title: Cue-induced activation of implicit affective associations with heroin use in abstinent heroin abusers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  While drug-related contexts have been shown to influence drug users' implicit and explicit drug-related cognitions, this has been minimally explored in heroin abusers. This study examined the effect of heroin-related cue exposure on implicit and explicit valence and arousal-sedation associations with heroin use for abstinent heroin abusers.
  
  
  METHODS
  In Experiment 1, 39 male abstinent heroin abusers were exposed to heroin-related words and reported cravings before and after cue exposure. They subsequently performed two Extrinsic Affective Simon Tasks (EASTs), which were used to assess implicit valence and arousal-sedation associations with heroin use. Thirty-six male abstinent heroin abusers (controls) only performed the two EASTs. All participants completed measures of explicit expectancy regarding heroin use. In Experiment 2, twenty-eight newly recruited abstinent heroin abusers were exposed to heroin-related pictures, and completed the same implicit and explicit measures used in Experiment 1.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A non-significant increase in craving after cue exposure was observed. While participants exposed to heroin-related words or pictures exhibited more positive implicit heroin use associations (relative to negative associations), and such trend was not observed in controls, this difference was not significant across groups. Participants still indicated negative explicit associations with heroin use after cue exposure. Exposure to cues significantly accelerated arousal and sedation responses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Whether cue exposure could change self-reported craving requires further study in abstinent heroin abusers. The exclusively male sample limits generalization of the results.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present findings extend the evidence on whether implicit and explicit heroin-related cognitions are susceptible to context.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310028, People's Republic of China; Department of Psychology, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jianyong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310028, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310028, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Meng
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, People's Republic of China. Electronic address: zhangfeng@nbu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310028, People's Republic of China. Electronic address: mwshen@zju.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Mowei
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D001143:Arousal; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000523:psychology*; D003463:Cues; D006556:Heroin Dependence / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D013997:Time Factors; D014796:Visual Perception; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Arousal-sedation; Cue exposure; Extrinsic Affective Simon Task; Heroin; Valence