title: The Experimental Manipulation of Desire Thinking in Alcohol use Disorder.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Desire thinking is a voluntary cognitive process involving verbal and imaginal elaboration of a desired target. Recent research has revealed that desire thinking may play a significant role in the escalation of craving. The goal of this study was to explore the effect of a desire thinking induction on craving in a sample of patients with alcohol use disorder.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten patients with alcohol use disorder were exposed to a brief exposure to alcohol-related thoughts plus desire thinking induction versus brief exposure to alcohol-related thoughts plus distraction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The induction of desire thinking led to a significant increase in distress and urge to use alcohol when compared to a behavioural assessment test and a distraction task. The clinical implications for the treatment of alcohol use disorder are discussed. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Psychotherapeutic strategies that target desire thinking, both at the assessment and at the intervention levels, may be relevant in the treatment of craving-related problems. Deriving and illustrating the role of desire thinking in a given episode of craving may support the development of metacognitive awareness about its functions and consequences.
authors.affiliation: Studi Cognitivi, Modena, Italy.|School of Applied Sciences, London South Bank University, London, UK.|Sigmund Freud University, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Caselli
authors.affiliation: Studi Cognitivi, Modena, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gemelli
authors.affiliation: School of Applied Sciences, London South Bank University, London, UK.
authors.forename: Marcantonio M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Spada
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019973:Alcohol-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D066249:Craving / Q000502:physiology*; D003463:Cues; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D000067489:Metacognition / Q000502:physiology; D013850:Thinking / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: addiction; alcohol use disorder; craving; desire thinking; experimental clinical psychology