Eye movements to smoking-related cues: effects of nicotine deprivation.
BACKGROUND
According to recent theories of addiction, nicotine deprivation may influence biases in the orienting and maintenance of attention on smoking-related cues.


OBJECTIVE
We examined the effect of nicotine deprivation on different aspects of attentional biases for smoking-related cues.


METHODS
Smokers' eye movements to smoking-related and control pictures were assessed during a visual probe task under deprived and non-deprived conditions.


RESULTS
When deprived, smokers maintained their gaze for longer on smoking-related than control cues, relative to when non-deprived. Deprivation also increased craving and pleasantness ratings of smoking cues. Across both deprived and non-deprived conditions, smokers were more likely to shift their gaze towards smoking cues and were faster to respond to probes replacing smoking cues, relative to non-smoking cues, but these attentional bias measures were not significantly affected by the deprivation manipulation.


CONCLUSIONS
Results suggest a selective effect of deprivation on the maintenance of attention on smoking-related cues.
Field
Matt
M
Centre for the Study of Emotion and Motivation, School of Psychology, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, UK. m.j.field@soton.ac.uk
Mogg
Karin
K
Bradley
Brendan P
BP
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001288:Attention / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000523:psychology; D003463:Cues; D005133:Eye Movements / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009538:Nicotine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D011930:Reaction Time; D012907:Smoking / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D009538:Nicotine