title: Dysregulation of emotional response in current and abstinent heroin users: negative heightening and positive blunting.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Evidence suggests that abstinent opioid users have abnormal emotional response to natural reinforcing stimuli, but little is known about the emotional response of subjects currently using heroin. Abnormal emotional experience could underlie poor sensitivity to negative events related to heroin use and reduced ability to consider alternative reinforcers to help overcome addiction. In this paper, we will assess the subjective response of current and abstinent heroin users exposed to emotionally competent positive and negative stimuli.
  
  
  METHODS
  We administered the "Clinical Instrument for Emotional Response Evaluation" (including neutral, pleasant, and unpleasant images from the International Affective Picture System) to 22 current opioid users enrolled in a clinical trial using controlled prescribed heroin and 41 abstinent opioid users enrolled in residential treatment. The dependent variable was their subjective response to the images measured with the Self-Assessment Manikin, a scale designed to rate the International Affective Picture System (IAPS) images in the three dimensions of emotion: valence, arousal, and dominance. We compared these ratings with IAPS normative values for healthy participants.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Significant group x emotional condition interactions were found in the arousal dimension. Post-hoc tests showed that compared to healthy participants, both current and abstinent heroin users had greater emotional response to neutral images and lower response to pleasant images. Furthermore, current opioid users had higher emotional response to unpleasant images when compared to healthy participants and lower response to pleasant images when compared to abstinent users.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Current opioid users have abnormal emotional experience, characterized by heightened response to unpleasant stimuli and blunted response to pleasant stimuli.
authors.affiliation: Dept. Personalidad, Evaluación y Tratamiento Psicológico, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Spain. aguilardearcos@yahoo.es
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Aguilar de Arcos
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Verdejo-García
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ceverino
authors.forename: Matilde
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Montañez-Pareja
authors.forename: Encarnación
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: López-Juárez
authors.forename: María
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Barrera
authors.forename: Angeles
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: López-Jiménez
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pérez-García
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D001143:Arousal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006556:Heroin Dependence / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D002189:Marijuana Abuse / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D008691:Methadone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009294:Narcotics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012919:Social Behavior; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D009294:Narcotics; D008691:Methadone