Evaluating effects of episodic future thinking on valuation of delayed reward in cocaine use disorder: a pilot study

Background: Episodic future thinking (EFT; i.e., envisioning oneself in future contexts) has been demonstrated to reduce discounting of future reward in healthy adults. While this approach has the potential to support future-oriented decision-making in substance use recovery, the impact of EFT on discounting behavior in illicit stimulant users has not yet been evaluated.Objectives: This pilot study aimed to (1) assess the feasibility of utilizing EFT methods in individuals with cocaine use disorder (CUD) and (2) conduct preliminary measurement of the EFT effect on discounting behavior in this population.Methods: Eighteen treatment-seeking individuals with CUD (17 males) were interviewed about positive and neutral events expected to occur at a range of future latencies. Future event information identified by participants was subsequently included on a subset of trials in an intertemporal choice task to promote EFT; within-subject differences in discounting between standard and EFT conditions were evaluated.Results: Participants identified relevant events and demonstrated decreased discounting of future reward when event descriptors were included (relative to discounting without event descriptors; p = .039). It was further noted that most events identified by participants were goals, rather than plans or significant dates.Conclusion: While methods previously used to study the effect of EFT on discounting behavior in healthy individuals are also effective in individuals with CUD, methodological factors - including types of events identified - should be carefully considered in future work. These preliminary findings suggest that EFT can reduce impulsive decision-making in cocaine use disorder and may therefore have therapeutic value.