Distraction towards contextual alcohol cues and craving are associated with levels of alcohol use among youth

Abstract Background Controlling drinking behaviour requires the ability to block out distracting alcohol cues in situations in which drinking is inappropriate or harmful. However, at present few studies have investigated whether distraction and response inhibition to contextual alcohol cues are rela...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Timo Lehmann Kvamme, Kristine Rømer Thomsen, Mette Buhl Callesen, Nuria Doñamayor, Mads Jensen, Mads Uffe Pedersen, Valerie Voon
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2018-10-01
Series:BMC Psychiatry
Subjects:
Online Access:http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12888-018-1919-0
_version_ 1818025268015529984
author Timo Lehmann Kvamme
Kristine Rømer Thomsen
Mette Buhl Callesen
Nuria Doñamayor
Mads Jensen
Mads Uffe Pedersen
Valerie Voon
author_facet Timo Lehmann Kvamme
Kristine Rømer Thomsen
Mette Buhl Callesen
Nuria Doñamayor
Mads Jensen
Mads Uffe Pedersen
Valerie Voon
author_sort Timo Lehmann Kvamme
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Controlling drinking behaviour requires the ability to block out distracting alcohol cues in situations in which drinking is inappropriate or harmful. However, at present few studies have investigated whether distraction and response inhibition to contextual alcohol cues are related to alcohol use in adolescents and young adults. We aimed to investigate whether tendencies towards distraction and failures of response inhibition in the presence of contextual alcohol cues, and alcohol craving were associated with higher levels of alcohol consumption, beyond what could be explained by demographic variables. Methods To test this, 108 participants (Mean age = 21.7, range = 16–27), whom were both drinkers and non-drinkers performed a modified Go/NoGo task tailored to measure distraction and response inhibition in the presence of alcohol cues relative to neutral stimuli. Alcohol craving was assessed using a visual analogue scale of craving for different types of alcohol cues. Levels of alcohol use and problematic alcohol use were assessed using a self-report measure of number of drinking days in the previous month and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. Data were analysed using sequential multiple regression using a zero-inflated negative binomial distribution model. Results Drinking days correlated with distraction but not response inhibition to contextual alcohol cues. Sequential regression analyses revealed that the inclusion of distraction bias accounted for 11% additional variance (significant) in alcohol use, in addition to that explained by demographics alone (17%). Craving for alcohol explained an additional 30% variance (significant) in alcohol use. Conclusions The results reported here support the idea that both biased distraction towards alcohol cues and alcohol craving are associated with preceding drinking days, but not necessarily drinking status. Further studies are warranted that address whether cognitive distraction to alcohol-related cues cause or is an effect of alcohol use among youth.
first_indexed 2024-12-10T04:13:24Z
format Article
id doaj.art-a487a83fbf1545c0822ae301b65cb115
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1471-244X
language English
last_indexed 2024-12-10T04:13:24Z
publishDate 2018-10-01
publisher BMC
record_format Article
series BMC Psychiatry
spelling doaj.art-a487a83fbf1545c0822ae301b65cb1152022-12-22T02:02:40ZengBMCBMC Psychiatry1471-244X2018-10-0118111010.1186/s12888-018-1919-0Distraction towards contextual alcohol cues and craving are associated with levels of alcohol use among youthTimo Lehmann Kvamme0Kristine Rømer Thomsen1Mette Buhl Callesen2Nuria Doñamayor3Mads Jensen4Mads Uffe Pedersen5Valerie Voon6Centre for Alcohol and Drug Research, School of Business and Social Sciences, University of AarhusCentre for Alcohol and Drug Research, School of Business and Social Sciences, University of AarhusCentre for Alcohol and Drug Research, School of Business and Social Sciences, University of AarhusDepartment of Psychiatry, University of CambridgeCenter of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience, MINDLab, Aarhus UniversityCentre for Alcohol and Drug Research, School of Business and Social Sciences, University of AarhusDepartment of Psychiatry, University of CambridgeAbstract Background Controlling drinking behaviour requires the ability to block out distracting alcohol cues in situations in which drinking is inappropriate or harmful. However, at present few studies have investigated whether distraction and response inhibition to contextual alcohol cues are related to alcohol use in adolescents and young adults. We aimed to investigate whether tendencies towards distraction and failures of response inhibition in the presence of contextual alcohol cues, and alcohol craving were associated with higher levels of alcohol consumption, beyond what could be explained by demographic variables. Methods To test this, 108 participants (Mean age = 21.7, range = 16–27), whom were both drinkers and non-drinkers performed a modified Go/NoGo task tailored to measure distraction and response inhibition in the presence of alcohol cues relative to neutral stimuli. Alcohol craving was assessed using a visual analogue scale of craving for different types of alcohol cues. Levels of alcohol use and problematic alcohol use were assessed using a self-report measure of number of drinking days in the previous month and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. Data were analysed using sequential multiple regression using a zero-inflated negative binomial distribution model. Results Drinking days correlated with distraction but not response inhibition to contextual alcohol cues. Sequential regression analyses revealed that the inclusion of distraction bias accounted for 11% additional variance (significant) in alcohol use, in addition to that explained by demographics alone (17%). Craving for alcohol explained an additional 30% variance (significant) in alcohol use. Conclusions The results reported here support the idea that both biased distraction towards alcohol cues and alcohol craving are associated with preceding drinking days, but not necessarily drinking status. Further studies are warranted that address whether cognitive distraction to alcohol-related cues cause or is an effect of alcohol use among youth.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12888-018-1919-0AlcoholDistractionGo/NoGo taskCravingZero-inflated negative binomial
spellingShingle Timo Lehmann Kvamme
Kristine Rømer Thomsen
Mette Buhl Callesen
Nuria Doñamayor
Mads Jensen
Mads Uffe Pedersen
Valerie Voon
Distraction towards contextual alcohol cues and craving are associated with levels of alcohol use among youth
BMC Psychiatry
Alcohol
Distraction
Go/NoGo task
Craving
Zero-inflated negative binomial
title Distraction towards contextual alcohol cues and craving are associated with levels of alcohol use among youth
title_full Distraction towards contextual alcohol cues and craving are associated with levels of alcohol use among youth
title_fullStr Distraction towards contextual alcohol cues and craving are associated with levels of alcohol use among youth
title_full_unstemmed Distraction towards contextual alcohol cues and craving are associated with levels of alcohol use among youth
title_short Distraction towards contextual alcohol cues and craving are associated with levels of alcohol use among youth
title_sort distraction towards contextual alcohol cues and craving are associated with levels of alcohol use among youth
topic Alcohol
Distraction
Go/NoGo task
Craving
Zero-inflated negative binomial
url http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12888-018-1919-0
work_keys_str_mv AT timolehmannkvamme distractiontowardscontextualalcoholcuesandcravingareassociatedwithlevelsofalcoholuseamongyouth
AT kristinerømerthomsen distractiontowardscontextualalcoholcuesandcravingareassociatedwithlevelsofalcoholuseamongyouth
AT mettebuhlcallesen distractiontowardscontextualalcoholcuesandcravingareassociatedwithlevelsofalcoholuseamongyouth
AT nuriadonamayor distractiontowardscontextualalcoholcuesandcravingareassociatedwithlevelsofalcoholuseamongyouth
AT madsjensen distractiontowardscontextualalcoholcuesandcravingareassociatedwithlevelsofalcoholuseamongyouth
AT madsuffepedersen distractiontowardscontextualalcoholcuesandcravingareassociatedwithlevelsofalcoholuseamongyouth
AT valerievoon distractiontowardscontextualalcoholcuesandcravingareassociatedwithlevelsofalcoholuseamongyouth