title: Relationship between attentional bias to cocaine-related stimuli and impulsivity in cocaine-dependent subjects.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cocaine-dependent subjects show attentional bias to cocaine-related stimuli, increased impulsivity on questionnaires, and impaired inhibitory control (one component of impulsivity on behavioral tasks). However, the relationship between attentional bias, impulsivity, and inhibitory control in cocaine-dependent subjects is unknown.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the relationship between attentional bias to cocaine-related stimuli, impulsivity, and inhibitory control in cocaine dependence.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study employed the cocaine Stroop task to measure attentional bias to cocaine-related stimuli, immediate memory task (IMT) to measure inhibitory control, and Barratt Impulsiveness Scale version 11 to measure impulsivity. Thirty-two controls and 37 cocaine-dependent subjects were recruited through newspaper advertisement.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cocaine-dependent subjects had higher attentional bias to cocaine-related words, higher scores for Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, and higher commission error rate on the IMT than controls. The attentional bias was positively correlated with the commission error rate on the IMT in the cocaine-dependent subjects but not in control subjects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cocaine-dependent subjects showed attentional bias to cocaine-related words, increased impulsivity, and poor inhibitory control compared with controls. The attentional bias was associated with inhibitory control in cocaine-dependent subjects but not in control subjects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings suggest that cocaine-dependent subjects with poor inhibitory control may show higher attentional bias to cocaine-related words compared with controls and those with better inhibitory control.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77504, USA. Shijing.Liu@uth.tmc.edu
authors.forename: Shijing
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Scott D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Lane
authors.forename: Joy M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Schmitz
authors.forename: Andrew J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Waters
authors.forename: Kathryn A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Cunningham
authors.forename: F Gerard
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Moeller
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000187:drug effects*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003042:Cocaine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior / Q000139:chemically induced*; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects; D008875:Middle Aged; D057190:Stroop Test; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D003042:Cocaine