Getting a grip on drinking behavior: training working memory to reduce alcohol abuse

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychology
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Alcohol abuse significantly impairs executive functions, particularly working memory (WM).
• Weakened executive functions contribute to loss of control over drinking behavior, driven by automatic impulses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if working memory (WM) training can restore control over alcohol consumption.
• To determine if improved WM mediates the reduction in drinking behavior.

Main Methods:

• Forty-eight problem drinkers participated in 25 sessions of either WM training or control tasks.
• Working memory capacity and alcohol intake were assessed before and after the intervention period.
• The moderating role of automatic impulses on the WM-alcohol use relationship was examined.

Main Results:

• Working memory training led to significant improvements in WM capacity.
• Participants who underwent WM training showed reduced alcohol intake for over a month post-training.
• Enhanced WM reduced alcohol consumption, especially in individuals with strong automatic alcohol-related impulses.

Conclusions:

• Working memory (WM) training is a viable strategy for reducing alcohol use.
• Improving WM enhances cognitive control, mitigating automatic impulses that drive problem drinking.
• This approach offers a novel therapeutic avenue for alcohol use disorders by targeting executive functions.