Tobacco craving and eyeblink startle modulation using 3D immersive environments: A pilot study.

Abstract

Both the cue reactivity and startle reflex modulation paradigms have been used in addiction research to investigate the motivational mechanism of craving. However, while there is a growing body of literature that indicates the utility of 3D technology in addiction-relevant cue reactivity research, no study has been reported on its utility using the startle reflex modulation paradigm. The aim of the present study was to extend the 3D technology to research on tobacco craving using the startle reflex methodology. Participants were 32 university students who smoked more than 10 cigarettes daily. They participated in a psychophysiological testing to assess the modulation of the startle reflex induced by viewing pleasant, unpleasant, and tobacco-related 3D immersive environment stimuli (3D-IEs). Results confirmed that 3D-IEs were effective in inducing emotional states to modulate the startle response. Pleasant and unpleasant 3D-IEs modulated the startle response, as expected: The reflex was increased while viewing unpleasant stimuli and decreased while viewing pleasant ones. Tobacco-related 3D-IEs were similar to unpleasant stimuli in increasing the startle response. However, they were subjectively evaluated as positive, which suggests that the mechanism underlying craving coactivates both aversive and appetitive motivational tendencies.

From appetitive to aversive: Motivational interviewing reverses the modulation of the startle reflex by tobacco cues in smokers not ready to quit

“…Our results show that, before the intervention, tobacco-related pictures inhibited the startle reflex indicating activation of the appetitive motivational system in smokers who were not seeking to quit smoking, consistent with previous studies (Bradley et al, 2001;Cui et al, 2012;Engelmann et al, 2011;Grillon & Baas, 2003;Lam et al, 2012;Lang, 2010;Muñoz et al, 2013Muñoz et al, , 2010Rehme et al, 2009;Vila et al, 2003). Conversely, after the intervention, tobacco-related pictures potentiated the startle reflex in both intervention groups suggesting that MI and PA were successful in activating the defensive motivational system when viewing tobacco cues (Bradley et al, 2001;Grillon & Baas, 2003;Vila et al, 2003).…”

“…The modulation of the startle reflex has been studied in smokers using tobacco-related pictures Engelmann, Gewirtz, & Cuthbert, 2011;Lam et al, 2012;Muñoz, Idrissi, S anchez-Barrera, Fern andez-Santaella, & Vila, 2013;Muñoz et al, 2010;Rehme et al, 2009). These studies report that tobaccorelated pictures, compared to neutral and unpleasant pictures, inhibit the startle reflex, thus indicating that in smokers not seeking treatment, tobacco pictures activate the appetitive motivational system.…”

Virtual Reality Technology Use in Cigarette Craving and Smoking Interventions (I “Virtually” Quit): Systematic Review

“…Furthermore, of the 42 papers examining the effect of an intervention on smoking craving or behavior, 7 (17%) used smokers unmotivated to quit as participants; the rest of the papers was roughly equally divided between smokers motivated to quit (17/42, 40%) and smokers with undisclosed motivation to stop (18/42, 43%). All but 3 papers [ 44 , 56 , 57 ] used VR in their interventions.…”

Modulación Del Reflejo De Sobresalto en Población Colombiana: Evidencia De La Interacción Entre Emoción Y Motivación

“…Los resultados muestran que la valencia de la imagen modula el reflejo de sobresalto; las imágenes apetitivas lo inhiben, las aversivas lo potencian y las neutrales generan un sobresalto intermedio. Estos mismos resultados han sido reportados en diferentes poblaciones y culturas (Bradley et al, 2001;Cobos et al, 2002;Grillon & Baas, 2003;Muñoz, Idrissi, Sánchez-Barrera, Fernández-Santaella, & Vila, 2013) lo que indica que el fenómeno de priming motivacional, por el cual los reflejos defensivos se modulan por la valencia del contexto, ocurre independiente de la cultura y puede ser utilizado de forma confiable y objetiva para el estudio de las emociones, en especial de la dimensión de valencia.…”