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Stress And Cues Produce Different Craving Effects

Prior to this study, researchers already knew that stress and “alcohol cues” – reminders of drinking – could produce craving, and possibly relapse, in alcoholics. This study investigated how stress and alcohol cues may work on the brain to produce craving.

Researchers exposed 20 (18 males, 2 females) treatment-seeking alcoholics to a brief five-minute guided imagery procedure that involved three conditions: a recent personal, stressful situation; a personal alcohol-cue-related situation; and a neutral, relaxing situation. One image per session was presented in random order. The scientists also measured and compared alcohol craving, anxiety and emotion ratings, cardiovascular levels, and salivary assessments of the stress hormone cortisol across the three conditions.

Although both stress and alcohol cues appear able to produce increases in anxiety associated with alcohol craving, the specific psychobiology associated with each appears to be different. Stress-related craving was significantly correlated with increases in sadness, anger, and anxiety. Cue-induced craving was associated with decreases in joy and relaxed state, as well as increases in anxiety and fear. Also, while stress exposure increased blood-pressure responses, only alcohol cues increased salivary cortisol. These differences suggest that learning to recognize the different effects of stress and alcohol cues on craving may improve an alcoholic’s chances of avoiding relapse.

(Fox, HC, Bergquist, KL, Hong, K-I, Sinha, R: Stress-induced and alcohol cue-induced craving in recently abstinent alcohol-dependent individuals. Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research 31:395-403, 2007.)

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