Pilot study: Improving attention bias modification of alcohol cues through concealed gaze-contingent feedback in alcohol dependence.

ABSTRACT: In an attempt to improve attention bias modification (ABM), we tested whether an attentional training protocol which featured monetary operant conditioning of eye-gaze to avoid alcohol stimuli in alcohol-dependent patients could reduce attention, craving and relapse to alcohol. We employed a pilot randomized control trial (RCT) with 21 detoxified alcohol dependent patients (48.9 ± 10 years of age, 9 male) from an inpatient and outpatient treatment centre. The novel concealed operant conditioning paradigm provided monetary reinforcements or punishments respective to eye-gaze patterns towards neutral or towards alcohol stimuli along with an 80% probability of a to-be-detected probe appearing following neutral stimuli (ET-ABM group). Patients in the control-group received random monetary feed

SUBMITTER: Kvamme TL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6889756 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature