The Associations Between Proactive Slowing, Working Memory, Alcohol Sensitivity, and Alcohol Use

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychology

Background:

• Reactive inhibitory control is linked to heavy drinking and alcohol dependence.
• Proactive control, crucial for withholding responses, is less understood in alcohol use behaviors.
• Mechanisms linking inhibitory control and alcohol use require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the role of proactive and reactive control in heavy drinkers exposed to alcohol-related cues.
• To examine the potential mediating effects of working memory capacity and alcohol sensitivity on alcohol use.

Main Methods:

• Two studies involved heavy drinkers (N=108, N=116) completing online alcohol use measures.
• Participants performed a modified stop-signal task with alcohol cues (images/words).
• A self-ordered pointing task with neutral and alcohol-related images was also administered.

Main Results:

• Study 1: Craving and working memory capacity predicted alcohol use.
• Study 2: Working memory capacity and stop-signal reaction times were negative predictors, but the model lacked significance.
• Pooled analyses revealed a robust association only between craving and alcohol use.

Conclusions:

• The studies did not find support for associations between alcohol use, working memory capacity, and inhibitory control (reactive and proactive).
• Craving emerged as a significant predictor of alcohol use.
• Further research is needed to understand the complex relationship between cognitive control and alcohol use.