Abstract
RationalePrevious research has demonstrated a role for impulsivity and perceived availability of the substance in cue-elicited craving. However, their effects on cue-elicited craving for alcohol are still ambiguous. Most important is that there has been no empirical evidence for the potential interaction of these factors on alcohol craving.ObjectivesThe aim of the present study was to examine the effects of response inhibition and perceived availability on cue-elicited craving for alcohol in social drinkers.MethodsParticipants were light to moderate social drinkers (N = 75) who were exposed to neutral- and alcohol-related stimuli during a single laboratory session. Response inhibition was assessed with the Stop Signal Task. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two perceived availability groups (n = 37, expecting alcohol; n = 38, not expecting alcohol).ResultsOverall craving for alcohol was higher in participants who expected alcohol than in those who did not. This finding was statistically significant only in the alcohol condition. Most important is that there was a significant interaction between response inhibition, perceived availability and time on cue-elicited craving. Regardless of the cue type, impulsive people who expected alcohol experience a significant increase in cue-elicited craving relative to impulsive people who did not expect alcohol. This effect was not observed in the non-impulsive groups.ConclusionsThe results clearly show that perceived availability alone and in combination with response inhibition can modulate alcohol cue reactivity. Theoretical explanations and clinical implications of these findings are discussed.
Highlights
Cue reactivity is a robust phenomenon in the alcohol literature
The results clearly show that perceived availability alone and in combination with response inhibition can modulate alcohol cue reactivity
The analysis showed that the interaction time×perceived availability on craving was not significant for those participants with good response inhibition: F(1,34)00.29, ns (Fig. 1)
Summary
Cue reactivity is a robust phenomenon in the alcohol literature. Alcohol-dependent and heavy social drinkers often report an increase in subjective craving and demonstrate significant physiological reactions to alcohol-related cues (Drummond 2000; Fox et al 2007; Field and Duka 2002). There is supportive evidence for all the aforementioned models, most evidence suggests that stimuli associated with alcohol consumption become conditioned incentives, eliciting appetitive responses and motivating drinking (Field and Duka 2002; Carter and Tiffany 1999; Drummond 2000). Even among alcohol-dependent people, there is evidence that approximately a third does not report craving when exposed to alcohol-related cues (Litt et al 2000). The relationship between cue-elicited craving and alcohol misuse/
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