Eye movements to smoking-related cues: effects of nicotine deprivation

Field, Matt, Mogg, Karin and Bradley, Brendan P. (2004) Eye movements to smoking-related cues: effects of nicotine deprivation. Psychopharmacology, 173 (1-2), 116-123. (doi:10.1007/s00213-003-1689-2).

Abstract

Rationale: According to recent theories of addiction, nicotine deprivation may influence biases in the orienting and maintenance of attention on smoking-related cues.
Objectives: We examined the effect of nicotine deprivation on different aspects of attentional biases for smoking-related cues.
Methods: Smokers eye movements to smoking-related and control pictures were assessed during a visual probe task under deprived and non-deprived conditions.
Results: When deprived, smokers maintained their gaze for longer on smoking-related than control cues, relative to when non-deprived. Deprivation also increased craving and pleasantness ratings of smoking cues. Across both deprived and non-deprived conditions, smokers were more likely to shift their gaze towards smoking cues and were faster to respond to probes replacing smoking cues, relative to non-smoking cues, but these attentional bias measures were not significantly affected by the deprivation manipulation.
Conclusions: Results suggest a selective effect of deprivation on the maintenance of attention on smoking-related cues.

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Contributors

Author: Brendan P. Bradley

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