Transition to substance use disorders: impulsivity for reward and learning from reward

Abstract

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>Substance dependence constitutes a profound societal burden. Although large numbers of individuals use licit or illicit substances, few transition to dependence. The specific factors influencing this transition are not well understood. Substance-dependent individuals tend to be swayed by the immediate rewards of drug taking, but are often insensitive to delayed negative consequences of their behavior. Dependence is consequently associated with impulsivity for reward and atypical learning from feedback. Behavioral impulsivity is indexed using tasks measuring spontaneous decision-making and capacity to control impulses. While evidence indicates drug taking exacerbates behavioral impulsivity for reward, animal and human studies of drug naïve populations demonstrate it might precede any drug-related problems. Research suggests dependent individuals are also more likely to learn from rewarding (relative to punishing) feedback. This may partly explain why substance-dependent individuals fail to modify their behavior in response to negative outcomes. This enhanced learning from reward may constitute a further pre-existing risk factor for substance dependence. Although impulsivity for reward and preferential learning from rewarding feedback are both underpinned by a compromised dopaminergic system, few studies have examined the relationship between these two mechanisms. The interplay of these processes may help enrich understanding of why some individuals transition to substance dependence.</jats:p>

Health neuroscience 2.0: integration with social, cognitive and affective neuroscience

“…Others assess basic mechanisms in healthy samples (a prevention oriented approach)—the brain’s response to painful or emotionally salient content as a mechanism underlying self-affirmation ( Dutcher et al , 2020 ), support-giving ( Inagaki and Meyer, 2019 ) and supportive touch’s effect on health ( Reddan et al , 2020 ). Finally, Poulton and Hester, 2019 review brain mechanisms contributing to risky decision making and the development of substance use disorder.…”

Impaired Learning From Errors and Punishments and Maladaptive Avoidance—General Mechanisms Underlying Self-Regulation Disorders?

“…The topic of punishment and avoidance learning has arguably been receiving more attention recently ( 3 , 4 ). While some human studies have focused on avoidance in relation to anxiety disorders ( 5 ) and relatively few experimental papers have investigated learning from punishments and/or avoidance learning in relation to broadly understood SR, some data suggest that subject groups low in SR may learn less from errors and punishment ( 6 ). These studies complement a more extensive behavioral and neuroimaging research in SR, impulsivity, substance use disorders and behavioral addictions ( 2 , 7 – 12 ).…”

The phenotype of recovery V: Does delay discounting predict the perceived risk of relapse among individuals in recovery from alcohol and drug use disorders

“…Delay discounting has been established as a predictor of substance dependencies (Bickel et al, 1999, 2014a; Kirby et al, 1999; Yi et al, 2010) and substance use and gambling severity (Alessi & Petry, 2003; Amlung et al, 2016; Reynolds, 2006). It may also predispose one to a SUD (Poulton & Hester, 2020). Similar to risk of relapse, delay discounting is associated with individual characteristics and demographic variables including age (Steinberg et al, 2009), education (Jaroni et al, 2004), polysubstance use (Moody et al, 2016), family history of substance misuse (Athamneh et al, 2017a; VanderBroek et al, 2015), abstinence self‐efficacy (Athamneh et al, 2019), intention to quit (Athamneh et al, 2017b), and depression scores (García‐Pérez et al, 2020; Imhoff et al, 2014).…”