title: Effects of stress and alcohol cues in men with and without problem gambling and alcohol use disorder.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Relapse is a serious challenge in problem gambling (PG), as it is in substance addiction. Stress and cues are implicated in relapse in both conditions. However, experimental research on motivational effects of stress in PG subjects is scant. This study examined subjective-motivational, cognitive and physiological effects of stress and alcohol cues in subjects with PG, alcohol use disorder (AD), co-occurring PG and AD (CO), and healthy controls (HC).
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-two (12/clinical group; 16 HC) physically healthy men received stress in the form of 10-min uncontrollable noise (U-Noise vs. controllable noise; C-Noise) and cues (355 ml non-alcoholic 'placebo' beer; P-Beer vs. soft drink) under Separate or Combined conditions on two test sessions. Visual analogue scales assessed subjective effects. Emotional Stroop and Go/No-Go 'Shift' tasks assessed inhibitory control. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) indexed physiological reactivity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  U-Noise and C-Noise increased desire for alcohol in all groups. U-Noise selectively inhibited desire to gamble in PG subjects. Both U-Noise and C-Noise inhibited desire to gamble in CO subjects. Neither manipulation reliably altered cognitive performance. Compared to Neutral words, Alcohol words impaired Stroop color-naming in all groups except PG, which displayed relatively faster color-naming of Alcohol words (facilitation). U-Noise increased SBP relative to C-Noise in AD and HC groups. U-Noise plus P-Beer and U-Noise per se decreased SBP in PG and CO groups, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Noise stress has opposite motivational and physiological effects in men with problem gambling vs. alcohol use disorder. A homeostatic process may explain the impact of stress in problem gamblers.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Neuroscience Section, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Lindsay
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Steinberg
authors.forename: Anne-Marie
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Tremblay
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zack
authors.forename: Usoa E
authors.initials: UE
authors.lastname: Busto
authors.forename: Laurie A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Zawertailo
mesh_terms: D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000523:psychology*; D019973:Alcohol-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D015897:Comorbidity; D003463:Cues; D004644:Emotions / Q000187:drug effects; D000431:Ethanol; D005715:Gambling / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D009042:Motivation / Q000187:drug effects; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009622:Noise / Q000009:adverse effects; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D000431:Ethanol