This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.

Personal cues may have greater effect on cravings vs. substance-related cues

Unique person-specific cues significantly affect craving of addictive substances among patients with alcohol, tobacco, cannabis or opiate dependence and may have longer effects than substance-related cues, according to study findings in Addiction.

“Substance addictions account for 13% of all deaths worldwide and 9% of all disability-adjusted life years. This burden is attributable in large part to the chronic nature of this disorder and to risk factors that may persist despite prolonged periods of abstinence,” study researcher Melina Fatseas, MD, PhD, of the University of Bordeaux in France, and colleagues wrote. “For this reason, management of craving is a primary focus of current treatment strategies and occupies a central place in theoretical models of relapse.”

Researchers interviewed 132 patients about cravings, substance use and exposure to substance-specific cues (eg, seeing a syringe) or person-specific cues (eg, seeing the specific person with whom the substance was used) four times a day for 14 days.

Analysis indicated that craving intensity was significantly associated with substance-specific cues (P < .001) and person-specific cues (P < .001). However, only person-specific cues increased cravings over subsequent hours of the day (P < .05).

Craving intensity was a predictor of increased risk for later substance use (P < .001) and mediated the association between cues and later substance use (mediated effect = 0.007; 95% CI, 0.004-0.011).

“The results demonstrate for the first time that person-specific cues encountered on a daily basis elicit a robust effect on craving, and that the duration of this association may persist for a longer time-period than for substance-related cues,” Fatseas and colleagues wrote. “In this way, the findings underscore the extent to which an individual’s unique history of substance use is likely to be an important predictor of relapse risk and to contribute to addiction chronicity.” – by Amanda Oldt

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.