Cue reactivity is a type of learned response which is observed in individuals with an
addiction
Addiction is a neuropsychological disorder characterized by a persistent and intense urge to engage in certain behaviors, one of which is the usage of a drug, despite substantial harm and other negative consequences. Repetitive drug use o ...
and involves significant
physiological and subjective reactions to presentations of drug-related
stimuli
A stimulus is something that causes a physiological response. It may refer to:
* Stimulation
** Stimulus (physiology), something external that influences an activity
** Stimulus (psychology), a concept in behaviorism and perception
* Stimulus (eco ...
(i.e., ''drug cues'').
In investigations of these reactions in people with
substance use disorders, changes in self-reported drug
craving, physiological responses, and drug use are monitored as they are exposed to drug-related cues (e.g.,
cigarettes, bottles of
alcohol,
drug paraphernalia
"Drug paraphernalia" is a term to denote any equipment, product or accessory that is intended or modified for making, using or concealing drugs, typically for recreational purposes. Drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and methampheta ...
) or drug-neutral cues (e.g., pencils, glasses of water, a set of car keys).
Scientific theory
Cue reactivity is considered a risk factor for recovering addicts to relapse.
There are two general types of cues: discrete which includes the substance itself and contextual which includes environments in which the substance is found.
For example, for an alcoholic an alcoholic beverage would be a discrete cue and a bar would be a contextual cue.
There are many different reactions to cues including withdrawal-like responses, opponent process responses, and substance-like responses.
A
meta-analysis
A meta-analysis is a statistical analysis that combines the results of multiple scientific studies. Meta-analyses can be performed when there are multiple scientific studies addressing the same question, with each individual study reporting me ...
of 41 cue reactivity studies with people that have an
alcohol,
heroin, or
cocaine
Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly used recreationally for its euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from the leaves of two Coca species native to South Ameri ...
addiction strongly supports the finding that people who have addictions have significant cue-specific reactions to drug-related stimuli.
In general, these individuals, regardless of drug of abuse, report robust increases in craving and exhibit modest changes in
autonomic responses, such as increases in
heart rate
Heart rate (or pulse rate) is the frequency of the heartbeat measured by the number of contractions (beats) of the heart per minute (bpm). The heart rate can vary according to the body's physical needs, including the need to absorb oxygen and excr ...
and
skin conductance
Electrodermal activity (EDA) is the property of the human body that causes continuous variation in the electrical characteristics of the skin. Historically, EDA has also been known as skin conductance, galvanic skin response (GSR), electrodermal ...
and decreases in
skin temperature
Skin temperature is the temperature of the outermost surface of the body. Normal human skin temperature on the trunk of the body varies between 33.5 and 36.9 °C (92.3 and 98.4 °F), though the skin's temperature is lower over protrudi ...
, when exposed to drug-related versus
neutral stimuli.
Surprisingly, despite their obvious clinical relevance, drug use or drug-seeking behaviors are seldom measured in cue reactivity studies. However, when drug-use measures are used in cue reactivity studies the typical finding is a modest increase in drug-seeking or drug-use behavior.
Development
Clinical implications
Since people with substance use disorders are highly reactive to
environmental cues
A biophysical environment is a biotic and abiotic surrounding of an organism or population, and consequently includes the factors that have an influence in their survival, development, and evolution. A biophysical environment can vary in scale f ...
previously associated with drug use, a common treatment strategy is to advise them to avoid people and situations formerly associated with
drug use. For example, a person attempting to quit
smoking should avoid other people who smoke and places where smoking is prevalent (like bars in places where smoking is allowed in bars). Although the relationship between
cue reactivity in the laboratory and
relapse
In internal medicine, relapse or recidivism is a recurrence of a past (typically medical) condition. For example, multiple sclerosis and malaria often exhibit peaks of activity and sometimes very long periods of dormancy, followed by relapse or ...
to drug use in the real world is still poorly understood, considerable
anecdotal evidence from drug treatment programs and
smoking cessation
Smoking cessation, usually called quitting smoking or stopping smoking, is the process of discontinuing tobacco smoking. Tobacco smoke contains nicotine, which is addictive and can cause dependence. As a result, nicotine withdrawal often m ...
counselors suggests that people with substance use disorders who seek treatment are more successful at remaining
abstinent if they take special care to avoid cues associated with prior drug use.
See also
*
Conditioned place preference
*
Nucleus Accumbens – Addiction
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cue Reactivity
Addiction
Behaviorism