title: Randomized controlled trial of attention bias modification in a racially diverse, socially anxious, alcohol dependent sample.
abstract: Attention biases may be an important treatment target for both alcohol dependence and social anxiety. This is the first ABM trial to investigate two (vs. one) targets of attention bias within a sample with co-occurring symptoms of social anxiety and alcohol dependence. Additionally, we used trial-level bias scores (TL-BS) to capture the phenomena of attention bias in a more ecologically valid, dynamic way compared to traditional attention bias scores.
  
  
  
  Adult participants (N = 86; 41% Female; 52% African American; 40% White) with elevated social anxiety symptoms and alcohol dependence were randomly assigned to an 8-session training condition in this 2 (Social Anxiety ABM vs. Social Anxiety Control) by 2 (Alcohol ABM vs. Alcohol Control) design. Symptoms of social anxiety, alcohol dependence, and attention bias were assessed across time.
  
  
  
  Multilevel models estimated the trajectories for each measure within individuals, and tested whether these trajectories differed according to the randomized training conditions. Across time, there were significant or trending decreases in all attention TL-BS parameters (but not traditional attention bias scores) and most symptom measures. However, there were not significant differences in the trajectories of change between any ABM and control conditions for any symptom measures.
  
  
  
  These findings add to previous evidence questioning the robustness of ABM and point to the need to extend the effects of ABM to samples that are racially diverse and/or have co-occurring psychopathology. The results also illustrate the potential importance of calculating trial-level attention bias scores rather than only including traditional bias scores.
authors: Department of Psychology, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA. Electronic address: clerkiem@miamioh.edu.
authors: Elise M
authors: EM
authors: Clerkin
authors: Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
authors: Joshua C
authors: JC
authors: Magee
authors: Department of Psychology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA.
authors: Tony T
authors: TT
authors: Wells
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA.
authors: Courtney
authors: C
authors: Beard
authors: Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
authors: Nancy P
authors: NP
authors: Barnett
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D000070379:Attentional Bias; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000072861:Phobia, Social / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D044469:Racial Groups / Q000523:psychology*; D013663:Teaching; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Alcohol dependence; Attention bias modification; Social anxiety