Background: Chronic heroin use can cause a deficit of inhibitory function, leading to a loss of control over drug use. Exposure to drug-related cues is considered as one of the contributing factors. However, it is unclear whether there are dynamic changes on the effect of drug-related cues on response inhibition following prolonged abstinence.

Objective: The present study investigated the effect of drug-related cues on response inhibition in heroin abstainers at different abstinent phases.

Methods: 26 shorter-term (2-6 months) and 26 longer-term (19-24 months) male heroin abstainers performed on a modified two-choice Oddball task, which included two conditions: in the cued condition, neutral pictures served as the background of standard stimuli (yellow frame) and heroin-related pictures served as the background of deviant stimuli (blue frame), reversed in the controlled conditions.

Results: Compared to longer-term abstainers, mean reaction time (RT) for drug deviants in shorter-term abstainers was significantly longer. Shorter-term abstainers also showed markedly slower response to neutral deviants relative to drug deviants, but this tendency was not observed in longer-term abstainers. Nevertheless, both groups had similar RT for standard stimuli regardless of their paired background pictures.

Conclusion: Effect of drug-related cues on response inhibition remains at the early stage of abstinence; however, this effect may be reduced following a longer period of drug abstinence. Our findings highlight the importance of assessing and improving the ability of inhibiting drug-related cue reactivity during treatment.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00952990.2017.1283695DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

drug-related cues
20
cues response
16
response inhibition
16
heroin abstainers
12
male heroin
8
pictures served
8
served background
8
standard stimuli
8
longer-term abstainers
8
drug deviants
8

Similar Publications

Background: Adolescent alcohol use is the norm, but only some develop a substance use disorder. The increased risk might reflect heightened mesocorticolimbic responses to reward-related cues but results published to date have been inconsistent.

Methods: Young social drinkers (age 18.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a crisis in the USA. Despite advances with medications for OUD, overdose deaths have continued to rise and are largely driven by fentanyl. We have previously found that male rats readily self-administer fentanyl, with evident individual differences in fentanyl taking, seeking, and reinstatement behaviors.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Disrupting heroin-associated memory reconsolidation through actin polymerization inhibition in the nucleus accumbens core.

Int J Neuropsychopharmacol

December 2024

National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.

Background: Understanding drug addiction as a disorder of maladaptive learning, where drug-associated or environmental cues trigger drug cravings and seeking, is crucial for developing effective treatments. Actin polymerization, a biochemical process, plays a crucial role in drug-related memory formation, particularly evident in conditioned place preference paradigms involving drugs like morphine and methamphetamine. However, the role of actin polymerization in the reconsolidation of heroin-associated memories remains understudied.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • * Dysfunction in interoceptive processing contributes to craving, emotional regulation issues, and decision-making challenges that drive addiction, with areas like the insula being significant in drug use, particularly nicotine.
  • * The chapter employs a predictive coding framework to explain how disruptions in the brain's predictions of internal states can lead to compulsive drug-seeking behaviors, suggesting that targeted therapies like neuromodulation and mindfulness can help recalibrate these internal predictions for better treatment outcomes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Attentional bias, defined as the disproportionate attentional allocation towards drug-related stimuli, is well-demonstrated in substance use disorders. However, studies investigating attentional bias in tobacco use disorder have revealed inconclusive findings. In recent years, eye-tracking technology has emerged as an innovative technique for exploring attentional bias.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!