Decreasing the Temporal Window in Individuals With Alcohol Use Disorder
In the absence of sufficient monetary resources, individuals must attend to immediate, minimum needs (e.g., food, shelter). This constricts one's temporal window and engenders neglect of the future. In observational studies, scarcity is associated with higher rates of delay discounting. Additionally, socioeconomic status is inversely associated with alcohol use disorder and related problems. Experimentally, scarcity shortens attention, impedes cognitive function, and increases delay discounting in multiple populations. Moreover, scarcity increases demand for fast foods in the obese and increases craving for alcohol in problem drinkers. These data suggest that economic scarcity worsens both components of reinforcer pathology (delay discounting and alcohol overvaluation), thus increasing vulnerability to alcohol use disorder. However, the effects of scarcity on alcohol self-administration and on neural networks related to discounting rate have yet to be examined. The purpose of Aim 1b is to examine effects of decreasing the temporal window and its concomitant effects on alcohol valuation (self-administration, demand, and craving). Economic scarcity is hypothesized to increase both alcohol valuation and neural activation of areas associated with the impulsive decision system (e.g., the ventral striatum).
Start: May 2021