Attentional bias modification in smokers trying to quit: A longitudinal study about the effects of number of sessions

• Published in: Journal of substance abuse treatment Vol. 47; no. 1; pp. 50 - 57
• Main Authors: Lopes, Fernanda Machado, Ph.D, Pires, Augusto Viana, Bizarro, Lisiane, Ph.D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.07.2014; Elsevier; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Addictive behaviors; Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Assessment; Attention; Attentional bias; Attentional bias modification; Bias; Biological and medical sciences; Clinical outcomes; Cognitive Therapy - methods; Cognitive–Behavioral therapy; Cues; Desintoxication. Drug withdrawal; Drug addiction; Female; Humans; Intervention; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Modification; Performance evaluation; Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Smoking; Smoking - psychology; Smoking cessation; Smoking Cessation - methods; Smoking Cessation - psychology; Smoking cessation program; Treatment; Treatments; Attentional bias modification; Treatment; Smoking cessation program; Smoking; Cognitive–Behavioral therapy; Human; Modification; Drug addiction; Cognitive therapy; Program; Poison withdrawal; Attention; Tobacco smoking; Epidemiology; Cognitive-Behavioral therapy; Tobacco; Addiction; Shutdown; Number; Follow up study; Smoker; Disintoxication; Behavior therapy; Public health; Cognitive bias
• ISSN: 0740-5472; 1873-6483
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jsat.2014.03.002

Abstract Attentional bias modification (ABM) to avoid smoking-related cues is a potentially new intervention in addition to existing therapy to stop smoking. We examined immediate and long-term changes in attentional bias and treatment outcomes from multiple ABM sessions in 67 smokers trying to quit. After assessing attentional bias baseline, participants were randomly allocated to one of three training groups: three sessions of ABM (avoid 3); two sessions of placebo-ABM and one session of ABM (avoid 1); and three sessions of placebo-ABM (avoid 0). At baseline, all groups had similar positive attentional bias, which became negative at 24 h post-training. After 1 month, avoid 1 and avoid 3 still exhibited negative attentional biases. Only avoid 3 maintained this effect at 6-month, but not at 12-month assessments. ABM produced a long-lasting automatic and maintained avoidance to smoking-related cues which depended on number of sessions; however its effects on treatment outcomes are uncertain.