Pilot testing of an adaptive, individualized inhibitory control training for binge drinking: first evidence on feasibility, acceptance, and efficacy

Abstract

Background Deficits in inhibitory control seem to promote habit behavior and therefore play an important role in the development and maintenance of addictive diseases. Although several training approaches have been suggested, there is a considerable lack of knowledge about the best way to improve inhibitory control. Based on a literature review regarding shortcomings of existing trainings, an individualized, adaptive inhibitory control training was developed. We aimed to assess feasibility and acceptance of this training and to provide preliminary results on its efficacy regarding inhibitory control and binge drinking. Methods Sixty-one individuals (30 female) with binge drinking behavior were randomly allocated to either an experimental group receiving three sessions of the inhibitory control training or a waitlist control group receiving no training. Before and after the training, the participants performed a Go/NoGo task to assess inhibitory control (commission errors and false reaction time), completed a questionnaire on drinking-related self-control, and reported drinking behavior. Results Although the training was feasible and accepted by participants, it did not affect self-control over drinking, inhibitory control or drinking behavior. The relationship between session number and false reaction time was linear for alcohol stimuli, but squared for neutral stimuli. Conclusion Although our findings have to be interpreted in the light of some shortcomings, they demonstrate that further research is needed to enhance our understanding of how to improve inhibitory control and which factors might moderate this process.

Cognitive Functions in Compulsive Buying-Shopping Disorder: a Systematic Review

“…Traditional cognitive-behavioral strategies have been shown to be helpful in treating patients with CBSD (for review see: [46]). Patients could further benefit from third-wave behavioral treatments such as mindfulness-based therapy [47] or from adjunct neurocognitive approaches such as inhibitory control and cognitive bias modification trainings [48].…”

Neural underpinnings of response inhibition in substance use disorders: weak meta-analytic evidence for a widely used construct

“…To conclude this work, we would like to draw attention to a few aspects that could be considered in future studies. Looking at the evidence on the therapeutic use of response inhibition trainings, they often yield unsatisfactory treatment effect sizes if significant at all (Houben et al 2011 ; Bartsch et al 2016 ; Cristea et al 2016 ; Batschelet et al 2020 ; Schenkel et al 2023 ; Reichl et al 2023 ). Even in non-clinical samples there is no substantial evidence, that inhibition training leads to improvements in new, untrained transfer situations beyond the training situation in a laboratory context (Enge et al 2014 ; Strobach et al 2014 ; Strobach and Karbach 2016 ).…”