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Barnas AJ, Ebner NC, Weisberg SM. Allocation of Space-Based Attention is Guided by Efficient Comprehension of Spatial Direction. J Cogn 2024; 7:1. [PMID: 38223233 PMCID: PMC10785961 DOI: 10.5334/joc.325] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Spatial navigation is supported by visual cues (e.g., scenes, schemas like arrows, and words) that must be comprehended quickly to facilitate effective transit. People comprehend spatial directions faster from schemas and words than scenes. We hypothesize that this occurs because schemas and words efficiently engage space-based attention, allowing for less costly computations. Here, participants completed a spatial cueing paradigm, and we calculated cue validity effects - how much faster participants responded to validly than invalidly cued locations - for each cue format. We pre-registered Experiment 1 and found significant cue validity effects with schemas and words, but not scenes, suggesting space-based attention was allocated more efficiently with schemas and words than scenes. In Experiment 2, we explicitly instructed participants to interpret the scenes from an egocentric perspective and found that this instruction manipulation still did not result in a significant cue validity effect with scenes. In Experiment 3, we investigated whether the differential effects between conditions were due to costly computations to extract spatial direction and found that increasing cue duration had no influence. In Experiment 4, significant cue validity effects were observed for orthogonal but not non-orthogonal spatial directions, suggesting space-based attention was allocated more efficiently when the spatial direction precisely matched the target location. These findings confirm our hypothesis that efficient allocation of space-based attention is guided by faster spatial direction comprehension. Altogether, this work suggests that schemas and words may be more effective supports than scenes for navigation performance in the real-world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam J. Barnas
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Natalie C. Ebner
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
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2
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Visuoperceptive Impairments in Severe Alcohol Use Disorder: A Critical Review of Behavioral Studies. Neuropsychol Rev 2021; 31:361-384. [PMID: 33591477 DOI: 10.1007/s11065-020-09469-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2019] [Accepted: 11/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The present literature review is aimed at offering a comprehensive and critical view of behavioral data collected during the past seventy years concerning visuoperception in severe alcohol use disorders (AUD). To pave the way for a renewal of research and clinical approaches in this very little understood field, this paper (1) provides a critical review of previous behavioral studies exploring visuoperceptive processing in severe AUD, (2) identifies the alcohol-related parameters and demographic factors that influence the deficits, and (3) addresses the limitations of this literature and their implications for current clinical strategies. By doing so, this review highlights the presence of visuoperceptive deficits but also shows how the lack of in-depth studies exploring the visual system in this clinical population results in the current absence of integration of these deficits in the dominant models of vision. Given the predominance of vision in everyday life, we stress the need to better delineate the extent, the specificity, and the actual implications of the deficits for severe AUD.
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Kahler CW, Surace A, Durst A, Pantalone DW, Mastroleo NR, Miguez MJ, Bueno D, Liu T, Monti PM, Mayer KH. Telehealth interventions to reduce alcohol use in men with HIV who have sex with men: Protocol for a factorial randomized controlled trial. Contemp Clin Trials Commun 2019; 16:100475. [PMID: 31701045 PMCID: PMC6831665 DOI: 10.1016/j.conctc.2019.100475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2019] [Revised: 10/15/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Heavy alcohol use is prevalent among men who have sex with men (MSM) living with HIV and is associated with reduced antiretroviral therapy adherence, reduced HIV viral suppression, and reduced survival. We recently found that compared to HIV treatment as usual, three sessions of in-person motivational interviewing (MI) substantially reduced drinking in MSM with HIV. In an effort to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of this intervention, the present study will test whether MI is more effective than brief intervention when delivered by videoconferencing, whether interactive text messaging (ITM) can enhance the effects of alcohol intervention, and whether extended duration of intervention is more effective than brief duration. METHODS Using a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial design, we will randomly assign 224 heavy-drinking MSM with HIV to: MI or brief intervention (BI); ITM or no ITM; Standard or Extended intervention (EI). All participants will receive intervention immediately after baseline assessment via videoconferencing and at 1-month post baseline via telephone. Participants randomized to EI will receive additional intervention sessions at 3, 6, and 9 months. Participants randomized to ITM will receive daily interactive texts about alcohol use for 1 month, with those randomized to EI receiving weekly interactive texts through 9 months. Alcohol and HIV-related outcomes will be assessed at 6 and 12 months post baseline. CONCLUSION By testing the combinations of interventions that can most effectively reduce alcohol use among MSM with HIV, this study will set the stage for wider-scale implementation of an optimized intervention combination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher W. Kahler
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies and the Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Anthony Surace
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies and the Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Ayla Durst
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies and the Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, USA
| | - David W. Pantalone
- The Fenway Institute, Fenway Health Boston, MA, USA
- University of Massachusetts - Boston, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nadine R. Mastroleo
- College of Community and Public Affairs, Binghamton University (SUNY), Binghamton, NY, USA
| | | | - Diego Bueno
- Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Tao Liu
- Center for Statistical Sciences and Department of Biostatistics, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Peter M. Monti
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies and the Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Kenneth H. Mayer
- The Fenway Institute, Fenway Health Boston, MA, USA
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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4
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Hoffman LA, Lewis B, Nixon SJ. Neurophysiological and Interpersonal Correlates of Emotional Face Processing in Alcohol Use Disorder. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2019; 43:1928-1936. [PMID: 31403716 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14152] [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: 12/04/2018] [Accepted: 07/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A growing literature suggests deficient emotional facial expression (EFE) processing among recently abstinent individuals with alcohol use disorders (AUDs). Further investigation is needed to clarify valence-related discrepancies and elucidate neural and psychosocial correlates. We examined neurobehavioral indices of EFE processing and interpersonal problems in treatment seekers with AUDs and healthy community controls (CCs). METHODS Thirty-four individuals with AUDs and 39 CCs completed an emotion judgment task (EJT), requiring discrimination between happy, angry, and sad EFEs. A second task requiring discrimination of male and female faces with neutral expressions served as the control task (i.e., sex judgment task, SJT). Neurophysiological (i.e., N170 and P3) and behavioral measures were analyzed using generalized linear mixed models (GLMM). Interpersonal problems were assessed with the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems-64 (IIP-64). The relationship of IIP-64 and EJT performance was investigated via within-group correlations. RESULTS Analysis of the SJT revealed no group differences in behavioral measures, N170 amplitude, or P3 latency. P3 amplitudes, however, were significantly lower in the AUD group. For the EJT, initial observations of group differences in P3 amplitude were accounted for by differences in the control task. Behavioral analyses indicated that the AUD group was significantly less accurate than the CC group. Hypothesis-driven analyses using GLMM-estimated group differences indicated that anger processing was affected to a greater degree than were other emotions. Significant EJT/IIP-64 correlations were observed for anger processing within the AUD group and were confined to IIP-64 subscales with relatively high ratings on the affiliation dimension. CONCLUSIONS Findings provide partial support for an emotion-specific processing deficit in persons with AUDs. Anger processing was more robustly affected than other emotions and was associated with interpersonal problems characterized by being overly needy, nonassertive, and overly accommodating. Results extend prior reports and reinforce the need for comprehensive study of emotion processing and its real-world implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren A Hoffman
- Recovery Research Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Ben Lewis
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.,Center for Addiction Research & Education, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Sara Jo Nixon
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.,Center for Addiction Research & Education, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
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5
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Wilcox CE, Dekonenko CJ, Mayer AR, Bogenschutz MP, Turner JA. Cognitive control in alcohol use disorder: deficits and clinical relevance. Rev Neurosci 2014; 25:1-24. [PMID: 24361772 DOI: 10.1515/revneuro-2013-0054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2013] [Accepted: 11/27/2013] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Cognitive control refers to the internal representation, maintenance, and updating of context information in the service of exerting control over thoughts and behavior. Deficits in cognitive control likely contribute to difficulty in maintaining abstinence in individuals with alcohol use disorders (AUD). In this article, we define three cognitive control processes in detail (response inhibition, distractor interference control, and working memory), review the tasks measuring performance in these areas, and summarize the brain networks involved in carrying out these processes. Next, we review evidence of deficits in these processes in AUD, including both metrics of task performance and functional neuroimaging. Finally, we explore the clinical relevance of these deficits by identifying predictors of clinical outcome and markers that appear to change (improve) with treatment. We observe that individuals with AUD experience deficits in some, but not all, metrics of cognitive control. Deficits in cognitive control may predict clinical outcome in AUD, but more work is necessary to replicate findings. It is likely that performance on tasks requiring cognitive control improves with abstinence, and with some psychosocial and medication treatments. Future work should clarify which aspects of cognitive control are most important to target during treatment of AUD.
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Maurage P, de Timary P, Billieux J, Collignon M, Heeren A. Attentional alterations in alcohol dependence are underpinned by specific executive control deficits. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2014; 38:2105-12. [PMID: 24844400 DOI: 10.1111/acer.12444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2013] [Accepted: 04/02/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Attentional biases and deficits play a central role in the development and maintenance of alcohol dependence, but the underlying attentional processes accounting for these deficits have been very little explored. Importantly, the differential alterations across the 3 attentional networks (alerting, orienting, and executive control) remain unclear in this pathology. METHODS Thirty recently detoxified alcohol-dependent individuals and 30 paired controls completed the Attention Network Test, which allow exploring the attentional alterations specifically related to the 3 attentional networks. RESULTS Alcohol-dependent individuals presented globally delayed reaction times compared to controls. More centrally, they showed a differential deficit across attention networks, with a preserved performance for alerting and orienting networks but impaired executive control (p < 0.001). This deficit was not related to psychopathological comorbidities but was positively correlated with the duration of alcohol-dependence habits, the number of previous detoxification treatments and the mean alcohol consumption before detoxification. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that attentional alterations in alcohol dependence are centrally due to a specific alteration of executive control. Intervention programs focusing on executive components of attention should be promoted, and these results support the frontal lobe hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Maurage
- Laboratory for Experimental Psychopathology, Psychological Sciences Research Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
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7
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Transdermal nicotine administration and the electroencephalographic activity of substance abusers in treatment. J Addict Med 2012; 2:202-14. [PMID: 19347067 DOI: 10.1097/adm.0b013e31818b4e27] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES It is widely recognized that individuals with alcohol or illicit substance abuse disorders often smoke cigarettes. However, few studies have examined the direct effects of nicotine among substance abuse subgroups. The current study examined patterns of electroencephalographic (EEG) activity in alcohol-dependent (AD), stimulant-dependent (StimD), alcohol- and stimulant-dependent (ASD) participants, as well as community controls (CC). All participants were regular smokers. METHODS After overnight nicotine abstinence, subjects were administered either a high (14 or 21 mg) or low (7mg) dose transdermal nicotine patch. EEG data were collected during a 2 minute eyes open and 5 minute eyes closed baseline recording session, which occurred as part of a larger study of brain electrophysiology. RESULTS The most interesting finding was a differential pattern of nicotine dose effects by group. EEGs of Controls and ASD participants did not distinguish between high and low nicotine doses; whereas, nicotine administration in the AD and StimD groups resulted in opposite findings across a range of spectral bands. CONCLUSIONS Although further research is warranted, these results may have implications for the study of smoking cessation and attentional functioning among substance abusers in treatment. These data suggest that nicotine-related changes in neurophysiology may be associated with specific brain areas and/or specific drug histories and reinforce the need for caution in generalizing among such groups.
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Contrasting behavioral effects of acute nicotine and chronic smoking in detoxified alcoholics. Addict Behav 2011; 36:1344-8. [PMID: 21855223 DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2011.07.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2011] [Revised: 06/14/2011] [Accepted: 07/26/2011] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Current literature suggests that acute nicotine administration provides a compensatory mechanism by which alcoholics might alleviate attentional deficits. In contrast, chronic smoking is increasingly recognized as negatively affecting neurobehavioral integrity. These opposing effects have not been simultaneously examined. Thus, we sought to a) extend previous work by exploring the effects of acute nicotine effects on vigilance components of attention and replicate previous findings suggesting that treatment-seeking alcoholics experience benefit to a greater extent than do other groups; and b) to examine the impact of chronic smoking on these tasks and across subgroups. METHODS Substance abusing participants (N=86) were recruited and subgrouped on the basis of dependency criteria as either alcoholics, alcoholics with co-morbid stimulant dependence, or stimulant dependent individuals. Groups of cigarette-smoking (N=17) and non-smoking (N=22) community controls were recruited as comparison groups. Smoking subjects were assigned a placebo, low, or high dose nicotine patch in a double-blind placebo controlled fashion. Non-smoking controls were administered either a placebo or low dose. Testing occurred after dose stabilization. RESULTS General linear models indicated greater sensitivity to acute nicotine administration among alcoholics than other groups when controlling for the effect of intensity of smoking history, as reflected by pack-years. Pack-years correlated negatively with performance measures in alcoholics but not stimulant abusing subgroups or smoking controls. Finally, regression analyses demonstrated that pack-years predicted poorer performance only for the alcoholic subgroup. CONCLUSIONS These results support previous work finding a compensatory effect of acute nicotine administration on attentional performance in alcoholics and reinforce the consideration of recent nicotine use as a confound in neurocognitive studies of alcoholics. Of particular interest is the finding that smoking history as reflected in pack-years predicted poorer performance, but only among alcoholics. Further systematic study of these opposing effects among alcoholics and other groups using a broader array of tasks is needed.
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Gilbertson R, Boissoneault J, Prather R, Nixon SJ. Nicotine effects on immediate and delayed verbal memory after substance use detoxification. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 2011; 33:609-18. [PMID: 21526444 DOI: 10.1080/13803395.2010.543887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Decrements in verbal memory are commonly reported by detoxified treatment-seeking individuals. Although acute nicotine has been shown to improve attentional performance, its effects on verbal memory in substance abusers have not been addressed. Treatment-seeking alcohol-dependent (ALCs, n = 29; 14 male), illicit-stimulant-dependent (predominantly cocaine; STIMs, n = 25; 15 male), and alcohol- and illicit-stimulant-dependent (ALC/STIMs, n = 50; 35 male) participants with comorbid nicotine dependence were studied. Subjects had been abstinent from their drugs of choice for 41 (±18) days and were in short-term abstinence from tobacco (∼8-10 hours). Subjects received double-blind administration of either transdermal nicotine (high dose: 21/14 mg for men and women, respectively, or low dose: 7 mg) or placebo. The Logical Memory (LM) subtest from the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised (WMS-R) was used to assess immediate and delayed verbal memory recall. Results indicated that STIMs receiving the high dose of nicotine recalled more words at immediate recall than STIMs who received placebo. Trend level differences were also noted at delayed recall between STIM nicotine and placebo doses. Nicotine failed to impact either recall in alcoholic subgroups. Although not the primary focus, results also revealed differences in the forgetting rates between the groups with the ALC/STIMs demonstrating the steepest forgetting slope. In summary, this study suggests that nicotine effects may be differentially experienced by substance-using subgroups; that nicotine may have a direct effect on memory; and that in considering neurocognitive processes (e.g., encoding vs. retrieval), underlying endpoint indicators (e.g., correct recall) may be critical in predicting outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Gilbertson
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA
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10
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Gilbertson R, Frye RF, Nixon SJ. Nicotine as a factor in stress responsiveness among detoxified alcoholics. Alcohol Alcohol 2010; 46:39-51. [PMID: 21045074 DOI: 10.1093/alcalc/agq070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
AIMS The effect of transdermal nicotine on stress reactivity was investigated in currently smoking, detoxified, substance-dependent individuals (65% alcohol dependent, n = 51; 31 male) following a psychosocial stressor. METHODS Using a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled design, subjects were assigned to receive either active transdermal nicotine (low or high dose) or placebo. Six hours following nicotine administration, subjects performed a laboratory psychosocial stressor consisting of two 4-min public-speaking sessions. RESULTS Consistent with prior reports, substance-dependent individuals displayed a blunted stress response. However, a review of the cortisol distribution data encouraged additional analyses. Notably, a significant minority of the substance-dependent individuals (33%) demonstrated elevated poststress cortisol levels. This group of responders was more likely to be alcohol dependent and to have received the high dose of nicotine [χ2(2) = 32, P < 0.0001], [χ2(2) = 18.66, P < 0.0001]. Differences in salivary cortisol responses between responders and nonresponders could not be accounted for by the length of sobriety, nicotine withdrawal levels, anxiety or depressive symptomatology at the time of the psychosocial stressor. CONCLUSION These results suggest that nicotine administration may support a normalization of the salivary cortisol response following psychosocial stress in subgroups of substance-dependent individuals, particularly those who are alcohol dependent. Given the association between blunted cortisol levels and relapse, and the complex actions of nicotine at central and peripheral sites, these findings support the systematic study of factors including nicotine, which may influence stress reactivity and the recovery process in alcohol-dependent individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Gilbertson
- Department of Psychology, Lycoming College, 700 College Place, Williamsport, PA 17701, USA.
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11
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Glass J, Buu A, Adams K, Nigg J, Puttler L, Jester J, Zucker R. Effects of alcoholism severity and smoking on executive neurocognitive function. Addiction 2009; 104:38-48. [PMID: 19133887 PMCID: PMC2734473 DOI: 10.1111/j.1360-0443.2008.02415.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
AIMS Neurocognitive deficits in chronic alcoholic men are well documented. Impairments include memory, visual-spatial processing, problem solving and executive function. The cause of impairment could include direct effects of alcohol toxicity, pre-existing cognitive deficits that predispose towards substance abuse, comorbid psychiatric disorders and abuse of substances other than alcohol. Cigarette smoking occurs at higher rates in alcoholism and has been linked to poor cognitive performance, yet the effects of smoking on cognitive function in alcoholism are often ignored. We examined whether chronic alcoholism and chronic smoking have effects on executive function. METHODS Alcoholism and smoking were examined in a community-recruited sample of alcoholic and non-alcoholic men (n = 240) using standard neuropsychological and reaction-time measures of executive function. Alcoholism was measured as the average level of alcoholism diagnoses across the study duration (12 years). Smoking was measured in pack-years. RESULTS Both alcoholism and smoking were correlated negatively with a composite executive function score. For component measures, alcoholism was correlated negatively with a broad range of measures, whereas smoking was correlated negatively with measures that emphasize response speed. In regression analyses, both smoking and alcoholism were significant predictors of executive function composite. However, when IQ is included in the regression analyses, alcoholism severity is no longer significant. CONCLUSIONS Both smoking and alcoholism were related to executive function. However, the effect of alcoholism was not independent of IQ, suggesting a generalized effect, perhaps affecting a wide range of cognitive abilities of which executive function is a component. On the other hand, the effect of smoking on measures relying on response speed were independent of IQ, suggesting a more specific processing speed deficit associated with chronic smoking.
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Affiliation(s)
- J.M. Glass
- University of Michigan, Department of Psychiatry, Substance Abuse Section
| | | | - K.M. Adams
- University of Michigan, Department of Psychiatry, Substance Abuse Section
| | - J.T. Nigg
- Michigan State University, Department of Psychology
| | - L.I. Puttler
- Michigan State University, Department of Psychology
| | - J.M. Jester
- University of Michigan, Department of Psychiatry, Substance Abuse Section
| | - R.A. Zucker
- University of Michigan, Department of Psychiatry, Substance Abuse Section
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12
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Gazdzinski S, Durazzo TC, Yeh PH, Hardin D, Banys P, Meyerhoff DJ. Chronic cigarette smoking modulates injury and short-term recovery of the medial temporal lobe in alcoholics. Psychiatry Res 2008; 162:133-45. [PMID: 18178068 PMCID: PMC2270338 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2007.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2006] [Revised: 02/16/2007] [Accepted: 04/08/2007] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Memory function is largely mediated by the medial temporal lobe (MTL), and its compromise has been observed in alcohol dependence and chronic cigarette smoking. The effects of heavy alcohol consumption and chronic smoking on hippocampal volumes and MTL metabolites and their recovery during abstinence from alcohol have not been assessed. Male alcoholics in treatment (ALC) [13 smokers (sALC) and 11 non-smokers (nsALC)] underwent quantitative magnetic resonance imaging and short-echo proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging at 1 week and 1 month of sobriety. Outcome measures were compared with 14 age-matched, non-smoking light-drinkers and were related to visuospatial learning and memory. Over 1 month of abstinence, N-acetyl-aspartate, a neuronal marker, and membrane-associated choline-containing metabolites normalized in the MTL of nsALC subjects, but remained low in the MTL of sALC subjects. Metabolite concentration changes in both groups were associated with improvements in visuospatial memory. Hippocampal volumes increased in both groups during abstinence, but increasing volumes correlated with visuospatial memory improvements only in nsALC subjects. In summary, chronic cigarette smoking in alcohol-dependent men appears to have adverse effects on MTL metabolite recovery during short-term sobriety. These data may also have implications for other conditions with established MTL involvement and significant smoking co-morbidity, such as schizophrenia-spectrum and mood disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Gazdzinski
- Magnetic Resonance Unit, San Francisco Veterans Administration Medical Center, San Francisco, CA 94121, United States.
| | - Timothy C. Durazzo
- Magnetic Resonance Unit, San Francisco Veterans Administration Medical Center
| | - Ping-Hong Yeh
- Magnetic Resonance Unit, San Francisco Veterans Administration Medical Center
| | - Dawn Hardin
- Magnetic Resonance Unit, San Francisco Veterans Administration Medical Center
| | - Peter Banys
- Department of Radiology University of California San Francisco,Department of Psychiatry University of California San Francisco
| | - Dieter J. Meyerhoff
- Magnetic Resonance Unit, San Francisco Veterans Administration Medical Center,Department of Radiology University of California San Francisco
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13
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Nixon SJ, Lawton-Craddock A, Tivis R, Ceballos N. Nicotine's effects on attentional efficiency in alcoholics. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2007; 31:2083-91. [PMID: 17949466 DOI: 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2007.00526.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Historically, the concomitant use of nicotine among alcoholics has not been methodologically accounted for. Given the observed cognitive enhancing effects of acute nicotine on attentional processes, it is important that the potentially positive effects of nicotine be disentangled from the negative effects of chronic alcohol dependence. The current study was conducted to address this question and to test the hypothesis that alcoholics who are regular smokers are more sensitive to the effects of nicotine on cognition as compared to regular smoking community controls. METHODS A 2 [drug group; alcoholics (n = 28), community controls (n = 27)] X 2 nicotine dose level [low (7 mg dose) vs. high (14 or 21 mg dose)] double-blind design was used to assess the differential effects of nicotine dose on a battery of neurocognitive tests focusing on attentional efficiency. RESULTS As expected, the alcoholic group performed more poorly than did the control group. However, of greater interest to the current study was the finding that alcoholic participants differentially benefited from nicotine administration, as demonstrated in the differential dose effect. CONCLUSION The concomitant use of nicotine may serve to "mask" or "overcome" some of the negative effects of chronic alcohol dependence in newly recovering alcoholics. This potential effect has significant implications for treatment development and further understanding of the process of recovery of function in chronic alcoholics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Jo Nixon
- Department of Psychiatry, McKnight Brain Institute, Newell, Gainesville, Florida 32611, USA.
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14
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Ceballos NA, Tivis R, Lawton-Craddock A, Nixond SJ. Nicotine and cognitive efficiency in alcoholics and illicit stimulant abusers: implications of smoking cessation for substance users in treatment. Subst Use Misuse 2006; 41:265-81. [PMID: 16467005 DOI: 10.1080/10826080500409076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Cigarette smoking is prevalent among alcoholics and illicit substance abusers. However, the potentially confounding effect of nicotine on studies of cognition in detoxified substance users has rarely been addressed. In the current study of 87 participants, behavioral and electrophysiological indices of cognitive efficiency were measured in tobacco smokers from four groups: alcoholics, illicit stimulant abusers, concurrent abusers, and control subjects. Data were collected from 2001 to 2003. We hypothesized that acute nicotine administration would modify cognitive deficits in alcoholics and illicit stimulant abusing groups. An adaptation of the Rapid Visual Information Processing task was administered after stabilization of nicotine levels via a high- or low-dose transdermal nicotine patch. Across groups, increased nicotine dose was associated with decreased reaction time (p = .03). A group x nicotine dose interaction trend was noted in which increased nicotine was associated with increased correct responding within the alcoholic group (p = .02). No significant differences in electrophysiology were observed. These results suggest that nicotine may modify cognitive efficiency in alcoholics and illicit stimulant abusers, a concept with relevance to both the design of experimental work and the treatment of alcohol and illicit stimulant dependence. Further work is needed to determine whether this effect predominantly reflects facilitation of cognition function or alleviation of nicotine withdrawal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie A Ceballos
- Department of Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota School of Medicine, Duluth, 55812-3031, USA.
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Alcohol dependence is a significant challenge to society and health-care services. The associated cognitive deficits are thought to affect behavioral control, therapy and liability to relapse. The present review demonstrates important new findings. RECENT FINDINGS Recent interest focused on compensatory functional circuits, components of executive functioning, externally induced attentional biases and the relevance of the cognitive deficits for therapy and rehabilitation. SUMMARY Recent studies found widespread compromised fronto-cortico-cerebellar circuits to underlie cognitive deficits. The inclusion of cerebellar structures to support functions traditionally associated with cortical and even prefrontal structures is important. However, most importantly, alcohol-dependent patients use additional and generally higher-order executive functions to compensate for deficient task performance. The compensatory mechanisms might help to explain close to normal functioning in basic cognitive domains enabled by support of executive components. But deficits in executive functions themselves might emerge more directly. New approaches concerning executive functioning, analyzing functional components of executive tasks, found response inhibition and decision-making to be impaired but normal performance in simple working memory tasks. Multiple withdrawals have been shown to lead to a higher degree of executive deficit. The causing mechanism underlying the attentional bias induced by alcohol-related words (stroop effect) is still under debate. Correlation of cognitive deficits with therapy outcome turned out to be weak. However, important interactions of cognitive deficits with personality, therapy-setting and successful coping, together with the finding that cognitive performance of alcohol-dependent patients could be enhanced by motivating instructions, might open new strategies in treatment planning and cognitive rehabilitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Armin Scheurich
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany.
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