1
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He J, Zheng Y, Nie Y, Zhou Z. Automatic detection advantage of network information among Internet addicts: behavioral and ERP evidence. Sci Rep 2018; 8:8937. [PMID: 29895830 PMCID: PMC5997741 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-25442-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2017] [Accepted: 04/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Converging evidence has proved the attentional bias of Internet addicts (IAs) on network information. However, previous studies have neither explained how characteristics of network information are detected by IAs with priority nor proved whether this advantage is in line with the unconscious and automatic process. To answer the two questions, this study aims to investigate whether IAs prioritize automatic detection of network information from the behavior and cognitive neuroscience aspects. 15 severe IAs and 15 matching healthy controls were selected using Internet Addiction Test (IAT). Dot-probe task with mask was used in the behavioral experiment, while deviant-standard reverse oddball paradigm was used in the event-related potential (ERP) experiment to induce mismatch negativity (MMN). In the dot-probe task, when the probe location appeared on the Internet-related picture's position, the IAs had significantly shorter reaction time than do the controls; in the ERP experiment, when Internet-related picture appeared, MMN was significantly induced in the IAs relative to the controls. Both experiments show that IAs can automatically detect network information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinbo He
- Key Laboratory of Adolescent Cyberpsychology and Behavior of Ministry of Education; Key Laboratory of Human Development and Mental Health of Hubei Province; School of Psychology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yang Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Adolescent Cyberpsychology and Behavior of Ministry of Education; Key Laboratory of Human Development and Mental Health of Hubei Province; School of Psychology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yufeng Nie
- Key Laboratory of Adolescent Cyberpsychology and Behavior of Ministry of Education; Key Laboratory of Human Development and Mental Health of Hubei Province; School of Psychology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China
| | - Zongkui Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Adolescent Cyberpsychology and Behavior of Ministry of Education; Key Laboratory of Human Development and Mental Health of Hubei Province; School of Psychology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China.
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2
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Kim SN, Kim M, Lee TH, Lee JY, Park S, Park M, Kim DJ, Kwon JS, Choi JS. Increased Attentional Bias Toward Visual Cues in Internet Gaming Disorder and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: An Event-Related Potential Study. Front Psychiatry 2018; 9:315. [PMID: 30057559 PMCID: PMC6053507 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2018] [Accepted: 06/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Internet gaming disorder (IGD) is a newly identified potential addiction disorder associated with compulsive internet-game playing behavior and attentional bias toward online gaming- related cues. Attentional bias toward addiction-related cues is the core feature of addiction that is associated with craving, but the pathophysiology of attentional bias in IGD is not well-understood, such as its relationship to compulsivity. In this study, we used the electrophysiological marker of late positive potential (LPP) to compare attentional bias in IGD and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Twenty patients with IGD, 20 patients with OCD, and 23 healthy control (HC) subjects viewed a series of game-related, OCD-related, and neutral pictures while their event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded. The game-related cues included in-game screen captures of popular internet games. The OCD-related cues included pictures which provokes obsessive and compulsive symptoms of contamination/washing or checking. LPPs were calculated as the mean value of amplitudes between 350 and 750 ms at the centro-parietal (CP1, CPz, CP2) and parietal (P1, Pz, P2) electrode sites. Higher LPP amplitudes were found for game-related cues in the IGD group than in the HCs, and higher LPP amplitudes were observed in the OCD group for OCD-related cues. The IGD group did not exhibit LPP changes in response to OCD-related cues. Subjective scales demonstrated increased arousal to game-related cues and OCD-related cues in both the IGD and OCD groups compared with the HC group. Increased LPPs in response to disorder-specific cues (game-related and OCD-related) were found in both IGD and OCD groups respectively, although the groups showed overlapping arousal on subjective scales. Our results indicate that LPP is a candidate neurophysiological marker for cue-related craving in IGD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sung Nyun Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Minah Kim
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Tak Hyung Lee
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Science, Seoul National University College of Natural Science, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Ji-Yoon Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, SMG-SNU Boramae Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Sunyoung Park
- Department of Psychiatry, SMG-SNU Boramae Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Minkyung Park
- Department of Psychiatry, SMG-SNU Boramae Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Dai-Jin Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jun Soo Kwon
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea.,Department of Brain and Cognitive Science, Seoul National University College of Natural Science, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jung-Seok Choi
- Department of Psychiatry, SMG-SNU Boramae Medical Center, Seoul, South Korea
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3
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John WS, Nader MA. Effects of ethanol on cocaine self-administration in monkeys responding under a second-order schedule of reinforcement. Drug Alcohol Depend 2017; 170:112-119. [PMID: 27886524 PMCID: PMC5744897 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2016.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2016] [Revised: 11/03/2016] [Accepted: 11/03/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Concurrent alcohol use among cocaine abusers is common but the behavioral variables that promote co-abuse are not well understood. The present study examined the effects of intragastric (i.g.) ethanol (EtOH) administration in monkeys responding under a schedule of cocaine reinforcement in which extensive drug seeking was maintained by conditioned stimuli. METHODS Four adult male cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) were trained to respond under a second-order fixed-interval (FI) 600s (fixed-ratio (FR) 30:S) schedule of cocaine (0.003-0.56mg/kg/injection) presentation. Sessions ended after 5 injections or 90min had elapsed. Different EtOH doses (0.5-2.0g/kg, i.g.) were administered 30min before the session, typically on Tuesdays and Fridays. Blood ethanol concentrations (BECs) were also assessed. Pattern of FI responding was assessed by determining quarter-life (QL) values. RESULTS Cocaine self-administration was characterized as an inverted U-shaped function of dose; QL values increased monotonically with dose. EtOH pretreatments dose-dependently decreased self-administration at several cocaine doses in 3 of 4 monkeys. In one animal, EtOH increased low-dose cocaine-maintained responding. For all monkeys, QL values were increased by EtOH when low- and high-cocaine doses were self-administered, suggesting additive effects of EtOH and cocaine. Furthermore, BECs were not altered following cocaine self-administration. CONCLUSIONS The reductions in cocaine self-administration and the increases in QL values following EtOH, suggest that EtOH was enhancing cocaine-related conditioned reinforcement. A better understanding of the behavioral mechanisms that mediate the co-abuse of alcohol and cocaine will lead to improved treatments for both drugs.
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4
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Anderson BA. What is abnormal about addiction-related attentional biases? Drug Alcohol Depend 2016; 167:8-14. [PMID: 27507657 PMCID: PMC5037014 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2016.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2016] [Revised: 07/30/2016] [Accepted: 08/01/2016] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The phenotype of addiction includes prominent attentional biases for drug cues, which play a role in motivating drug-seeking behavior and contribute to relapse. In a separate line of research, arbitrary stimuli have been shown to automatically capture attention when previously associated with reward in non-clinical samples. METHODS AND RESULTS Here, I argue that these two attentional biases reflect the same cognitive process. I outline five characteristics that exemplify attentional biases for drug cues: resistant to conflicting goals, robust to extinction, linked to dorsal striatal dopamine and to biases in approach behavior, and can distinguish between individuals with and without a history of drug dependence. I then go on to describe how attentional biases for arbitrary reward-associated stimuli share all of these features, and conclude by arguing that the attentional components of addiction reflect a normal cognitive process that promotes reward-seeking behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian A Anderson
- Texas A&M University, Department of Psychology, 4235 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843-4235, United States.
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5
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Parvaz MA, Moeller SJ, Malaker P, Sinha R, Alia-Klein N, Goldstein RZ. Abstinence reverses EEG-indexed attention bias between drug-related and pleasant stimuli in cocaine-addicted individuals. J Psychiatry Neurosci 2016; 41:150358. [PMID: 27434467 PMCID: PMC5373704 DOI: 10.1503/jpn.150358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2015] [Revised: 03/15/2016] [Accepted: 04/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Increased attention bias toward drug-related cues over non-drug-related intrinsically pleasant reinforcers is a hallmark of drug addiction. In this study we used the late positive potential (LPP) to investigate whether such increased attention bias toward drug-related relative to non-drug-related cues changes over a protracted period of reduced drug use in treatment-seeking individuals with a cocaine use disorder (CUD). METHODS Treatment-seeking individuals with CUD and matched healthy controls passively viewed a series of pleasant, neutral and drug-related pictures while their event-related potentials were recorded at baseline (≤ 3 weeks after treatment initiation) and at 6-month follow-up (only CUD). RESULTS We included 19 treatment-seeking individuals with CUD and 18 matched controls in our analyses. The results showed a reversal in attention bias (i.e., LPP amplitude) from baseline (i.e., drug > pleasant) to follow-up (i.e., pleasant > drug) driven by an increased attentional engagement with pleasant pictures; this LPP reversal was paralleled by a concomitant reduction in self-reported wanting and craving for cocaine in the CUD group. Furthermore, reduced attention bias toward drug-related cues (relative to pleasant cues) was correlated with longer duration of abstinence at baseline, and the extent of its longitudinal reversal was correlated with decreased craving at follow-up, providing support for abstinence as a putative mechanism of this bottom-up attentional change. LIMITATIONS A limited sample size and the use of the same set of pictures at baseline and follow-up were the major limitations of this study. CONCLUSION Results collectively indicate that, by tracking with drug abstinence, LPP in response to drug-related relative to pleasant cues may serve as an indicator of clinical progress in treatment-seeking individuals with CUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad A. Parvaz
- From the Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA (Parvaz, Moeller, Malaker, Alia-Klein, Goldstein); and Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn., USA (Sinha)
| | - Scott J. Moeller
- From the Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA (Parvaz, Moeller, Malaker, Alia-Klein, Goldstein); and Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn., USA (Sinha)
| | - Pias Malaker
- From the Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA (Parvaz, Moeller, Malaker, Alia-Klein, Goldstein); and Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn., USA (Sinha)
| | - Rajita Sinha
- From the Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA (Parvaz, Moeller, Malaker, Alia-Klein, Goldstein); and Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn., USA (Sinha)
| | - Nelly Alia-Klein
- From the Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA (Parvaz, Moeller, Malaker, Alia-Klein, Goldstein); and Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn., USA (Sinha)
| | - Rita Z. Goldstein
- From the Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA (Parvaz, Moeller, Malaker, Alia-Klein, Goldstein); and Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn., USA (Sinha)
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6
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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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7
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Leeman RF, Robinson CD, Waters AJ, Sofuoglu M. A critical review of the literature on attentional bias in cocaine use disorder and suggestions for future research. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol 2014; 22:469-83. [PMID: 25222545 PMCID: PMC4250397 DOI: 10.1037/a0037806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Cocaine use disorder (CUD) continues to be an important public health problem, and novel approaches are needed to improve the effectiveness of treatments for CUD. Recently, there has been increased interest in the role of automatic cognition such as attentional bias (AB) in addictive behaviors, and AB has been proposed to be a cognitive marker for addictions. Automatic cognition may be particularly relevant to CUD, as there is evidence for particularly robust AB to cocaine cues and strong relationships to craving for cocaine and other illicit drugs. Further, the wide-ranging cognitive deficits (e.g., in response inhibition and working memory) evinced by many cocaine users enhance the potential importance of interventions targeting automatic cognition in this population. In the current article, we discuss relevant addiction theories, followed by a review of studies that examined AB in CUD. We then consider the neural substrates of AB, including human neuroimaging, neurobiological, and pharmacological studies. We conclude with a discussion of research gaps and future directions for AB in CUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert F. Leeman
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine and VA VISN1 MIRECC, VA Connecticut Healthcare System
| | - Cendrine D. Robinson
- Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
| | - Andrew J. Waters
- Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences
| | - Mehmet Sofuoglu
- Yale School of Medicine and VA VISN1 MIRECC, VA Connecticut Healthcare System
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8
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Mechelmans DJ, Irvine M, Banca P, Porter L, Mitchell S, Mole TB, Lapa TR, Harrison NA, Potenza MN, Voon V. Enhanced attentional bias towards sexually explicit cues in individuals with and without compulsive sexual behaviours. PLoS One 2014; 9:e105476. [PMID: 25153083 PMCID: PMC4143289 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0105476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2014] [Accepted: 07/20/2014] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Compulsive sexual behaviour (CSB) is relatively common and has been associated with significant distress and psychosocial impairments. CSB has been conceptualized as either an impulse control disorder or a non-substance ‘behavioural’ addiction. Substance use disorders are commonly associated with attentional biases to drug cues which are believed to reflect processes of incentive salience. Here we assess male CSB subjects compared to age-matched male healthy controls using a dot probe task to assess attentional bias to sexually explicit cues. We show that compared to healthy volunteers, CSB subjects have enhanced attentional bias to explicit cues but not neutral cues particularly for early stimuli latency. Our findings suggest enhanced attentional bias to explicit cues possibly related to an early orienting attentional response. This finding dovetails with our recent observation that sexually explicit videos were associated with greater activity in a neural network similar to that observed in drug-cue-reactivity studies. Greater desire or wanting rather than liking was further associated with activity in this neural network. These studies together provide support for an incentive motivation theory of addiction underlying the aberrant response towards sexual cues in CSB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daisy J. Mechelmans
- Department of Psychiatry, Addenbrooke's Hospital, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Michael Irvine
- Department of Psychiatry, Addenbrooke's Hospital, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Paula Banca
- Department of Psychiatry, Addenbrooke's Hospital, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Laura Porter
- Department of Psychiatry, Addenbrooke's Hospital, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Simon Mitchell
- Department of Psychiatry, Addenbrooke's Hospital, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Foundation Trust, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Tom B. Mole
- Department of Psychiatry, Addenbrooke's Hospital, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Foundation Trust, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Tatyana R. Lapa
- Department of Psychiatry, Addenbrooke's Hospital, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Neil A. Harrison
- Department of Psychiatry, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Brighton, United Kingdom
| | - Marc N. Potenza
- Departments of Psychiatry, Neurobiology and Child Study Center, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Valerie Voon
- Department of Psychiatry, Addenbrooke's Hospital, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Behavioural and Clinical Neurosciences Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Foundation Trust, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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9
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Crunelle CL, Veltman DJ, Booij J, Emmerik – van Oortmerssen K, den Brink W. Substrates of neuropsychological functioning in stimulant dependence: a review of functional neuroimaging research. Brain Behav 2012; 2:499-523. [PMID: 22950052 PMCID: PMC3432971 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.65] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2011] [Revised: 04/19/2012] [Accepted: 04/21/2012] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Stimulant dependence is associated with neuropsychological impairments. Here, we summarize and integrate the existing neuroimaging literature on the neural substrates of neuropsychological (dys)function in stimulant dependence, including cocaine, (meth-)amphetamine, ecstasy and nicotine dependence, and excessive caffeine use, comparing stimulant abusers (SAs) to nondrug using healthy controls (HCs). Despite some inconsistencies, most studies indicated altered brain activation in prefrontal cortex (PFC) and insula in response to reward and punishment, and higher limbic and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC)/PFC activation during craving and attentional bias paradigms in SAs compared with HCs. Impulsivity in SAs was associated with lower ACC and presupplementary motor area activity compared with HCs, and related to both ventral (amygdala, ventrolateral PFC, insula) and dorsal (dorsolateral PFC, dorsal ACC, posterior parietal cortex) systems. Decision making in SAs was associated with low dorsolateral PFC activity and high orbitofrontal activity. Finally, executive function in SAs was associated with lower activation in frontotemporal regions and higher activation in premotor cortex compared with HCs. It is concluded that the lower activations compared with HCs are likely to reflect the neural substrate of impaired neurocognitive functions, whereas higher activations in SAs compared with HCs are likely to reflect compensatory cognitive control mechanisms to keep behavioral task performance to a similar level as in HCs. However, before final conclusions can be drawn, additional research is needed using neuroimaging in SAs and HCs using larger and more homogeneous samples as well as more comparable task paradigms, study designs, and statistical analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cleo L. Crunelle
- Amsterdam Institute for Addiction Research and Department of Psychiatry Academic Medical Center University of Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
- Department of Nuclear Medicine Academic Medical Center University of Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Dick J. Veltman
- Amsterdam Institute for Addiction Research and Department of Psychiatry Academic Medical Center University of Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry Vrije Universiteit medical center Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Jan Booij
- Department of Nuclear Medicine Academic Medical Center University of Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Katelijne Emmerik – van Oortmerssen
- Amsterdam Institute for Addiction Research and Department of Psychiatry Academic Medical Center University of Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
- Arkin Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Centre Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Wim den Brink
- Amsterdam Institute for Addiction Research and Department of Psychiatry Academic Medical Center University of Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
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10
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Tull MT, McDermott MJ, Gratz KL, Coffey SF, Lejuez CW. Cocaine-related attentional bias following trauma cue exposure among cocaine dependent in-patients with and without post-traumatic stress disorder. Addiction 2011; 106:1810-8. [PMID: 21615582 PMCID: PMC3174347 DOI: 10.1111/j.1360-0443.2011.03508.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
AIMS Although the co-occurrence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and cocaine dependence is associated with a wide range of negative clinical outcomes, little is known about the mechanisms that underlie this association. This study investigated one potential mechanism-attentional bias to cocaine imagery following trauma cue exposure. DESIGN Male and female cocaine-dependent in-patients with and without PTSD were exposed to both a neutral and personalized trauma script on separate days, followed by a visual dot-probe task. A 2 (PTSD versus non-PTSD) × 2 (neutral versus trauma script) × 2 (male versus female) design was used to examine hypotheses. SETTING Participants were recruited from a residential substance use disorder (SUD) treatment center. PARTICIPANTS Participants were 60 trauma-exposed cocaine dependent in-patients, 30 with current PTSD and 30 without a history of PTSD. MEASUREMENTS Attentional bias was assessed using a visual dot-probe task depicting cocaine-related imagery following both a neutral script and personalized trauma script. FINDINGS Following neutral script exposure, PTSD (versus non-PTSD) participants exhibited an attentional bias away from cocaine imagery. This effect was reversed following trauma script exposure, with PTSD participants exhibiting a greater attentional bias towards the location of cocaine imagery than non-PTSD participants. Severity of subjective distress following trauma script exposure predicted level of attentional bias among PTSD participants. CONCLUSIONS Cocaine appears to serve an emotion-regulating function among post-traumatic stress disorder patients and may be a potential target for brief post-traumatic stress disorder-substance use disorder interventions that can facilitate residential substance use disorder treatment retention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew T Tull
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39216, USA.
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11
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Duka T, Crombag HS, Stephens DN. Experimental medicine in drug addiction: towards behavioral, cognitive and neurobiological biomarkers. J Psychopharmacol 2011; 25:1235-55. [PMID: 21169391 DOI: 10.1177/0269881110388324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Several theoretical frameworks have been developed to understand putative processes and mechanisms involved in addiction. Whilst these 'theories of addiction' disagree about importance and/or nature of a number of key psychological processes (e.g. the necessity of craving and/or the involvement of drug-value representations), a number of commonalities exist. For instance, it is widely accepted that Pavlovian associations between cues and environmental contexts and the drug effects acquired over the course of addiction play a critical role, especially in relapse vulnerability in detoxified addicts. Additionally, all theories of addiction (explicitly or implicitly) propose that chronic drug exposure produces persistent neuroplastic changes in neurobiological circuitries underlying critical emotional, cognitive and motivational processes, although disagreement exists as to the precise nature of these neurobiological changes and/or their psychological consequences. The present review, rather than limiting itself to any particular theoretical stance, considers various candidate psychological, neurobiological and/or behavioral processes in addiction and outlines conceptual and procedural approaches for the experimental medicine laboratory. The review discusses (1) extinction, renewal and (re)consolidation of learned associations between cues and drugs, (2) the drug reward value, (3) motivational states contributing to drug seeking and (4) reflective (top-down) and sensory (bottom-up) driven decision-making. In evaluating these psychological and/or behavioral processes and their relationship to addiction we make reference to putative underlying brain structures identified by basic animal studies and/or imaging studies with humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theodora Duka
- Behavioral and Clinical Neuroscience Research Group, School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK.
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12
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Siep N, Jansen A, Havermans R, Roefs A. Cognitions and emotions in eating disorders. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2011; 6:17-33. [PMID: 21243468 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2010_82] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
The cognitive model of eating disorders (EDs) states that the processing of external and internal stimuli might be biased in mental disorders. These biases, or cognitive errors, systematically distort the individual's experiences and, in that way, maintains the eating disorder. This chapter presents an updated literature review of experimental studies investigating these cognitive biases. Results indicate that ED patients show biases in attention, interpretation, and memory when it comes to the processing of food-, weight-, and body shape-related cues. Some recent studies show that they also demonstrate errors in general cognitive abilities such as set shifting, central coherence, and decision making. A future challenge is whether cognitive biases and processes can be manipulated. Few preliminary studies suggest that an attention retraining and training in the cognitive modulation of food reward processing might be effective strategies to change body satisfaction, food cravings, and eating behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolette Siep
- Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, The Netherlands.
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13
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Montgomery C, Field M, Atkinson AM, Cole JC, Goudie AJ, Sumnall HR. Effects of alcohol preload on attentional bias towards cocaine-related cues. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2010; 210:365-75. [PMID: 20352412 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-010-1830-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2009] [Accepted: 03/10/2010] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Drug and alcohol users have an 'attentional bias' for substance-related cues, which is likely to reflect the incentive-motivational properties of those cues. Furthermore, administration of an alcohol preload increases attentional bias for alcohol and tobacco-related cues in heavy drinkers and tobacco smokers, respectively. The present study investigated attentional bias for cocaine cues in cocaine users and non-users following administration of either alcohol or placebo. METHOD Thirty-two regular cocaine users and 40 non-users took part. Participants were administered alcohol or placebo, and administration was double blind. After drink administration, a Visual Probe task and Modified Stroop task were used to assess attentional bias. Subjective craving and alcohol outcome expectancies were also measured. RESULTS There was a significant interaction between group and drink type on the visual probe task indicating that cocaine users who had received alcohol had increased attentional bias for cocaine pictures compared to non-users and cocaine users who received placebo. The cocaine Stroop revealed no differences between cocaine users and non-users, and no effects of alcohol in either group. CONCLUSIONS Alcohol preload in regular cocaine users increases attentional bias for cocaine cues. However, cocaine users who received placebo did not show attentional bias for cocaine stimuli. Future research should investigate the effects of alcohol preload on attentional bias in cocaine-dependent individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catharine Montgomery
- School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Tom Reilly Building, Byrom Street, Liverpool, L3 3AF, UK.
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Experimentally induced chocolate craving leads to an attentional bias in increased distraction but not in speeded detection. Appetite 2009; 53:370-5. [DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2009.07.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2009] [Revised: 07/05/2009] [Accepted: 07/22/2009] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Field M, Munafò MR, Franken IHA. A meta-analytic investigation of the relationship between attentional bias and subjective craving in substance abuse. Psychol Bull 2009; 135:589-607. [PMID: 19586163 DOI: 10.1037/a0015843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 376] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Theoretical models of addiction suggest that attentional bias for substance-related cues should be associated with self-reported craving. The authors evaluated the strength of the association by performing a meta-analysis on 68 independent data sets from which correlation coefficients between subjective craving and attentional bias indices were derived. Additional stratified analyses were conducted to identify any variables that might moderate the association between craving and attentional bias. The primary meta-analysis indicated a significant, albeit weak (r=.19), association between attentional bias and craving. Stratified analyses revealed that the association was larger for illicit drug and caffeine craving than for alcohol and tobacco craving, larger for direct measures of attention (eye movement measures and event-related potential measures) than for indirect behavioral measures of attentional bias, and larger when craving strength was high than when it was low (all ps<.05). The size of the correlation did not differ among patients in treatment and individuals who were not seeking treatment. These results suggest that attentional bias and craving are related phenomena, although the relationship is generally modest and appears to be moderated by various factors. Theoretical implications are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matt Field
- School of Psychology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
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16
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Zhang X, Chen X, Yu Y, Sun D, Ma N, He S, Hu X, Zhang D. Masked smoking-related images modulate brain activity in smokers. Hum Brain Mapp 2009; 30:896-907. [PMID: 18344177 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.20552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The questions of whether and how indiscriminate drug-related stimuli could influence drug-users are important to our understanding of addictive behavior, but the answers are still inconclusive. In the present preliminary functional magnetic resonance imaging study using a backward masking paradigm, the effect of indiscriminate smoking-related stimuli on 10 smokers and 10 nonsmokers was examined. The BOLD response showed a significant reduction (P = 0.001) in the right amygdala of smokers when they viewed but did not perceive masked smoking-related stimuli, while no significant differences were found in the nonsmoker group. More voxels in anterior cingulate cortex were negatively correlated with the amygdala during the masked smoking-related picture condition in smokers but not in nonsmokers, whereas more positively correlated voxels were observed during the masked neutral condition. The BOLD response in drug-users indicates the amygdala responds to drug-related stimuli that are below the perceptual threshold. The functional connectivity data suggest a functional interaction between the amygdala and the anterior cingulate cortex when drug users view 33 ms back-masked drug-related stimuli. This observation suggests that the amygdala plays an important role in the indiscriminate drug-related cue process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaochu Zhang
- Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Science at Microscale and School of Life Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, People's Republic of China
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17
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Gilman JM, Hommer DW. Modulation of brain response to emotional images by alcohol cues in alcohol-dependent patients. Addict Biol 2008; 13:423-34. [PMID: 18507736 DOI: 10.1111/j.1369-1600.2008.00111.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol is often used to modulate mood states. Alcohol drinkers report that they use alcohol both to enhance positive affect and to reduce dysphoria, and alcohol-dependent patients specifically state reduction of negative affect as a primary reason for drinking. The current study proposes that alcohol cues may reduce negative affect in alcoholics. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine brain activation in response to combination images that juxtaposed negative or positive International Affective Picture System (IAPS) images with an alcohol or non-alcohol-containing beverage. We found that in the absence of the alcohol cue, alcoholics showed more activation to negative than to positive images and greater activation than controls to negative images. When the IAPS images were presented with the alcohol cue, there was a decreased difference in activation between the positive and negative images among the alcoholics, and a decreased difference in response to the negative images between controls and alcoholics. Additionally, in the neutral-beverage conditions, anxiety ratings significantly predicted activation in the right parahippocampal gyrus but did not predict activation when the alcohol cues were presented. In conclusion, the alcohol cues may have modulated cortical networks involved in the processing of emotional stimuli by eliciting a conditioned response in the alcoholics, but not in the controls, which may have decreased responsiveness to the negative images.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jodi M Gilman
- Section of Brain Electrophysiology and Imaging, Laboratory of Clinical and Translational Studies, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, 10 Center Dr. (10CRC/15330), Bethesda, MD 20892-1108, USA.
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19
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Abstract
Recent studies have investigated the role of attentional biases and memory in alcohol and other drugs of dependence and the relationship between the motivation to use alcohol or other drugs and vigilance for relevant stimuli in alcohol and drug dependence. Based on this research, we describe relationships among motivation, memory, and attentional biases in order to enable better understanding of their multiple and interacting roles in the maintenance and development of alcohol and other drug dependence. We argue that memory and attentional processes are critical in the development and maintenance of addiction processes. Furthermore, we assume that attentional bias is not simply a by-product of an addiction disorder but plays a vital role in its development and maintenance, and it serves to enhance actual drug use. Finally, we predict that the motivation to use alcohol or other drugs will increase vigilance for substance-related stimuli, which in turn can lead to actual use. Future research is needed to ll gaps in our knowledge and lead to a more defined and articulated cognitive-behavioural model of drug dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aviv Weinstein
- Department of Medical Biophysics and Nuclear Medicine, Hadassah University Hospital, Ein Kerem, Jerusalem, Israel.
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20
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Hester R, Dixon V, Garavan H. A consistent attentional bias for drug-related material in active cocaine users across word and picture versions of the emotional Stroop task. Drug Alcohol Depend 2006; 81:251-7. [PMID: 16095852 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2005.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 154] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2005] [Revised: 06/30/2005] [Accepted: 07/16/2005] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Evidence from a number of drug-abuse populations suggests that an attentional bias for drug-related stimuli can be identified in chronic users. Such an effect has yet to be reliably demonstrated in cocaine users, despite mounting evidence of the salience and reinforcing properties of cocaine-related cues. The aim of the current study was to administer word (modeled on the versions shown to successfully identify attentional biases in alcohol abusers) and picture versions of the emotional Stroop tasks to gauge the reliability of cocaine-specific attentional biases across stimuli domains. A comparison of active cocaine users (n = 23), and their age and education matched controls revealed a significant bias for cocaine-related pictures and words in users. This attentional bias could not be attributed to confounding factors such as slowed response speed of cocaine users, cocaine-related material sharing category ownership, or that the cocaine-related material used in the current study was generally arousing for all participants. A comparison of the different classes of stimuli indicated that cocaine users had a very similar level of difficulty controlling their attention towards both cocaine-related material and incongruent-colour word stimuli, the latter being the traditional measure of attentional control from the Stroop task. These results provide corroborating evidence for cognitive biases being a hallmark of substance dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Hester
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic., Australia.
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21
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Field M, Eastwood B. Experimental manipulation of attentional bias increases the motivation to drink alcohol. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2005; 183:350-7. [PMID: 16235080 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-005-0202-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 190] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2005] [Accepted: 09/12/2005] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Attentional bias for alcohol-related cues is associated with the motivation to drink alcohol, possibly because attentional bias increases craving. OBJECTIVES We examined whether an experimentally induced attentional bias would influence subjective and behavioural indices of the motivation to drink. METHODS Heavy social drinkers (N=40) completed an attentional training procedure, in which half of the participants were trained to direct their attention towards alcohol-related cues ('attend alcohol'), and half of the participants were trained to direct their attention away from alcohol-related cues ('avoid alcohol'). After attentional training, participants rated their urge to drink alcohol, and the amount of beer consumed during a taste test was measured. RESULTS The attentional training procedure produced significant changes in attentional bias in the predicted direction in both experimental groups. Attentional training produced an increase in the urge to drink alcohol in the attend alcohol group, and the attend alcohol group consumed more beer than the avoid alcohol group during the taste test. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that a potentiated attentional bias for alcohol-related cues can increase the motivation to drink alcohol. Theoretical and clinical implications are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matt Field
- School of Psychology, University of Liverpool, Eleanor Rathbone Building,Bedford Street South, Liverpool, L69 7ZA UK.
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Rofey DL, Corcoran KJ, Tran GQ. Bulimic symptoms and mood predict food relevant Stroop interference in women with troubled eating patterns. Eat Behav 2004; 5:35-45. [PMID: 15000952 DOI: 10.1016/s1471-0153(03)00058-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/22/2003] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive processing differences based on attentional biases of words pertaining to eating disorders were investigated to assess people's pathological thoughts. Participants were 165 undergraduate women (mean age=19.2) at a large Midwestern university. This Stroop task that included color identification of three word groups (food-related words, neutral words, and color words) was administered to measure differential speed in cognitive processing of salient words in individuals with and without troubled eating patterns. As predicted by the moderator hypothesis, a statistically significant interaction effect between bulimic symptoms and negative mood was found on food-related reaction time. Post hoc analysis of the interaction showed that women endorsing more bulimic symptoms responded slower to food-related cues than women with fewer bulimic symptoms among individuals who reported negative mood. The study results indicate that women who have problematic eating patterns and experience negative mood are hyperattentive to food-related cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dana L Rofey
- Department of Psychology, University of Cincinnati, 3632 E. Brookstone Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45209, USA.
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Ingjaldsson JT, Thayer JF, Laberg JC. Craving for alcohol and pre-attentive processing of alcohol stimuli. Int J Psychophysiol 2003; 49:29-39. [PMID: 12853128 DOI: 10.1016/s0167-8760(03)00075-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The present study was designed to test the hypothesis of unconscious attending to alcohol-related information in alcoholics experiencing a high level of craving for alcohol. Subjects included a group of alcoholics (n=34) divided by a median split on a craving measure into two groups labeled as 'high craving' (n=18) and 'low craving' (n=16) alcoholics, and a non-alcoholic control group (n=39). The cardiovascular reactions of these groups were compared after their exposure to masked and unmasked alcohol and control stimuli. As expected the 'high craving' alcoholics showed an immediate heart rate deceleration after exposure to masked and non-consciously accessible alcohol pictures. The 'high craving' alcoholics reported a small but significant increase in difficulty resisting a drink after exposure to masked alcohol pictures. When the alcohol pictures were presented unmasked a significant increase was found in both high and low craving alcoholics on consciously expressed urges, fidgeting and reduced coping with temptation to drink. The 'high craving' alcoholics had lower tonic heart rate variability compared to the control group and the level of craving was positively associated with salivation during the exposure to all picture types. The findings generally support the psychobiological theory of craving, which suggests that the uncontrollability of the craving experience is rooted in unconscious processing of drug-related information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jon T Ingjaldsson
- Department of Psychoscocial Science, University of Bergen, Christiesgate 12, 5015, Bergen, Norway.
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Franken IHA. Drug craving and addiction: integrating psychological and neuropsychopharmacological approaches. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2003; 27:563-79. [PMID: 12787841 DOI: 10.1016/s0278-5846(03)00081-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 548] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
In the present review, an integrated approach to craving and addiction is discussed, which is based on recent insights from psychology and neuropsychopharmacology. An integrated model explains craving and relapse in humans by the psychological mechanism of "attentional bias" and provides neuropsychopharmacological mechanisms for this bias. According to this model, cognitive processes mediate between drug stimulus and the subject's response to this stimulus and subsequent behavioral response (e.g., drug use, relapse). According to the model, a conditioned drug stimulus produces an increase in dopamine levels in the corticostriatal circuit, in particular the anterior cingulate gyrus, amygdala, and nucleus accumbens, which in turn serves to draw the subject's attention towards a perceived drug stimulus. This process results in motor preparation and a hyperattentive state towards drug-related stimuli that, ultimately, promotes further craving and relapse. Evidence for this attentional bias hypothesis is reviewed from both the psychopharmacological and the neuroanatomical viewpoints. The attentional bias hypothesis raises several suggestions for clinical approaches and further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingmar H A Franken
- Department of Psychology, Erasmus University Rotterdam, P.O. Box 1738, Rotterdam 3000 DR, The Netherlands.
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Elkashef A, Vocci F. Biological markers of cocaine addiction: implications for medications development. Addict Biol 2003; 8:123-39. [PMID: 12850771 DOI: 10.1080/1355621031000117356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
The search for effective medications for cocaine addiction has been elusive. The failure to find such medications so far could be due to poor understanding of the underlying biology both in the premorbid condition and following the disease state of chronic cocaine use. Population heterogeneity could be a major factor in response to medications. In an attempt to highlight the issue of biomarkers we reviewed physiological, neuroendocrine and neuroimaging studies to identify specific biological changes/markers that could be used to characterize subgroups among chronic cocaine users. Merging the biology within medications studies of cocaine abusers could prove useful for targeting specific pharmacological agents to subgroups of patients, prediction of response to medication and relapse to use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Elkashef
- Division of Treatment, Research and Development (DTR&D), National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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Abstract
Previous studies provide evidence for the selective processing of disorder related stimuli on anxiety, depression, and eating disorders. There exist some preliminary indications that selective processing of drug cues may be involved in drug craving and relapse that deserve further investigation. In order to investigate the role of processing bias in an abnormal motivational system, the attentional bias for drug related stimuli was studied in a heroin dependent population. Heroin dependent participants (n = 21) and control participants (n = 30) performed a supra- and subliminal heroin Stroop task and heroin craving was assessed. Heroin dependent participants showed a considerable attentional bias for supraliminally presented heroin cues. However, there was no evidence for a preattentive bias on the subliminal presented cues. Reaction time on heroin cues was significantly predicted by heroin craving-levels. Results indicate that selective processing may be related to motivational induced states in general. The finding are discussed in the context of selective information processing in general psychopathology and in motivational processes as addiction specifically.
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Affiliation(s)
- I H Franken
- Parnassia Addiction Research Centre, University of Maastricht, The Netherlands.
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Franken IH, Kroon LY, Hendriks VM. Influence of individual differences in craving and obsessive cocaine thoughts on attentional processes in cocaine abuse patients. Addict Behav 2000; 25:99-102. [PMID: 10708323 DOI: 10.1016/s0306-4603(98)00112-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
In the present pilot-study, the relation between craving, obsessive thoughts about cocaine, experienced control, and attentional bias for cocaine related words is investigated. Sixteen cocaine abuse patients participated in a reaction time (RT) experiment which was employed to measure the ability of subjects to shift their attention away from cocaine related words. Postexperiment craving was found to be positively correlated with reaction times on drug related cues, in contrast to RT on neutral cues. Furthermore, obsessive thoughts about cocaine use and the experienced cocaine use control, in the week before the experiment, were correlated in a higher degree with RTs on drug cues than postexperiment craving. Attentional bias for drug cues was evidenced in patients with higher scores on obsessive cocaine thoughts and higher craving scores. This study shows that individual differences on information processing, within a cocaine abuse patient population, are present.
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Affiliation(s)
- I H Franken
- Parnassia Research Centre--Addiction Department, The Hague, The Netherlands.
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