Alcohol approach-avoidance task behavior and brain potentials differentially predict ecologically assessed alcohol...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychology
• Addiction Research

Background:

• Incentive salience is a key factor in understanding alcohol use disorders.
• Neurobehavioral indices may offer objective measures of this phenomenon.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the predictive power of neurobehavioral indices of incentive salience for alcohol craving and consumption.
• To examine these relationships in the natural environment using ecological momentary assessment (EMA).

Main Methods:

• Laboratory-based approach-avoidance task with electroencephalogram (EEG) recording.
• Smartphone-based EMA protocol over 21 days to assess real-world craving and alcohol consumption (estimated blood alcohol concentration [eBAC]).
• Analysis of behavioral (response time) and neural (P3, N450 amplitudes) measures.

Main Results:

• Faster approach to alcohol cues predicted steeper increases in craving and eBAC during real-world drinking.
• Slower avoidance of alcohol cues predicted steeper increases in eBAC.
• Larger P3 amplitude during cue approach and smaller P3 during cue avoidance predicted steeper increases in eBAC.
• Smaller N450 amplitude during cue approach predicted steeper increases in craving.

Conclusions:

• Incentive salience towards alcohol influences alcohol seeking and consumption.
• Distinct behavioral and neural pathways may underlie these relationships in different individuals.