Attentional bias to alcohol stimuli predicts elevated cue-induced craving in young adult social drinkers. 2017

Linda Manchery, and Devorah E Yarmush, and Peter Luehring-Jones, and Joel Erblich
Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, NY, United States.

Considerable evidence has identified biased cognitive processing of alcohol-related stimuli as an important factor in the maintenance of alcohol-seeking and relapse among individuals suffering from alcohol use-disorders (AUDs). In addition, a large body of research has demonstrated that exposure to alcohol cues can elicit powerful alcohol cravings. Little is known, however, about the possible relationship between attentional bias and cue-induced cravings, and even less is known about these processes in social drinkers without a personal history of AUDs. The goal of this study was to examine the possibility that attentional biases toward alcohol-related stimuli would predict elevated cue-induced alcohol craving in this population. Young adult social drinkers (N=30, Mean age=22.8±1.9, 61% female) recruited from an urban university population completed a visual dot probe task in which they were presented with alcohol and neutral stimulus pictures that were immediately followed by a visual probe replacing one of the pictures. Attentional bias was measured by calculating reaction times to probes that replaced alcohol stimuli vs. neutral stimuli. Participants then completed a classic alcohol cue-exposure task and reported cravings immediately before and after alcohol and neutral cue-exposures. Not surprisingly, exposure to alcohol cues elicited significant cravings. Consistent with the study hypothesis, larger attentional biases toward alcohol stimuli predicted higher levels of alcohol craving. Findings demonstrate that heightened attention to alcohol stimuli can significantly impact motivation to consume in healthy young adults, and suggest a possible pathway linking cognitive processes early in the drinking trajectory to the later development of AUDs.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D003463 Cues Signals for an action; that specific portion of a perceptual field or pattern of stimuli to which a subject has learned to respond. Cue
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000067292 Alcohol Drinking in College Alcohol consumption among college students. Alcohol Drinking, College Students,College Drinking,College Student Drinking,University Student Drinking,Drinking, College,Student Drinking, College,Student Drinking, University
D000070379 Attentional Bias An increased focus or awareness of certain stimuli over others, which influence behavior. Attentional Biases,Biased Attention,Attention, Biased,Bias, Attentional,Biases, Attentional
D000328 Adult A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available. Adults
D013334 Students Individuals enrolled in a school or formal educational program. School Enrollment,Enrollment, School,Enrollments, School,School Enrollments,Student
D014495 Universities Educational institutions providing facilities for teaching and research and authorized to grant academic degrees. University
D055815 Young Adult A person between 19 and 24 years of age. Adult, Young,Adults, Young,Young Adults

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