Cue-exposure to alcohol-associated stimuli reduces autonomic reactivity, but not craving and anxiety, in dependent drinkers.
A controlled trial was conducted of cue-exposure with dependent drinkers in treatment. All subjects were engaged in an insight-oriented therapy programme, and responses to an alcohol-associated, compared with a neutral, stimulus were assessed at the beginning and end of treatment. Compared with a control group, which did not receive intervening cue-exposure sessions, subjects who received such interventions manifested reductions in heart rate, salivation and arousal responses to the alcohol-associated, compared with the neutral, stimulus. They did not, however, show similar reductions in subjective estimates of craving and anxiety. These results and the desynchrony in reductions in cue-reactivity across response domains are discussed in terms of their implications for cue-exposure in treatment and recent theorectical conceptualizations of the relationship between autonomic reactivity, craving and drinking behaviour.
McCusker
C G
CG
School of Psychology, Queen's University of Belfast, UK.
Brown
K
K
D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D001007:Anxiety / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology*; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003463:Cues; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D011575:Psychoanalytic Therapy; D012472:Salivation / Q000502:physiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome