Cocaine Cues Used in Experimental Research: A Systematic Review

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience and Behavioral Science
• Addiction Medicine
• Psychology

Background:

• Cue exposure therapy (CET) is a key intervention for cocaine substance use disorder (SUD).
• CET aims to reduce the motivational impact of drug-related cues on psychological and physiological responses.
• Understanding the diversity of cocaine cues used in research is crucial for advancing CET efficacy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and categorize the range of cocaine cues employed in research studies.
• To identify commonalities and variations in cue types, modalities, and study designs.
• To provide a foundation for improving the standardization and clinical translation of CET for cocaine SUD.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature review of PubMed and Web of Science databases.
• Searches conducted in August 2024 with no time constraints, adhering to PRISMA guidelines.
• Data extraction included participant demographics, study design, cue task details, and cue examples; quality appraisal was performed.

Main Results:

• 235 articles were analyzed from 3600 identified, revealing diverse cue categories: images, paraphernalia, words, smells, sounds, videos, scripts, and virtual reality.
• Studies included various populations (cocaine-dependent, recreational, polydrug users, controls) with sample sizes ranging from single cases to 1974 participants.
• Commonly used cues involved images/representations of cocaine, use, paraphernalia, preparation items, or conversations about cocaine use.

Conclusions:

• A wide array of cocaine cue categories exists, but detailed documentation for replication is often lacking.
• Variations in cue number, combination, immersion, and personalization were observed across studies.
• Future research should focus on enhancing CET through more immersive, personalized stimuli and clearer cue documentation for clinical translation.