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Standardized stimuli to assess drug craving and drug memory in addicts
1Department of Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Behavioral Neuroscience Unit, Humboldt-University, Berlin, Federal Republic of Germany. grusser@rz.hu-berlin.de
Abstract:
Due to conditioning processes, originally neutral stimuli become drug-associated cues and can initiate drug craving. Standardized stimuli are required to assess stimulus-induced activation of drug memory and craving in brain imaging and neurophysiology studies. We developed substance-specific visual and olfactory stimuli for alcohol, tobacco, opiate and cannabis abuse and tested them in subjects with the respective addiction and in healthy volunteers. Stimulus-related drug craving differed significantly between the diagnostic groups and indicated that the stimuli are suitable for craving studies.