Reinforcer pathology among cigarette smokers with and without history of alcohol use disorder

Delay discounting (DD) and cigarette demand contribute to an understanding of nicotine reward and dependence. However, no prior attempt has been made to examine the effect of a history of Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) on DD and tobacco demand in current smokers. This study sought to compare DD and cigarette demand in smokers with and without a history of AUD.

The sample comprised 43 smokers with a history of AUD and 49 with no history of drug use. Participants completed the DD task and the 19-item version of the Cigarette Purchase Task. Mazur's equation and the Koffarnus et al. model were used to derive the discounting rates and elasticity of demand, respectively.

Smokers with a history of AUD discounted delayed rewards more steeply (Mlogk= -1.77, SD=1.46) than those without such a history (Mlogk= -2.32, SD=1.04). No statistically significant differences in cigarette demand emerged between groups.

The excessive preference for immediate rewards in smokers with a history of AUD suggests that impulsive choice persists even after alcohol abstinence. As DD constitutes an important marker of poor treatment outcomes, targeting this specific facet of impulsivity in broader clinical interventions might be helpful.