Dataset Information

Unstuck in time: episodic future thinking reduces delay discounting and cigarette smoking.

ABSTRACT:

Rationale

Delay discounting, or the devaluation of delayed outcomes, appears to play an etiological role in tobacco and other substance-use disorders.

Objectives

No human studies to our knowledge have been designed to examine whether experimental reductions in delay discounting produce concomitant reduction in drug use.

Methods

Using methods from prior studies on delay discounting and obesity, we examined the effects of episodic future thinking (EFT; a form of mental prospection) on delay discounting and cigarette self-administration in smokers.

Results

Consistent with prior data, EFT significantly reduced both delay discounting (Cohen's d effect size = 0.65) and the number of cigarette puffs earned in a cigarette self-administration task (d = 0.58).

Conclusions

The effects of EFT on delay discounting generalize to smokers; EFT also reduces laboratory-based cigarette self-administration. Potential mechanisms of EFT's effects are discussed as well as implications of EFT for clinical treatment of substance-use disorders.

SUBMITTER: Stein JS

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9812225 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Unstuck in time: episodic future thinking reduces delay discounting and cigarette smoking.

Stein Jeffrey S JS Wilson A George AG Koffarnus Mikhail N MN Daniel Tinuke Oluyomi TO Epstein Leonard H LH Bickel Warren K WK

Psychopharmacology 20160823 21-22

<h4>Rationale</h4>Delay discounting, or the devaluation of delayed outcomes, appears to play an etiological role in tobacco and other substance-use disorders.<h4>Objectives</h4>No human studies to our knowledge have been designed to examine whether experimental reductions in delay discounting produce concomitant reduction in drug use.<h4>Methods</h4>Using methods from prior studies on delay discounting and obesity, we examined the effects of episodic future thinking (EFT; a form of mental prospe ...[more]

PMID: 27553824

Similar Datasets

Project description:IntroductionThe competing neurobehavioral decision systems theory conceptualizes addictive behavior, such as cigarette smoking, as arising from the imbalance between stronger impulsive relative to weaker executive decision processes. Working memory trainings may enhance executive decision processes, yet few studies have evaluated its efficacy on substance misuse, with mixed evidence. The current study is the first to evaluate the efficacy of a working memory training on cigarette smoking. We consider the moderating role of delay discounting (DD), or the preference for smaller, immediately available rewards relative to larger, delayed rewards, which has been associated with smoking onset, progression, and resumption. The investigation focuses on individuals living in high-poverty, low-resource environments due high burden of tobacco-related disease they experience.Aims and methodsThe study utilized a subset of data (N = 177 individuals who smoke) generated from a randomized clinical trial that is evaluating the efficacy of working memory training for improving health-related outcomes. Participants were randomized to complete up to 15 sessions of the active, working memory training or a control training.ResultsFindings showed that among participants who were randomized to the working memory condition, those with higher rates of baseline DD demonstrated decreases in cigarette smoking (p = .05). Conversely, individuals randomized to the control condition, who had higher rates of baseline DD exhibited increases in cigarette smoking (p = .025).ConclusionsResults suggest that DD may be an important indicator of working memory training outcomes and a possible approach for effectively targeting treatments in the future.ImplicationsDD is important indicator of working memory training outcomes on cigarette smoking. The findings suggest the possibility to effectively target treatments considering the impact of DD. Given that rates of DD tend to be higher among individuals from low-resource communities, and that computer-based working memory training programs are relatively low-cost and scalable, these findings suggest this approach may have specific utility for adults at heightened risk for cigarette use.This study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (Identifier NCT03501706).

Dataset Information

Unstuck in time: episodic future thinking reduces delay discounting and cigarette smoking.

Rationale

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Unstuck in time: episodic future thinking reduces delay discounting and cigarette smoking.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets