Attentional avoidance of smoking cues in former smokers.
It has been speculated that attentional bias (AB) to smoking cues is a permanent feature of addiction. The objective of the present study was to investigate if abstinence duration has an influence on AB. Performance on a visual probe task of three groups (recent, intermediate and prolonged) of ex-smokers (n=62, mean age 50±11 years) with different abstinence durations was compared. Target/Control images were presented at three stimulus onset asynchronies (SOAs: 200, 500, and 2000 ms) on a 17-inch monitor. Former smokers avoided target images (TIs). Mean reaction time to control images was shorter than to TIs, confirming the attentional avoidance of TIs. Attentional avoidance of TIs and the lower emotional valence of these stimuli may have been a strategy to avoid relapse. Sustained avoidance to smoking-related cues may be a predictor of long-term abstinence. Direct training of AB away from drug cues may improve the results of smoking cessation therapy.
Laboratory of Experimental Psychology, Neuroscience and Behavior, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. Electronic address: acpeuker@hotmail.com.
Ana Carolina
AC
Peuker
Lisiane
L
Bizarro
D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D003463:Cues; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011930:Reaction Time; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000523:psychology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000523:psychology*
Abstinence; Attentional bias; Nicotine; Smoking; Visual probe task