scholarly journals A Promising Candidate to Reliably Index Attentional Bias Toward Alcohol Cues–An Adapted Odd-One-Out Visual Search Task

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janika Heitmann ◽  
Nienke C. Jonker ◽  
Peter J. de Jong
Keyword(s):  
Substance Use ◽  
Attentional Bias ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Attentional Disengagement ◽  
Promising Candidate ◽  
Alcohol Cues ◽  
Attentional Engagement ◽  
Relevant Context ◽  
Use Behavior ◽  
Engagement And Disengagement

Attentional bias (AB) has been suggested to contribute to the persistence of substance use behavior. However, the empirical evidence for its proposed role in addiction is inconsistent. This might be due to the inability of commonly used measures to differentiate between attentional engagement and attentional disengagement. Attesting to the importance of differentiating between both components of AB, a recent study using the odd-one-out task (OOOT) showed that substance use was differentially related to engagement and disengagement bias. However, the AB measures derived from the OOOT showed insufficient reliability to be used as a solid measure of individual differences. Therefore, the current study aimed to improve the reliability of the AB measures derived from the OOOT by using more distinct contrast stimuli, adding practice trials, increasing the number of trials, and by having participants perform the task in an alcohol-relevant context. We contrasted the original OOOT with the adapted OOOT (i.e., OOOT-adapt) and assessed AB in low- and high-drinking individuals. Participants were 245 undergraduate students who typically tend to drink either low or high amounts of alcohol. In one condition, AB was measured with the original OOOT in a typical laboratory context, whereas in the other condition, AB was measured with the OOOT-adapt in a bar (i.e., alcohol-relevant) context. The OOOT-adapt showed superior internal consistency, especially for the high-drinking group. Further, specifically the OOOT-adapt differentiated between low- and high-drinking participants showing that high drinkers engaged faster with alcohol cues than did low drinkers. Thus, the OOOT-adapt was found to be a promising candidate to reliably index AB in the context of alcohol use. The OOOT-adapt further showed superior criterion validity as it could differentiate between low- and high-drinking individuals, thereby adding to the evidence that AB might be involved in substance use behavior.

Attentional Bias Among Adolescents Who Stutter: Evidence for a Vigilance–Avoidance Effect

2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (10) ◽  
pp. 3349-3363
Author(s):  
Naomi H. Rodgers ◽  
Jennifer Y. F. Lau ◽  
Patricia M. Zebrowski
Keyword(s):  
Social Anxiety ◽  
Attentional Bias ◽  
Preliminary Evidence ◽  
Cutoff Score ◽  
Attentional Disengagement ◽  
Social Stimuli ◽  
Facial Stimuli ◽  
The Social ◽  
Attentional Engagement ◽  
High Social Anxiety

Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine group and individual differences in attentional bias toward and away from socially threatening facial stimuli among adolescents who stutter and age- and sex-matched typically fluent controls. Method Participants included 86 adolescents (43 stuttering, 43 controls) ranging in age from 13 to 19 years. They completed a computerized dot-probe task, which was modified to allow for separate measurement of attentional engagement with and attentional disengagement from facial stimuli (angry, fearful, neutral expressions). Their response time on this task was the dependent variable. Participants also completed the Social Anxiety Scale for Adolescents (SAS-A) and provided a speech sample for analysis of stuttering-like behaviors. Results The adolescents who stutter were more likely to engage quickly with threatening faces than to maintain attention on neutral faces, and they were also more likely to disengage quickly from threatening faces than to maintain attention on those faces. The typically fluent controls did not show any attentional preference for the threatening faces over the neutral faces in either the engagement or disengagement conditions. The two groups demonstrated equivalent levels of social anxiety that were both, on average, very close to the clinical cutoff score for high social anxiety, although degree of social anxiety did not influence performance in either condition. Stuttering severity did not influence performance among the adolescents who stutter. Conclusion This study provides preliminary evidence for a vigilance–avoidance pattern of attentional allocation to threatening social stimuli among adolescents who stutter.

scholarly journals Demographic profile, pattern, practice of energy drink and substance use among undergraduate students in BPKIHS

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 85-89
Author(s):  
Ramayan Prasad Kushwaha ◽  
Namita Kumari Mandal ◽  
Bhawesh Koirala ◽  
Gajendra Prasad Rauniar
Keyword(s):  
Substance Use ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Energy Drinks ◽  
Energy Drink ◽  
Daily Basis ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Frequent Consumption ◽  
Group B ◽  
Use Behavior

Background: The consumption of caffeinated energy drinks is a common practice among college students. Energy drinks are believed to increase energy, stamina, wakefulness, and reduce hangover symptoms. Aims and Objective: This study aims to find out the profile, pattern, practice of energy drink and substance use among undergraduate students in BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences. Materials and Methods: It was a self-reported questionnaire based descriptive cross-sectional study. The questionnaire included demographic details, patterns of energy drink used, mixing practice of alcohol with energy drinks or other beverages, substance use behavior, and the knowledge about the main constituents of energy drinks. Alcohol mixing practice was further categorized into a) Alcohol + Energy drink mixing group, b) Alcohol + Other beverages mixing group, c) Only Alcohol group. Results: Out of 319 students, 188 (58.9%) were male. The prevalence of energy drink use was 186 (58.3%). Red Bull (176, 94.6%) was the most preferred energy drink. The use of alcohol (29, 87.9%), tobacco (20, 60.6%), and marijuana (13, 39.4%) was more prevalent in students using energy drinks on a daily basis. Thirty percent (57) alcohol user students were mixed alcohol with energy drink among them 42 (73.7%) used tobacco and 24 (42.1%) used marijuana. Conclusion: The overall energy drinks use among the students was high. The occurrence of various substance misuse was more among those students who consumed energy drink more frequently or consumed it with alcohol. Frequent consumption of energy drinks alone or mix with alcohol is not recommended.

scholarly journals Neural responses associated with attentional engagement and disengagement from threat in high socially anxious children: Evidence from temporal-spatial PCA

PLoS ONE ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. e0261172
Author(s):  
Erika Wauthia ◽  
Fabien D’Hondt ◽  
Wivine Blekic ◽  
Laurent Lefebvre ◽  
Laurence Ris ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Anxiety ◽  
Reaction Times ◽  
Event Related Potential ◽  
Attentional Disengagement ◽  
Processing Efficiency ◽  
Socially Anxious ◽  
Attentional Processing ◽  
Electrophysiological Data ◽  
Attentional Engagement ◽  
Engagement And Disengagement

Background Cognitive models indicated that social anxiety disorder (SAD) would be caused and maintained by a biased attentional processing of threatening information. This study investigates whether socially anxious children may present impaired attentional engagement and disengagement from negative emotional faces, as well as their underlying event-related potential responses. Methods and findings Fifteen children with high levels of social anxiety (HSA; 9 boys; mean age = 9.99y; SD = 1.14) and twenty low socially anxious children (LSA; 16 boys; mean age = 10.47y; SD = 1.17) participated in a spatial cueing task in which they had to detect targets following neutral/disgusted faces in a valid or invalid location. No group effect was reported on reaction times [p>.05]. However, electrophysiological data showed lower P3a amplitude in HSA children compared with the LSA group when processing facial stimuli. They also reported larger N2 amplitudes for valid-disgusted targets and a larger P3a amplitude for the invalid-disgusted ones. Conclusion In terms of electrophysiological data, our results validated, the hypothesis of attentional disengagement difficulties in SAD children. We also confirm the idea that high levels of social anxiety are associated with cognitive control impairments and have a greater impact on the processing efficiency than on the performance effectiveness.

scholarly journals Effectiveness of attentional bias modification training as add-on to regular treatment in alcohol and cannabis use disorder: A multicenter randomized control trial

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. e0252494
Author(s):  
Janika Heitmann ◽  
Madelon E. van Hemel-Ruiter ◽  
Mark Huisman ◽  
Brian D. Ostafin ◽  
Reinout W. Wiers ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Substance Use ◽  
Attentional Bias ◽  
Cannabis Use ◽  
Cannabis Use Disorder ◽  
Attentional Bias Modification ◽  
Long Term Treatment ◽  
Engagement And Disengagement ◽  
Bias Modification ◽  
Relapse Rates

Background Attentional bias for substance-relevant cues has been found to contribute to the persistence of addiction. Attentional bias modification (ABM) interventions might, therefore, increase positive treatment outcome and reduce relapse rates. The current study investigated the effectiveness of a newly developed home-delivered, multi-session, internet-based ABM intervention, the Bouncing Image Training Task (BITT), as an add-on to treatment as usual (TAU). Methods Participants (N = 169), diagnosed with alcohol or cannabis use disorder, were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: the experimental ABM group (50%; TAU+ABM); or the control group (50%; split in two subgroups the TAU+placebo group and TAU-only group, 25% each). Participants completed baseline, post-test, and 6 and 12 months follow-up measures of substance use and craving allowing to assess long-term treatment success and relapse rates. In addition, attentional bias (both engagement and disengagement), as well as secondary physical and psychological complaints (depression, anxiety, and stress) were assessed. Results No significant differences were found between conditions with regard to substance use, craving, relapse rates, attentional bias, or physical and psychological complaints. Conclusions The findings may reflect unsuccessful modification of attentional bias, the BITT not targeting the relevant process (engagement vs. disengagement bias), or may relate to the diverse treatment goals of the current sample (i.e., moderation or abstinence). The current findings provide no support for the efficacy of this ABM approach as an add-on to TAU in alcohol or cannabis use disorder. Future studies need to delineate the role of engagement and disengagement bias in the persistence of addiction, and the role of treatment goal in the effectiveness of ABM interventions.

scholarly journals Substance Use: Prevalence, Pattern and Risk Factors among Undergraduate Students in a Tertiary Institution in Southwest Nigeria

2021 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 83-99
Author(s):  
K.A. Durowade ◽  
O.E. Elegbede ◽  
G.B. Pius-Imue ◽  
A. Omeiza ◽  
M. Bello ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Substance Use ◽  
Secondary Education ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Public Health Problem ◽  
Peer Pressure ◽  
Civil Servant ◽  
P Value ◽  
Global Public Health

Background: Substance use is a global public health problem with increasing burden among university students. This study assessed the prevalence, pattern and risk factors of substance use among undergraduate students of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria.Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of undergraduate students of Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select respondents. Data collection tool was a structured self-administered questionnaire. Data analysis was done using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23. Statistical significance was set at p value <0.05Results: The respondents’ mean age was 19.5 ± 2.0 years and all 416 (100.0%) were aware of substance abuse. The prevalence of substance use was 299 (71.9%). Alcohol 133 (32.0%) and over-the-counter drugs (29.9%) were the two most commonly used substance. Being male (p=0.017) and in 400 level (p=0.047) were associated with substance use while curiosity 112 (37.5%), peer pressure 95 (31.8%) and school stress 85 (28.4%) were reasons given. Predictors of substance use were being a female (aOR: 2.54; 95% CI=1.89-3.66; p=0.011), civil servant mother (aOR: 5.75; 95% CI=1.90-17.4; p=0.002) and mother with secondary education (aOR: 5.27; 95% CI= 2.20- 12.65; p<0.001).Conclusion: There was high prevalence of substance use with curiosity, peer pressure and school stress being influencers of substance use among the study population. Predictors of substance use were being a female, civil servant mother and mother with secondary education. The University authority should institute measures to prevent access to alcohol and other substances by the students.

scholarly journals Avoiding Math on a Rapid Timescale: Emotional Responsivity and Anxious Attention in Math Anxiety

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel G. Pizzie ◽  
David J.M. Kraemer
Keyword(s):  
Math Anxiety ◽  
Attentional Disengagement ◽  
Attentional Deployment ◽  
Mathematical Symbols ◽  
Amygdala Response ◽  
Attentional Engagement ◽  
Attentional Avoidance ◽  
Threat Avoidance ◽  
Attentional Responses ◽  
Negative Feelings

AbstractMath anxiety (MA) is characterized by negative feelings towards mathematics, resulting in avoidance of math classes and of careers that rely on mathematical skills. Focused on a long timescale, this research may miss important cognitive and affective processes that operate moment-to-moment, changing rapid reactions even when a student simply sees a math problem. Here, using fMRI with an attentional deployment paradigm, we show that MA influences rapid spontaneous emotional and attentional responses to mathematical stimuli upon brief presentation. Critically, participants viewed but did not attempt to solve the problems. Indicating increased threat reactivity to even brief presentations of math problems, increased MA was associated with increased amygdala response during math viewing trials. Functionally and anatomically defined amygdala ROIs yielded similar results, indicating robustness of the finding. Similar to the pattern of vigilance and avoidance observed in specific phobia, behavioral results of the attentional paradigm demonstrated that MA is associated with attentional disengagement for mathematical symbols. This attentional avoidance is specific to math stimuli; when viewing negatively-valenced images, MA is correlated with attentional engagement, similar to other forms of anxiety. These results indicate that even brief exposure to mathematics triggers a neural response related to threat avoidance in highly MA individuals.

Helping Children Affected by a Parent’s Substance Use Disorder

2019 ◽  
pp. 116-122
Author(s):  
Dennis C. Daley ◽  
Antoine Douaihy
Keyword(s):  
Substance Use ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Religious Community ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Medical Problems ◽  
School Problems ◽  
Alcohol And Drug Use ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Use Behavior ◽  
Difficult Situations

Children of parents with SUDs are at increased risk for alcohol and drug use, behavior problems, school problems, depression and anxiety, and medical problems. Children can appear fine on the outside but suffer quietly on the inside, especially if they keep feelings, fears, and worries bottled up. Not all people, including children, are affected by a parent’s SUD in the same way. Strong connections with school, religious community, adults and mentors (teachers, coaches, relatives, friends), and involvement in meaningful activities (academic, creative, athletic, social) may help offset some of the negative impact of living in a family with an SUD. Many children show resilience and cope with difficult situations, including having a parent with an SUD.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document