Heroin-related attentional bias and monthly frequency of heroin use are positively associated in attenders of a harm reduction service

Bearre, L., Sturt, P., Bruce, G. and Jones, B. T. (2007) Heroin-related attentional bias and monthly frequency of heroin use are positively associated in attenders of a harm reduction service. Addictive Behaviors, 32(4), pp. 784-792. (doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2006.06.019) (PMID:16842930)

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Abstract

The relationship between heroin-related attentional bias (AB) and a proxy for dependence severity (monthly frequency of heroin use-injecting or inhaling) was measured in individuals attending a heroin harm reduction service. A flicker change blindness paradigm was employed in which change detection latencies were measured to either a heroin-related or to a neutral change made to a stimulus array containing an equal number of heroin-related and neutral words. Individuals given the heroin-related change to detect showed a positive relationship between heroin-related AB and the proxy for dependence severity; those given the neutral change showed a negative relationship. Both findings complement each other — and are consistent with the sending of more attention to heroin-related stimuli than neutral, the more severe is the dependence.

Item Type:Articles
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Jones, Professor Barry and Bruce, Ms Gillian
Authors: Bearre, L., Sturt, P., Bruce, G., and Jones, B. T.
College/School:College of Science and Engineering > School of Psychology
Journal Name:Addictive Behaviors
Publisher:Elsevier
ISSN:0306-4603
ISSN (Online):1873-6327
Published Online:13 July 2006

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