Tackling addictive behaviors through memory suppression: A scoping review and perspective

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Psychology
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Forgetting is often seen as a flaw, but it can be an adaptive process to avoid distressing memories.
• Memory suppression (MS) is impaired in conditions like anxiety and PTSD, but its role in addiction is understudied.
• Addiction involves drug-induced changes in memory systems, particularly declarative memory, influencing drug-related memories.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review behavioral and neurofunctional findings on memory suppression (MS) in addiction.
• To explore the involvement of memory systems in the addiction cycle, specifically craving and anticipation.
• To highlight MS as a promising area for understanding addiction mechanisms and developing interventions.

Main Methods:

• Review of behavioral and neurofunctional studies.
• Focus on the Think/No-Think task, adapted from Go/No-Go tasks.
• Analysis of memory system involvement in addiction stages.

Main Results:

• Memory suppression mechanisms in addiction have received limited attention.
• The memory system plays a role in the craving and anticipation stages of addiction.
• Studying MS in addiction offers insights into factors perpetuating substance use disorders.

Conclusions:

• Interventions targeting memory suppression could reduce drug-related memory accessibility and craving.
• Strengthening memory suppression abilities may improve inhibition and reduce attention to drug cues.
• Investigating MS in addiction can uncover cognitive and neural mechanisms, informing treatment strategies for substance use disorders.