title: Attentional biases in patients with alcohol dependence: influence of coexisting psychopathology.
abstract: The effects of coexisting psychopathology on disorder-specific attentional biases in patients with alcohol dependence are uncertain. We undertook a cross-sectional study assessing attentional biases to alcohol-, depression-, and anxiety- related stimuli using the visual probe task in patients with alcohol dependence, attending a community alcohol service.
  
  
  
  Using the visual probe task, we presented disorder-specific words (relating to alcohol, anxiety, and depression) for 500 ms and measured reaction times.
  
  
  
  Participants demonstrated a significant attentional bias towards alcohol-related cues (mean 8.5, p = 0.03) but significant avoidance of depression-related cues (mean -8.4, p = 0.01). The subgroup of participants who were recently abstinent (n = 70) showed greatest avoidance of depression-related cues (t(69) = 2.68, p < 0.01) but no significant vigilance towards alcohol or anxiety cues, whereas those still drinking (n = 43) showed attentional biases towards alcohol-related (t(42) = 2.70, p = 0.01) and social anxiety-related cues (t(42) = 2.84, p < 0.01). In the whole sample, the magnitude of attentional bias to alcohol was not correlated with length of drinking history, number of comorbid conditions, or severity of anxiety/depression.
  
  
  
  In a clinical sample of alcohol-dependent patients, further investigation is required to explore whether these attentional biases reflect current drinking status or factors indicating prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
authors.forename: Julia M A
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Sinclair
authors.affiliation: Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.|Psychology, Faculty of Social and Human Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Garner
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: Sonja C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Pasche
authors.affiliation: GP ST3, Wessex General Practice Vocational Training Scheme, UK.
authors.forename: Thomas B
authors.initials: TB
authors.lastname: Wood
authors.affiliation: Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.|Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
authors.forename: David S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Baldwin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D064829:Alcohol Abstinence / Q000523:psychology; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000523:psychology*; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000523:psychology*; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D000070379:Attentional Bias; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003463:Cues; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011930:Reaction Time
keywords: alcohol dependence; anxiety; cognitive bias; comorbidity; depression; visual probe task