title: Automatic activation of alcohol cues by child maltreatment related words: a replication attempt in a different treatment setting.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A growing body of research attempts to clarify the underlying mechanisms of the association between emotional maltreatment and alcohol dependence (AD). In a preceding study, we found considerable support for a specific priming effect in subjects with AD and emotional abuse experiences receiving alcohol rehabilitation treatment. We concluded that maltreatment related cues can automatically activate an associative memory network comprising cues eliciting craving as well as alcohol-related responses. Generalizability of the results to other treatment settings remains unclear because of considerable differences in German treatment settings as well as insufficiently clarified influences of selection effects. As replication studies in other settings are necessary, the current study aimed to replicate the specific priming effect in a qualified detoxification sample.
  
  
  RESULTS
  22 AD subjects (n = 10 with emotional abuse vs. n = 12 without emotional abuse) participated in a priming experiment. Comparison data from 34 healthy control subjects were derived from the prior study. Contrary to our hypothesis, we did not find a specific priming effect.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We could not replicate the result of an automatic network activation by maltreatment related words in a sample of subjects with AD and emotional abuse experiences receiving qualified detoxification treatment. This discrepancy might be attributed to reasons related to treatment settings as well as to methodological limitations. Future work is required to determine the generalizability of the specific priming effect before valid conclusions regarding automatic activation can be drawn.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Bielefeld University, Postbox 100 131, 33501, Bielefeld, Germany. nadine.potthast@uni-bielefeld.de.
authors.forename: Nadine
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Potthast
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Bielefeld University, Postbox 100 131, 33501, Bielefeld, Germany.
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Neuner
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Bielefeld University, Postbox 100 131, 33501, Bielefeld, Germany.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Catani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D054523:Adult Survivors of Child Abuse; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D001331:Automation; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003463:Cues; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D008875:Middle Aged; D012923:Social Class; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Alcohol dependence; Associative memory network; Child abuse; Emotional maltreatment; Priming; Qualified detoxification sample; Replication; Underlying mechanisms