Craving

Background: The main aim of this study was to investigate, in alcohol-dependent (AD) patients, the use of the 5 emotion regulation strategies specified in Gross’s (1998, Rev Gen Psychol, 2, 271) process model of emotion regulation with the use of a semi-structured interview allowing a detailed and high- quality assessment of emotion regulation strategies. A secondary aim was to examine the possible influ- ence of protracted abstinence and detoxification on emotion dysregulation. Finally, the association between the level of craving and the types of regulation strategies was investigated.
Methods: Forty-four treatment-seeking AD patients with varying time spent in rehabilitation, and 26 healthy controls were interviewed using a version of the Emotion Regulation Interview (Werner et al., 2011, J Psychopathol Behav Assess, 33, 346) adapted to alcohol dependence.
Results: Compared to controls, AD patients reported significantly greater use of response modula- tion and attentional deployment, but lesser use of cognitive change. Among patients, (1) rehabilitation duration was positively correlated with the use of cognitive change and (2) the use of response modula- tion was positively associated with the level of craving.
Conclusions: These findings clarify the specific pattern of emotion dysregulation associated with alcohol dependence. They also suggest that (1) abstinence is associated with a shift toward more adap- tive emotion regulation patterns and that (2) inefficient regulation strategies may lead to craving and the maintenance of alcohol use. If these findings are confirmed through longitudinal and mediation designs, they will have important clinical implications.

In recent decades, researchers have integrated measurements of delay discounting, how the subjective valuation of a reward changes as a function of time, into their study of addiction. Research has begun to explore the idea that delay discounting may serve as both a marker for the effectiveness of existing treatments for addiction and a potential target for novel intervention strategies. As this work is in its infancy, many potentially significant connections between the construct of delay discounting and the treatment of addiction have yet to be explored. Here, we present a conceptual review highlighting novel points of intersection between delay discounting and two approaches to treating addiction that have become increasingly popular in recent years: those that focus on the development of mindfulness skills and those that emphasize the use of distraction techniques. Viewing these two techniques through the lens of delay discounting is particularly intriguing because of the very d...

valutazione in relazione alle sue differenti sfac-cettature. A questo proposito, è stato suggerito un modello psicobiologico a tre vie in grado di differenziare nel craving tre componenti: reward (ricompensa), relief (sollievo) e obsessive (ossessione). Identificare la tipologia di craving può rappresentare una variabile importante in previsione o in corrispondenza di una terapia farmacologica anti-craving. In questo studio viene presentato e descritto lo strumento Craving Typology Questionnaire (CTQ), differenziato nelle sue com-ponenti e tradotto nella sua versione in lingua inglese. Summary Craving is commonly thought to play a crucial role both in the transition from controlled drinking to alcohol dependence and in the mechanism underlying re-lapse. However there is no consensus on its definition, and on its correct assessment. Another significant hindrance is that craving is almost certainly a multi-faceted construct. To this respect a three pathway psychobiological model able ...

To cite this article: Ali Ercan Altınöz, Selçuk Aslan, Mustafa Uğurlu, Kadir Özdel, Ahmet Emre Sargın & Mehmet Hakan Türkçapar (2016): Measuring the beliefs on alcohol craving by using craving beliefs questionnaire: preliminary results of its psychometric properties in a Turkish sample, Journal of Substance Use, Abstract Introduction: Therapist can assess patients' maladaptive beliefs about drug via Craving Beliefs Questionnaire (CBQ), which was originally developed by Wright to measure beliefs about the craving phenomenon. The aim of the study is to assess the psychometric properties of CBQ and its usefulness in the patients with alcohol dependency. Method: The study population was consisted of 70 alcohol addict male patients. Beliefs about substance use questionnaire (BSU), craving beliefs questionnaire (CBQ), Beck anxiety inventory (BAI), clinical institute withdrawal assessment (CIWA), automatic thoughts questionnaire (ATQ) and dysfunctional attitudes scale (DAS) were used as the assessment tools. Results: The internal consistency of the CBQ for the alcohol dependent was adequate (Cronbach's alpha 0.94). Item-total score correlations were between 0.50 and 0.84 for alcohol-dependent patients. The principal component analysis revealed one main factor. Positive correlations found between CBQ, and BSU, BAI and ATQ. In discriminant validity analysis, mean CBQ scores were found significantly higher than occasional drinkers and none-alcohol drinkers. Conclusion: Our results supported that the Turkish version of the CBQ has an adequate instrument for evaluating alcohol-related craving beliefs in alcoholic patients. However, further studies should be performed for assessing its validity in large number of social drinkers and alcohol-dependent patient.

In the last decade, gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) abuse and dependence have increased. It has been reported that GHB dependence has a high rate of relapse, serious complications of intoxication, and a potentially life-threatening withdrawal syndrome. Nevertheless, in clinical practice, there is no known medical treatment to support GHB relapse prevention. We describe a case series of patients who were supported through an off-label treatment with baclofen to avoid a relapse into GHB abuse, for a period of 12 weeks. Nine of 11 patients did not relapse while taking a dose ranging from 30 to 60 mg per day, one patient relapsed after 5 weeks, and one stopped after 7 weeks. Baclofen was well tolerated; patients reported mild side effects such as fatigue, nausea, dry mouth, excessive sweating, and depressive feelings. Although systematic evidence is still lacking, our practice-based experience suggests that treatment with baclofen to assist abstinence might be effective in patients with GHB...

Previous research has shown that stimulation of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) enhances working memory (e.g. in the n-back task), and reduces craving for cigarettes and alcohol. Stimulation of the right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) improves response inhibition. The underlying mechanisms are not clearly understood, nor is it known whether IFG stimulation also reduces craving. Here, we compared effects of DLPFC, IFG, and sham stimulation on craving in heavy drinkers in a small sample (n=41). We also tested effects of tDCS on overcoming response biases due to associations between alcohol and valence and alcohol and approach, using implicit association tests (IATs). Mild craving was reduced after DLPFC stimulation. Categorization of valence attribute words in the IAT was faster after DLPFC stimulation. We conclude that DLPFC stimulation can reduce craving in heavy drinkers, but found no evidence for tDCS induced changes in alcohol biases, although low power necessitates...