases for reward-related (e.g., food, alcohol) cues are moderated by the expectation of imminent reward availability, but the psychological mechanisms that underlie this effect are unclear. We report two studies in which we investigated if effects of reward gain anticipation are specific to the type of reward that is anticipated, and if anticipation of loss has comparable effects to anticipation of reward gain. We used an eye tracking task to investigate the effects of anticipation of gain (experiment 1) or loss (experiment 2) of alcohol and chocolate on attentional bias for alcohol and chocolate pictures using full crossover designs; the effects of uncertain outcomes were investigated in both experiments. Results indicated robust effects of anticipation of reward gain and uncertainty on attentional bias that were outcome-specific (experiment 1). However attentional bias was not influenced by loss anticipation (experiment 2). Our findings demonstrate that anticipation of reward gain increases attentional bias for the type of reward that is anticipated, but anticipation of loss does not influence attentional bias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paweł Jędras
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Eleanor Rathbone Building, Bedford Street South, Liverpool, L69 7ZA, United Kingdom; UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies (UKCTAS), Liverpool, United Kingdom.
| | - Andrew Jones
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Eleanor Rathbone Building, Bedford Street South, Liverpool, L69 7ZA, United Kingdom; UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies (UKCTAS), Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Andrej Stancak
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Eleanor Rathbone Building, Bedford Street South, Liverpool, L69 7ZA, United Kingdom
| | - Matt Field
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Eleanor Rathbone Building, Bedford Street South, Liverpool, L69 7ZA, United Kingdom; UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies (UKCTAS), Liverpool, United Kingdom
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20
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Knibb G, Roberts CA, Robinson E, Rose A, Christiansen P. The effect of beliefs about alcohol's acute effects on alcohol priming and alcohol-induced impairments of inhibitory control. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0201042. [PMID: 30048471 PMCID: PMC6062075 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0201042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2017] [Accepted: 07/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Acute alcohol administration can lead to a loss of control over drinking. Several models argue that this 'alcohol priming effect' is mediated by the effect of alcohol on inhibitory control. Alternatively, beliefs about how alcohol affects behavioural regulation may also underlie alcohol priming and alcohol-induced inhibitory impairments. Here two studies examine the extent to which the alcohol priming effect and inhibitory impairments are moderated by beliefs regarding the effects of alcohol on the ability to control behaviour. In study 1, following a priming drink (placebo or .5g/kg of alcohol), participants were provided with bogus feedback regarding their performance on a measure of inhibitory control (stop-signal task; SST) suggesting that they had high or average self-control. However, the bogus feedback manipulation was not successful. In study 2, before a SST, participants were exposed to a neutral or experimental message suggesting acute doses of alcohol reduce the urge to drink and consumed a priming drink and this manipulation was successful. In both studies craving was assessed throughout and a bogus taste test which measured ad libitum drinking was completed. Results suggest no effect of beliefs on craving or ad lib consumption within either study. However, within study 2, participants exposed to the experimental message displayed evidence of alcohol-induced impairments of inhibitory control, while those exposed to the neutral message did not. These findings do not suggest beliefs about the effects of alcohol moderate the alcohol priming effect but do suggest beliefs may, in part, underlie the effect of alcohol on inhibitory control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Graeme Knibb
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Carl. A. Roberts
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Eric Robinson
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Abi Rose
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Paul Christiansen
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
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21
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Knibb G, Jones A, Christiansen P. Pour Guess: The Effect of Glass Shape and an Ice Substitute on Alcohol Pouring and Estimation. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2018; 42:1228-1236. [DOI: 10.1111/acer.13767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2017] [Accepted: 04/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Graeme Knibb
- Department of Psychological Sciences; University of Liverpool; Liverpool United Kingdom
| | - Andrew Jones
- Department of Psychological Sciences; University of Liverpool; Liverpool United Kingdom
| | - Paul Christiansen
- Department of Psychological Sciences; University of Liverpool; Liverpool United Kingdom
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22
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Hollett RC, Stritzke WGK, Edgeworth P, Weinborn M. Changes in the Relative Balance of Approach and Avoidance Inclinations to Use Alcohol Following Cue Exposure Vary in Low and High Risk Drinkers. Front Psychol 2017; 8:645. [PMID: 28533759 PMCID: PMC5420565 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2016] [Accepted: 04/11/2017] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
According to the ambivalence model of craving, alcohol craving involves the dynamic interplay of separate approach and avoidance inclinations. Cue-elicited increases in approach inclinations are posited to be more likely to result in alcohol consumption and risky drinking behaviors only if unimpeded by restraint inclinations. Current study aims were (1) to test if changes in the net balance between approach and avoidance inclinations following alcohol cue exposure differentiate between low and high risk drinkers, and (2) if this balance is associated with alcohol consumption on a subsequent taste test. In two experiments (N = 60; N = 79), low and high risk social drinkers were exposed to alcohol cues, and pre- and post- approach and avoidance inclinations measured. An ad libitum alcohol consumption paradigm and a non-alcohol exposure condition were also included in Study 2. Cue-elicited craving was characterized by a predominant approach inclination only in the high risk drinkers. Conversely, approach inclinations were adaptively balanced by equally strong avoidance inclinations when cue-elicited craving was induced in low risk drinkers. For these low risk drinkers with the balanced craving profile, neither approach or avoidance inclinations predicted subsequent alcohol consumption levels during the taste test. Conversely, for high risk drinkers, where the approach inclination predominated, each inclination synergistically predicted subsequent drinking levels during the taste test. In conclusion, results support the importance of assessing both approach and avoidance inclinations, and their relative balance following alcohol cue exposure. Specifically, this more comprehensive assessment reveals changes in craving profiles that are not apparent from examining changes in approach inclinations alone, and it is this shift in the net balance that distinguishes high from low risk drinkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ross C Hollett
- Cognition Research Group, School of Arts and Humanities, Edith Cowan University, JoondalupWA, Australia
| | - Werner G K Stritzke
- School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, CrawleyWA, Australia
| | - Phoebe Edgeworth
- School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, CrawleyWA, Australia
| | - Michael Weinborn
- School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, CrawleyWA, Australia
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23
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Christiansen P, Townsend G, Knibb G, Field M. Bibi ergo sum: the effects of a placebo and contextual alcohol cues on motivation to drink alcohol. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2017; 234:827-835. [PMID: 28062899 PMCID: PMC5306434 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-016-4518-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2016] [Accepted: 12/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Acute 'priming' doses of alcohol reliably increase alcohol-seeking behaviour in social drinkers. However, the effects of the anticipated (rather than pharmacological) effects of alcohol, and their interaction with contextual alcohol cues, are not well understood. OBJECTIVES This study aims to determine the extent to which an alcohol-placebo drink increases craving, subjective intoxication and beer consumption, while conjointly investigating the impact of contextual alcohol cues. METHODS On a within-subject basis, 64 undergraduate social drinkers consumed both a placebo (which they believed to contain alcohol) and a control drink (which they knew did not contain alcohol) in different sessions. Participants completed the study procedures in a bar laboratory designed to look like a 'pub' or a standard psychology lab containing no alcohol-related cues. Craving (Desires for Alcohol Questionnaire) and subjective intoxication were measured pre- and post-drink, and a bogus taste test to measure ad-lib alcohol consumption was completed at the end of each session. RESULTS Compared to the control drink, placebo significantly increased craving, ad-lib consumption and subjective intoxication, regardless of environmental context. CONCLUSIONS Increased craving and ad-lib alcohol consumption after consuming a priming dose of alcohol is at least partly attributable to the anticipated rather than the pharmacological effects of the priming dose.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Christiansen
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZA, UK. .,UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies (UKCTAS), Nottingham, UK.
| | - Gareth Townsend
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZA UK
| | - Graeme Knibb
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZA UK ,UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies (UKCTAS), Nottingham, UK
| | - Matt Field
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, L69 7ZA UK ,UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies (UKCTAS), Nottingham, UK
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24
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Groefsema M, Engels R, Kuntsche E, Smit K, Luijten M. Cognitive Biases for Social Alcohol-Related Pictures and Alcohol Use in Specific Social Settings: An Event-Level Study. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2016; 40:2001-10. [DOI: 10.1111/acer.13165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2016] [Accepted: 06/24/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Martine Groefsema
- Behavioural Science Institute; Radboud University; Nijmegen the Netherlands
| | - Rutger Engels
- Behavioural Science Institute; Radboud University; Nijmegen the Netherlands
- Trimbos Institute; Netherlands Institute of Mental Health and Addiction; Utrecht the Netherlands
| | - Emmanuel Kuntsche
- Behavioural Science Institute; Radboud University; Nijmegen the Netherlands
- Addiction Switzerland; Research Institute; Lausanne Switzerland
| | - Koen Smit
- Behavioural Science Institute; Radboud University; Nijmegen the Netherlands
- Trimbos Institute; Netherlands Institute of Mental Health and Addiction; Utrecht the Netherlands
| | - Maartje Luijten
- Behavioural Science Institute; Radboud University; Nijmegen the Netherlands
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25
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Marks KR, Pike E, Stoops WW, Rush CR. Alcohol Administration Increases Cocaine Craving But Not Cocaine Cue Attentional Bias. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2016; 39:1823-31. [PMID: 26331880 DOI: 10.1111/acer.12824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2015] [Accepted: 06/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Alcohol consumption is a known antecedent to cocaine relapse. Through associative conditioning, it is hypothesized that alcohol increases incentive motivation for cocaine and thus the salience of cocaine-related cues, which are important in maintaining drug-taking behavior. Cocaine-using individuals display a robust cocaine cue attentional bias as measured by fixation time during the visual probe task. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of alcohol administration on cocaine cue attentional bias using eye-tracking technology to directly measure attentional allocation. METHODS Twenty current cocaine users completed a double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subjects study that tested the effect of 3 doses of alcohol (0.00, 0.325, and 0.65 g/kg) on cocaine cue attentional bias using the visual probe task with eye-tracking technology. The participant-rated and physiological effects of alcohol were also assessed. RESULTS Participants displayed a robust cocaine cue attentional bias following both placebo and alcohol administration as measured by fixation time, but not response time. Alcohol administration did not influence cocaine cue attentional bias, but increased craving for cocaine in a dose-dependent manner. Alcohol produced prototypic psychomotor and participant-rated effects. CONCLUSIONS Alcohol administration increases cocaine craving but not cocaine cue attentional bias. Alcohol-induced cocaine craving suggests that alcohol increases incentive motivation for cocaine but not the salience of cocaine-related cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine R Marks
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences, Lexington, Kentucky.,Department of Behavioral Science, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, Kentucky
| | - Erika Pike
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences, Lexington, Kentucky.,Department of Behavioral Science, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, Kentucky
| | - William W Stoops
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences, Lexington, Kentucky.,Department of Behavioral Science, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, Kentucky.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, Kentucky
| | - Craig R Rush
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky College of Arts and Sciences, Lexington, Kentucky.,Department of Behavioral Science, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, Kentucky.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, Kentucky
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26
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Kreusch F, Goffaux V, Siep N, Houben K, Quertemont E, Wiers RW. Brain Activation Associated with Automatic Processing of Alcohol-Related Cues in Young Heavy Drinkers and Its Modulation by Alcohol Administration. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2015; 39:1957-66. [PMID: 26384233 DOI: 10.1111/acer.12835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2014] [Accepted: 06/29/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND While the automatic processing of alcohol-related cues by alcohol abusers is well established in experimental psychopathology approaches, the cerebral regions involved in this phenomenon and the influence of alcohol intake on this process remain unknown. The aim of this functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study was to investigate the neural mechanisms underlying the processing of task-irrelevant alcohol-related stimuli in young heavy drinkers and their modulation by alcohol administration. METHODS Twelve heavy drinking male participants were scanned on 2 separate days; once after a low dose of alcohol intake (0.4 g/kg), and once after a placebo intake, in balanced order. Images of alcoholic drinks, soft drinks, or neutral objects were shown while participants' neural activity was recorded through fMRI. Moreover, participants' attentional focus was manipulated using a task which required them to process the central images of interest (focus alcohol condition) or a center unattended task (focus not on alcohol condition). RESULTS Results indicated that an explicit judgment on beverage-related cues increased activation in the prefrontal area compared with the judgment of neutral objects. By comparison with that of task-irrelevant neutral cues, the processing of task-irrelevant alcohol-related cues increased the activation in a large network of cerebral areas including visual and temporal regions, the bilateral anterior cingulate cortex, the posterior cingulate cortex, and the putamen. Moreover, in the condition with focus not on alcohol, the ventral tegmental area (VTA) was particularly activated by the presentation of (task-irrelevant) alcohol-related cues compared to task-irrelevant soft-drink-related cues. CONCLUSIONS The VTA was especially involved in the automatic processing of alcohol-related cues in young heavy drinkers. Low dose of alcohol did not modulate the neural substrates involved in the processing of salient alcohol-related cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fanny Kreusch
- Faculté de Psychologie, Université de Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Valerie Goffaux
- Faculty of Psychology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.,Institute of Cognitive Science and Assessment, Luxembourg University, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
| | - Nicolette Siep
- Faculty of Psychology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Katrijn Houben
- Faculty of Psychology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | | | - Reinout W Wiers
- Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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Amlung M, McCarty KN, Morris DH, Tsai CL, McCarthy DM. Increased behavioral economic demand and craving for alcohol following a laboratory alcohol challenge. Addiction 2015; 110:1421-8. [PMID: 25732875 PMCID: PMC4521987 DOI: 10.1111/add.12897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2014] [Revised: 01/20/2015] [Accepted: 02/24/2015] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Although increases in subjective alcohol craving have been observed following moderate doses of alcohol (e.g. priming effects), the effects of alcohol consumption on behavioral economic demand for alcohol are largely unstudied. This study examined the effects of alcohol intoxication on alcohol demand and craving. DESIGN A between-subjects design in which participants were randomly assigned to either an alcohol (n = 31), placebo (n = 29) or control (n = 25) condition. SETTING A laboratory setting at the University of Missouri, USA. PARTICIPANTS Eighty-five young adult moderate drinkers were recruited from the University of Missouri and surrounding community. MEASUREMENTS Change in demand for alcohol across time was measured using three single items: alcohol consumption at no cost (i.e. intensity), maximum price paid for a single drink (i.e. breakpoint) and total amount spent on alcohol (i.e. Omax). Alcohol demand at baseline was also assessed using an alcohol purchase task (APT). Craving was assessed using a single visual analog scale item. FINDINGS In the alcohol group compared with the combined non-alcohol groups, intensity, breakpoint and craving increased from baseline to the ascending limb and decreased thereafter (Ps < 0.05; Omax , P = 0.06). Change in craving following alcohol consumption was significantly associated with change in each of the demand indices (Ps < 0.0001). Finally, the demand single items were associated with corresponding indices from the APT (Ps < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Alcohol demand increases following intoxication, in terms of both the maximum amount people are willing to pay for one drink and the number of drinks people would consume if drinks were free. Behavioral economic measures of alcohol value can complement subjective craving as measures of moment-to-moment fluctuations in drinking motivation following intoxication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Amlung
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, 210 McAlester Hall, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Kayleigh N McCarty
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, 210 McAlester Hall, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - David H Morris
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, 210 McAlester Hall, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Chia-Lin Tsai
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, 210 McAlester Hall, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Denis M McCarthy
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri, 210 McAlester Hall, Columbia, MO, USA
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28
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Baker S, Dickson JM, Field M. Implicit priming of conflicting motivational orientations in heavy drinkers. BMC Psychol 2014. [DOI: 10.1186/s40359-014-0028-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
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Abstract
Individuals with substance use disorders typically show an "attentional bias" for substance-related cues: Those cues are able to grab and hold the attention, in preference to other cues in the environment. We discuss the theoretical context for this work before reviewing the measurement of attentional bias, and its relationship to motivational state and relapse to substance use after a period of abstinence. Finally, we discuss the implications of this research for the treatment of substance use disorders. We conclude that attentional bias is associated with subjective craving, and that moment-by-moment fluctuations in attentional bias may precede relapse to substance use. The evidence regarding the predictive relationship between attentional bias assessed in treatment contexts and subsequent relapse is inconsistent. Furthermore, there is currently insufficient evidence to endorse attentional bias modification as a treatment for substance use disorders. Clinical implications and suggestions for future research are highlighted.
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Relationship between alcohol dependence, escape drinking, and early neural attention to alcohol-related cues. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2014; 231:2031-40. [PMID: 24292342 PMCID: PMC3988240 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-013-3348-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2013] [Accepted: 10/25/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Previous work has indicated that implicit attentional biases to alcohol-related cues are indicative of susceptibility to alcohol dependence and escape drinking, or drinking to avoid dysphoric mood or emotions. OBJECTIVE The goal of the current study was to examine whether alcohol dependence and escape drinking were associated with early neural attentional biases to alcohol cues. METHODS Electroencephalography data were recorded from 54 college students who reported that they regularly drank alcohol, while they viewed alcohol and control pictures that contained human content (active) or no human content (inactive). RESULTS Those who were alcohol dependent showed more neural attentional bias to the active alcohol-related stimuli than to the matched control stimuli early in processing, as indicated by N1 amplitude. Escape drinkers showed greater neural attention to the active alcohol cues than non-escape drinkers, as measured by larger N2 amplitudes. CONCLUSIONS While alcohol dependence is associated with enhanced automatic attentional biases early in processing, escape drinking is associated with more controlled attentional biases to active alcohol cues during a relatively later stage in processing. These findings reveal important information about the time-course of attentional processing in problem drinkers and have important implications for addiction models and treatment.
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Christiansen P, Rose AK, Cole JC, Field M. A comparison of the anticipated and pharmacological effects of alcohol on cognitive bias, executive function, craving and ad-lib drinking. J Psychopharmacol 2013; 27:84-92. [PMID: 22764182 DOI: 10.1177/0269881112450787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Acute alcohol administration alters automatic processing of alcohol-related cues, impairs executive functions and increases alcohol seeking. Few studies have investigated the effects of expecting to receive alcohol on these measures. Thirty-one social drinkers completed three experimental sessions receiving either 0.65 g/kg alcohol, a placebo and a control beverage (which they knew was not alcoholic) before reporting craving and completing a test battery including a measure of automatic alcohol-approach tendencies (stimulus response compatibility task), a measure of executive function (Controlled Oral Word Association Task (COWAT)) and a taste test assessing ad-lib drinking. Results indicated that alcohol administration impaired performance on the COWAT and increased ad-lib drinking; however, there were no significant differences on these measures after administration of placebo versus control beverages. Craving was increased after alcohol and (to a lesser extent) after placebo. Automatic alcohol-approach tendencies were pronounced after both alcohol and placebo compared to the control beverage, with no difference between alcohol and placebo. Results suggest craving is sensitive to the anticipated and pharmacological effects of alcohol, alcohol-approach tendencies are particularly sensitive to the anticipated effects of alcohol, and measures of executive function and ad-lib drinking are affected by the pharmacological, but not the anticipated, effects of alcohol.
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