Simultaneous alcohol and cannabis (SAM) use and alcohol mixed with energy drinks (AmED) days are associated with heavier drinking and negative consequences compared to alcohol-only days. However, it remains unclear if SAM and AmED days differ from one another in terms of consumption and negative consequences. It also remains unclear how often days characterized by both SAM + AmED occur and if these days are associated with incremental risk for heavier drinking and negative consequences. College students who engage in SAM use and AmED completed a 30-day timeline followback interview. Day-level data on drinking days were curated to test whether days characterized by alcohol only, SAM use only, AmED use only, or SAM + AmED were associated with increased drinking quantity, negative alcohol consequences, and positive alcohol consequences. Twenty-one percent of drinking days were AmED days, 19% were SAM days, and 15.4% were SAM + AmED days. SAM-only, AmED-only, and SAM + AmED days were associated with increased drinking and negative consequences compared to alcohol-only days. However, SAM-only and SAM + AmED (but not AmED-only) days were associated with more positive consequences than alcohol-only days. SAM-only and AmED-only days did not differ in drinking quantity or consequences, whereas SAM + AmED days were associated with increased drinking and negative (but not positive) consequences compared to both SAM-only and AmED-only days. Combined SAM + AmED days are common and associated with increased risk for negative outcomes. Prevention efforts should consider how to reduce the occurrence of SAM + AmED use and how to reduce risk on days when it does occur. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

A growing number of hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD) products are available with negligible amounts (< 100 ppm) of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) due in part to consumer concerns regarding the risk of positive drug screens. There are, however, no published studies that report whether repeated use of these products may lead to positive urine drug tests for THC. There is also scant research on the effects of these products on physical and mental well-being. Twenty healthy adults consumed a hemp-derived broad-spectrum CBD product every day for 2 weeks. Participants attended study visits at the beginning and end of the 2-week period. At each visit, participants underwent urinalysis testing for CBD, THC, and metabolites (analyzed via liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry) and completed a validated assessment of physical and mental well-being. Participants reported using an average of 1.09 ± 0.51 ml (34.20 ± 16.00 mg CBD) of study product per day. Neither tetrahydrocannabinol nor its metabolites were detectable in urine following the 2-week period of use. Ingestion of the broad-spectrum product was associated with a significant reduction in sleep disturbance and pain intensity symptoms ( < .05), which remained significant after correcting for possible confounds (i.e., age, sex, dosage). No adverse events were reported. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Drinking to cope is associated with many negative alcohol-related outcomes among college students, such as increased alcohol use, drinking-related problems, and alcohol use disorders. Previous experimental studies have shown that students exposed to a stressor, compared to those not exposed to a stressor, drink more and have stronger urges to drink, presumably to cope with the stressor. However, no such study has tested this effect using a remote-based stressor, which may be more common for students because of the recent increase in online learning. As such, the present study aimed to (a) test the impact of an acute stressor on state anxiety and alcohol craving and (b) investigate trait-level drinking characteristics as potential moderators of the impact of the acute stressor. Participants were 137 ( = 19.9, = 2.0; 82.5% female; 41.6% White) college students who consumed alcohol in the past month. Using a between-subjects experimental design, we assigned participants randomly to an experimental (i.e., acute stress) condition or control (i.e., neutral) condition, and they completed a premanipulation battery of alcohol-related attitudes and behaviors and a postmanipulation measure of alcohol craving. On average, participants in the experimental condition reported greater increases in anxiety than those in the control condition, but there were no differences found in alcohol craving. However, for both anxiety and craving, greater increases from pre- to postmanipulation were found when trait-level anxiety and trait-level drinking were high, respectively. Thus, heavier drinking college students may be at greater risk for craving alcohol in response to stress than those who typically drink less. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Delay discounting refers to the devaluation of an outcome as temporal delay increases. Steep discounting is characterized by preferring a smaller, immediate outcome over a larger, delayed outcome and is associated with maladaptive behaviors such as tobacco use. Previous studies have compared delay discounting outcomes between combustible cigarette (CC) smokers and nonusers using various discounting tasks. With the growing use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes [EC]) and various delay discounting tasks available to researchers, we extended previous work in delay discounting and EC use in two ways. The present study assessed delay discounting in a web-based sample of 259 participants to (a) establish convergent validity across four different delay discounting tasks and (b) compare the outcomes between four subgroups: dual users, exclusive EC users, exclusive CC users, and nonusers. The four delay discounting tasks (Monetary Choice Questionnaire, 5-Trial Adjusting Delay Discounting Task [ADT-5], Temporal Discounting Questionnaire, and Brief Intertemporal Choice Task [BRIC Task]) showed moderate to strong convergent validity ( < .001). Further, findings indicated significant differences between all four subgroups across the four different delay discounting tasks ( < .048) with small effect sizes. Pairwise comparisons showed that exclusive EC users exhibited significantly steeper discounting than nonusers in ADT-5 ( = .043) and BRIC Task ( = .029) and dual users exhibited significantly steeper discounting than nonusers on ADT-5 ( = .043) and BRIC Task ( = .030). Our findings replicate previous findings and suggest the potential role of delay discounting in explaining the behavioral mechanism underlying e-cigarette use. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Prior research supported a behavioral choice analysis of the role of life events in posttreatment drinking among abstinence-seeking inpatients with alcohol use disorder (AUD). This study investigated the generality of those relationships among persons attempting "natural" recovery involving moderation drinking. We had two hypotheses: (1) The likelihood of drinking after an event would be related to the degree of alcohol-related disruption in the life-health area of the event. (2) Event-related drinking episodes would be quantitatively greater than event-unrelated episodes. Participants ( = 83) were from a larger integrated data set of prospective natural recovery studies of persons with AUD who had stopped heavy drinking and had 6-month follow-up reports of drinking and events; abstainers were excluded. Alcohol-related disruption before resolution was assessed in four domains (relationships, vocational/financial, living arrangements/legal, physical health). As predicted, postresolution event-related drinking was positively correlated with preresolution vocational/financial disruption ( < .01) and negatively correlated with preresolution physical health problems ( = .06). Event-related drinking episodes involved heavier drinking than event-unrelated episodes ( < .001). These findings indicate strong support for the generality of the latter relationship and qualified support for the generality of the former relationship. The different results in the two samples are attributed to differences in the evolution of their AUD recovery process and the decoupling of the event-drinking relationships. The behavioral choice framework suggests ways to improve the characterization of environmental variables in future recovery research. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has a significant impact on quality of life and affects more than 13 million individuals in the United States, with limited treatments available. EXUVIA (NCT05401565) was a Phase 2, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial, conducted across eight sites in the United States. The study aimed to assess the efficacy, safety, and pharmacokinetics of balovaptan, a highly selective vasopressin 1a receptor antagonist, in adults with PTSD. Between August 2022 and October 2023, a total of 57 adult participants (aged 18-60 years) were screened, and 29 participants were randomly allocated (1:1) to receive either balovaptan (13/29 [44.8%]) or placebo (16/29 [55.2%]). No meaningful differences were observed for balovaptan (-17.2 [± 10.7]) versus placebo (-15.6 [± 10.7]) as measured by the primary endpoint of change from baseline at Week 12 in Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for total symptom severity score. No meaningful differences for balovaptan versus placebo were observed at Week 12 for any secondary endpoints. Balovaptan was well tolerated with no new safety findings. The number of participants with at least one adverse event of any intensity was 9/13 (69.2%) in the balovaptan group and 7/16 (43.8%) in the placebo group. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has stated its intention to reduce the nicotine content of combustible cigarettes to render them less addictive. This study evaluated the impact of providing adults who smoke with both very low nicotine content cigarettes (VLNCCs) and electronic cigarettes (ECs) of varying nicotine content on measures of human abuse potential. Participants ( = 213) were adult combustible cigarette users. They smoked their usual brand cigarettes (UBCs) during Phase 1 (baseline; week 1) and were provided with and encouraged to exclusively use VLNCCs during Phase 2 (weeks 2-4). During dual-product Phases 3 (weeks 5-7) and 4 (weeks 8-10), participants received both VLNCCs and ECs (assigned to one of two EC devices in higher or lower nicotine concentrations and choice of flavor), with instructions to use them freely in Phases 3 and 4. Assessments included product use, exposure, acceptability, risk perception, and withdrawal-related measures. Results indicated that participants used significantly fewer UBCs during the VLNCC and dual-product phases and smoked fewer VLNCCs during the dual-product phases than the VLNCC-only phase. Neither EC liquid nicotine concentration nor flavor influenced product use. The three study product phases resulted in less product liking and more withdrawal symptoms than the UBC phase. These results suggest that adults who smoke are able to switch much of their tobacco product use from UBCs to VLNCCs and will substitute combustible UBCs and VLNCCs with noncombustible nicotine-containing ECs, but most remain dual users, at least in the short term. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The prevalence of drugged driving has increased in the United States. Some drugged driving may be unintentional as prescription medications used as sleeping aids, like zolpidem, cause impairment after the predicted duration of therapeutic action has elapsed. The aim of this study was to determine if nighttime administration of alprazolam, a drug commonly prescribed off-label as a sleeping aid, impacts driving performance the following day. Participants were healthy adults ( = 15) who completed a double-blind, double-dummy, within-subjects inpatient study examining the effects of nighttime administration of alprazolam (0.5, 1, and 2 mg), zolpidem (10 mg), and placebo on driving performance the following day. Alprazolam (1 mg; morning) and zolpidem (nighttime) both served as positive control conditions. Driving simulator measures, cognitive and psychomotor tasks, and questionnaires querying drug effects were collected the afternoon before drug administration and for 5.5 hr the next day and analyzed using symmetry and mixed-model approaches. Morning alprazolam significantly impaired driving performance. Driving impairment was observed up to 12.5 hr after nighttime alprazolam 2 mg and for 8.5 hr after nighttime zolpidem 10 mg. Participant reports on driving ability indicated that they were not aware of their level of impairment. These results suggest that alprazolam used before bed may pose a yet unrecognized public safety risk in the form of next-day drugged driving. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Although crowdsourcing platforms are widely used in substance-use research, it is unclear what percentage of participants use substances at the time of participation and how this might affect data quality, behavioral outcomes, or decision making. We conducted a secondary analysis of data collected on MTurk for a two-session, within-subject experiment recruiting individuals who regularly use alcohol, cannabis, cigarettes, or opioids. We analyzed 527 observations collected across two sessions (Session 1: = 303, Session 2: = 224) on measures of substance use before (within 3 hr)/during participation, data quality, demand in hypothetical purchase tasks, delay discounting, and craving. Substance use before/during participation was common (35.7%). Some participants reported substance use before/during both (25.4%) or only one (20.1%) of the sessions. Between-subject analyses of the first session data revealed that participants who used substances before/during participation did not differ on quality measures yet were slower to complete the survey. Controlling for individual differences in demographic variables and typical substance use, using a substance before/during participation was associated with increased hypothetical consumption of substances when the substance was free (demand intensity) and higher craving for substances, but not delay discounting. Substance use before/during MTurk participation among individuals who regularly use substances is prevalent and may impact outcome measures or standardization across sessions in repeated measures designs. Several implications have emerged, including statistically or experimentally controlling for substance use occurring before/during participation, which could improve the validity and rigor of online substance use research, and should be considered a part of best practices. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Impulsivity is a transdiagnostic risk factor for multiple disorders, including opioid use disorders (OUDs). However, scant work has examined if impulsivity facets distinguish individuals reporting nonmedical opioid use from those who use opioids as prescribed, particularly in important settings such as emergency departments (EDs). Further, no studies, to our knowledge, have examined the relations between impulsivity facets and motives for nonmedical prescription opioid use (NMPOU). Using data from EDs, this study examined if impulsivity facets (assessed via the [negative] urgency, premeditation, perseverance, sensation seeking, and positive urgency) related to nonmedical opioid use and if these facets related to OUD severity among individuals reporting past-year opioid use. Among patients reporting past 3-month NMPOU, the relation between motives for use and impulsivity was examined. Results indicated all facets (except lack of perseverance) distinguished patients reporting nonmedical opioid use from individuals abstaining from opioid use and those who used opioids as prescribed, with particularly large effect sizes for positive and negative urgency. Similarly, among patients reporting past 12-month opioid use, all facets (except lack of perseverance) significantly distinguished individuals who were OUD negative from those with severe OUD, with positive and negative urgency showing the strongest relations. Multiple motives were associated with certain UPPS-P facets, particularly positive urgency, negative urgency, and sensation-seeking. Results suggest that the relation between impulsivity and opioid use characteristics varies across facets of impulsivity, with emotion-based impulsivity being the most relevant. Implications for screening and interventions are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Tobacco dependence is characterized by decision-making impairments, which may increase the risk of smoking relapse by lowering the capacity to resist the immediate gratification of nicotine consumption. Because controlling one's desires for immediate rewards is experienced as effortful, aversion to effortful control processes may also influence the prospects of successful smoking cessation. We therefore tested whether persons who smoke, compared with persons who do not smoke, show a lower willingness to engage in goal-directed mental effort. Thirty-seven persons who smoke and 38 persons who do not smoke performed a decision task requiring choices on whether to exert a demanding attention task for monetary rewards. Using state-of-the-art drift-diffusion modeling, we found that persons who smoke showed a stronger starting bias toward effort-free rewards. Taken together, our process model approach allowed us to identify the subcomponents of the decision process underlying the stronger aversion against mental effort in tobacco dependence, which may contribute to altered decision making by lowering the motivation to engage in effortful control processes when trying to suppress the desire for nicotine consumption. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Behavioral economic demand for cannabis and alcohol is robustly associated with cannabis use and alcohol use, respectively. However, few studies have examined the contributions of cannabis and alcohol demand to simultaneous cannabis and alcohol use, which is common among young adults. We examined prospective associations of cannabis demand and alcohol demand with propensity for simultaneous use (broadly defined as using both cannabis and alcohol in the same day) and with cannabis and alcohol consumption during simultaneous use days among young adults. Young adults reporting simultaneous use ( = 107) completed a Marijuana Purchase Task assessing cannabis demand and an Alcohol Purchase Task assessing alcohol demand. They then completed daily smartphone surveys over 21 days assessing cannabis and alcohol use. Multilevel models revealed that higher cannabis demand (i.e., higher , , and intensity; lower elasticity) was uniquely associated with greater propensity for simultaneous use relative to nonuse. In addition, higher alcohol demand (lower elasticity) was uniquely associated with greater propensity for simultaneous use relative to cannabis-only use, and higher cannabis demand (higher break point and intensity, lower elasticity) was uniquely associated with greater propensity for simultaneous use relative to alcohol-only use. Furthermore, in models limited to simultaneous use days, greater cannabis demand (higher , lower elasticity) and lower alcohol demand (higher elasticity) were uniquely associated with greater overall cannabis flower consumption, and higher alcohol demand (higher , lower elasticity) was uniquely associated with greater overall alcohol consumption. Results suggest that individual differences in cannabis and alcohol demand may contribute to simultaneous cannabis and alcohol use behaviors in a substance-specific pattern. Furthermore, cannabis demand may more strongly drive the tendency to engage in simultaneous use (vs. nonuse) relative to alcohol demand. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Despite the popularity of electronic cigarettes (ECIGs), limited research has examined the role of sweeteners, independent of other flavors, in shaping ECIG human abuse potential (HAP). This study examined the effects of sucralose and nicotine in unflavored ECIG liquid solutions to provide a basic understanding of the effects of sweeteners on ECIG HAP compared to combustible cigarettes. Individuals who smoked cigarettes daily ( = 14) completed five within-subject, Latin-square ordered study sessions that differed by product used: (a) own-brand combustible cigarettes (OB), (b) 0 mg/mL nicotine, unsweetened liquid, (c) 0 mg/mL nicotine, sucralose-sweetened liquid, (d) 15 mg/mL nicotine, unsweetened liquid, and (e) 15 mg/mL nicotine, sucralose-sweetened liquid. Participants completed subjective questionnaires and behavioral tasks following a 10-puff directed use bout during which puff topography was measured, and blood was sampled for later measurement of plasma nicotine concentration. On average, the OB condition had a greater increase in plasma nicotine concentration and produced more pronounced subjective effects compared to the ECIG conditions. The 15 mg/mL nicotine ECIGs delivered significantly more nicotine and produced greater drug effects and reductions in tobacco abstinence symptoms than the 0 mg/mL nicotine ECIGs. Sucralose-containing solutions increased ECIG product appeal, puff duration, and puff volume during the 10-puff directed bout. Findings revealed greater HAP for OB cigarettes relative to all ECIGs tested and suggest that adding sucralose and nicotine elevates ECIG HAP via different mechanisms; sucralose appears to influence HAP through product appeal, while nicotine influences HAP through drug effects and tobacco/nicotine abstinence symptom suppression. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The objective of this study is to review the association of TAS2R38 polymorphisms and taste phenotypes to bitter compounds (phenylthiocarbamide [PTC]/propylthiouracil [PROP]), and its association among persons who drink alcohol and individuals with smoking behavior. A literature search was carried out in PubMed, ScienceDirect, Cochrane, and Wiley online library databases using the keyword "(Bitter taste receptor genes OR TAS2R38) AND (PROP OR propylthiouracil) AND (PTC OR phenylthiocarbamide)," "(Bitter taste receptor genes OR TAS2R38) AND (alcohol)," "(Bitter taste receptor genes OR TAS2R38) AND (tobacco OR smoker)" to find articles evaluating the association of taste phenotypes and TAS2R38 polymorphisms, and its association among persons who drink alcohol and individuals with smoking behavior. The analysis show that TAS2R38 taster genotype (proline-alanine-valine [PAV] allele) was significantly (OR, 5.88; CI [3.87, 8.95], < .001) associated with taster phenotype for bitter compounds (PTC/PROP), and TAS2R38 nontaster genotype (alanine-valine-isoleucine allele) was significantly (OR, 6.73; CI [4.57, 9.90], < .001) associated with nontaster phenotype for bitter compounds. Further, TAS2R38 taster genotypes (PAV homozygotes and heterozygotes) were significantly associated with higher alcohol intake (OR, 5.15; 95% CI [2.66, 9.98]; < .001) and among individuals with smoking behavior (OR, 1.73; 95% CI [1.24, 2.42]; = .001). This suggests that TAS2R38 single nucleotide polymorphisms can be identified by clinically assessing taste phenotype status for bitter compounds and can be used as a potential therapeutic target in the prevention and treatment of harmful higher alcohol intake and smoking behavior. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Nicotine flux, the rate of electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) nicotine emission, is important in determining ENDS abuse liability. However, flux does not account for user behavior, including puff duration. Along with nicotine flux, puff duration limits the dose of nicotine that can be inhaled. Controlling both flux and puff duration allows regulators to constrain nicotine dose effectively. This study examined the effects of differing ENDS nicotine fluxes (by manipulating liquid nicotine concentration and holding device power constant), with user puff duration limited to 2 s. Participants ( = 32) completed four sessions, each session differing by nicotine flux (no flux, low flux, cigarettelike flux, and high flux conditions). Participants completed two ENDS use bouts in each session while puff duration was limited to 2 s. Plasma nicotine concentration, heart rate, and subjective effects were measured. At higher flux, higher plasma nicotine concentration and higher heart rate were observed. Moreover, higher fluxes decreased ratings of craving and urge to use nicotine and increased positive subjective effects, such as calmness. This study demonstrates that by manipulating nicotine flux and limiting puff duration, nicotine dose can be controlled. Subsequent research should demonstrate the effects of manipulating puff duration systematically. Results underscore the importance of targeting both flux and puff duration for ENDS regulation, intended to reduce abuse liability while maintaining the potential to facilitate transitions from cigarettes to ENDS. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Excessive alcohol consumption is associated with the development of attentional biases for alcohol-related cues and their prioritization in heavy drinkers. Recently, it has been hypothesized that holistic processing may also play a role in this prioritization, with higher alcohol consumers exhibiting stronger holistic perception for alcohol cues. However, it is unclear how processing stimuli holistically may be related to attentional biases. We explored potential relationships between attentional biases, holistic processing, and alcohol consumption in a sample of drinkers using two tasks. In the first, a visual probe task replicated previous findings by showing an increased attentional bias for alcohol-related stimuli in individuals with higher alcohol consumption. Surprisingly, using an inversion paradigm to measure holistic perception in our second task, we showed holistic processing for both alcohol and nonalcohol cues in higher alcohol consumers compared to light alcohol consumers. Although alcohol consumption was positively associated with attentional biases and negatively associated with holistic processing, these cognitive processes were not associated with each other. This study supports a model of visual perception in which attentional biases and holistic processing are independently linked with alcohol use. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

There has been an alarming increase in e-cigarette dependence among young adults, many of whom would like to quit vaping nicotine but are finding it difficult to do so. Episodic future thinking (EFT), a cognitive intervention involving imagining future events, has been shown to reduce cigarette craving, demand intensity, and self-administration among cigarette smokers but has not been tested with e-cigarette users. This study tested if a brief EFT intervention decreases delay discounting and smoking choice using a within-subjects experimental design administered via Zoom. Daily young adult e-cigarette users attended a baseline session and two counterbalanced experimental sessions: (a) EFT in which participants preexperienced and described positive future events and (b) standardized episodic thinking, a control intervention in which participants described their experiences watching three short videos. Measures of craving, mood, and delay discounting across three commodities: Money, e-cigarette products, and food were completed pre- and postmanipulation. As predicted, monetary delay discounting showed a greater decrease following EFT relative to standardized episodic thinking ( = .006; η² = .229). There were no effects on craving or mood. Participants also completed a 40-min vaping versus money choice task. Approximately 70% of participants chose to abstain for the full 40 min after EFT compared to 60% after the control condition, a nonsignificant difference ( = .184). Additional research is needed to support the efficacy of EFT as an intervention for helping e-cigarette users increase their ability to abstain. The study demonstrates the feasibility of conducting experimental research on e-cigarettes in a virtual setting. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Oxytocin is increasingly being studied for treating symptoms of alcohol use disorders and heavy drinking behavior. The neuropeptide oxytocin facilitates social relationships and modulates the body's stress response by strengthening coping mechanisms and reducing anxiety. Relatedly, oxytocin is also thought to play a role in processes associated with craving and withdrawal from alcohol. This review aims to primarily provide an overview of preclinical and clinical literature on the applications of oxytocin in alcohol use, and additionally discuss a framework for types of trials and the variety of parameters that affect different study designs. A review of the existing literature in this area suggests that while low dosages of oxytocin do not affect drinking behavior and tolerance, higher dosages taken prior to alcohol exposure have varying behavioral and physiological results. Depending on quantity and timing, oxytocin treatments resulted in declines in withdrawal symptoms and alcohol self-administration in preclinical studies and may decrease neural cue reactivity and withdrawal symptoms in clinical studies. Current ongoing trials are expanding on this work to thoroughly explore clinical applications of oxytocin. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

E-cigarettes with ice flavors, which are products with a cooling agent added to a characterizing flavor (e.g., grape-ice), are widely sold. Whether ice flavors appeal to only those who already use them or a to wider population is not widely understood. This secondary analysis of a clinical laboratory experiment tested effects of experimental exposure to e-cigarettes with fruit-ice versus other flavors on the appeal and sensory attributes of vaping and whether fruit-ice effects are moderated by preexisting e-cigarette flavor preference. In a controlled double-blind within-subject randomized online experiment, adults who currently use e-cigarettes, = 85, () = 35.5 (13.2) years, 50% female, 54.3% White, self-administered e-liquids varying in flavors (fruit-ice [grape + menthol], tobacco-only, dessert-only [caramel], and fruit-only [strawberry]). Participants rated each product's appeal (liking, disliking, willingness to use again) and sensory attributes (sweetness, smoothness, harshness, bitterness, and coolness). In the overall sample, fruit-ice flavor produced (a) higher appeal, sweetness, smoothness, and coolness and lower bitterness and harshness compared to tobacco and dessert-only flavors and (b) higher coolness and lower sweetness than fruit-only flavors. The appeal-enhancing effect of fruit-ice (vs. tobacco and dessert-only flavors) was stronger among those with preexisting preferences for menthol/mint, fruit, and ice flavors, but not for those who typically used tobacco-only flavors. Our findings suggest that restrictions on fruit-ice-flavored e-cigarettes may reduce the appeal of vaping, particularly among vapers with preferences for products with cooling, fruit, and/or sweet sensory attributes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Experimental research has identified pain as a determinant of alcohol urge mediated via negative affect. This study aimed to test acceptance coping (vs. distraction) as a moderator of this relationship. Using a randomized 2 × 2 between-subjects repeated-measures experimental design, pain-free hazardous drinkers ( = 135) were randomly assigned to receive acceptance or distraction coping training. They were asked to use the strategy while receiving an acutely painful or nonpainful stimulus. It was hypothesized that the effects of pain on negative affect would be weaker among those who received acceptance training, resulting in lower ratings on alcohol urge and approach inclinations. There were no moderating effects of Pain Condition × Coping Condition on negative affect. Given this, the moderator was removed and a simple mediation model was tested. Results showed significant indirect effects for alcohol urge through negative affect. Results suggested no differences between acceptance and distraction coping in ameliorating acute pain effects on negative affect and alcohol-related outcomes. The mediation model was partially replicated. Findings provide information that may accelerate the design of interventions to curtail drinking for pain coping by better understanding the utility of acceptance training and the pain-alcohol relation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Impaired control (i.e., difficulty adhering to limits on alcohol use) prospectively predicts self-reported alcohol-related problems in undergraduates yet remains understudied. In particular, there is little evidence regarding whether brief interventions can reduce impaired control. An efficacious, very brief, web-based intervention focused on protective behavioral strategy (PBS) use may be well suited to reducing impaired control, but there is also little evidence regarding relationships between impaired control and PBS use. Data were analyzed from a randomized controlled trial of U.S. Tertiary Health Research Intervention via Email (Leeman et al., 2016) that yielded evidence of reduced weekly and peak alcohol use among undergraduates who drink heavily ( = 208). Multilevel models were tested to determine efficacy in reducing impaired control over alcohol use. The parent trial tested variants providing both direct (e.g., avoiding drinking games) and indirect (e.g., securing a designated driver) PBS, direct only or indirect only. Given this focus of the parent trial, self-reported PBS use was included in the model. U.S. Tertiary Health Research Intervention via Email did not significantly reduce impaired control over alcohol use compared to a control condition ( = .15-.96), and there was no significant main effect of time or interactions with time. However, direct and indirect PBS use was significantly inversely related to impaired control. An efficacious, very brief web-based intervention associated with decreased alcohol use did not decrease impaired control over alcohol significantly. More intensive, or longer, interventions may be needed to reduce impaired control. Greater PBS use was associated with less impaired control; thus, interventions that increase PBS use may decrease impaired control. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Cocaine use disorder (CUD) is a major public health issue, and greater cocaine use severity has been associated with worse treatment retention and outcomes. Therefore, greater understanding of processes that influence cocaine use is needed. Both anhedonia (i.e., undervaluation of nondrug rewards) and cocaine demand (i.e., cocaine valuation) are related to cocaine use severity and thematically related to each other at face value, but no studies have directly compared these outcomes to our knowledge. The present study represents a secondary analysis from a two-phase sequential, multiple assignment, randomized trial aimed at developing adaptive interventions for CUD. We examined the relationship between anhedonia and cocaine demand and how these measures were related to cocaine use severity. Participants ( = 116) were treatment-seeking adults with CUD. All measures were taken at baseline before treatment initiation. Analyses revealed (a) and of relationships between cocaine demand factors (i.e., persistence, amplitude) and anhedonia (PP values ≥ 77.8%); (b) positive association between cocaine demand (both persistence and amplitude) and measures of cocaine use severity, with the exception of one relationship, which was in the opposite direction; and (c) demand amplitude continued to be positively related to cocaine use severity, even when considering anhedonia. Overall, findings from this study indicate cocaine demand relates to cocaine use severity more strongly than anhedonia. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Protective behavioral strategies (PBS) are behaviors that individuals use to mitigate harm related to risky behaviors. Though measures have been validated to assess alcohol- and cannabis-specific PBS use, an opioid-specific PBS measure has yet to be validated. The present study developed and validated a tool to assess the extent of PBS employed by individuals who use licit and/or illicit opioids. We recruited a community sample of adults who endorsed past-month opioid use ( = 345) via online platforms to complete a baseline survey, and 277 participants (80.2%) also completed the 1-month follow-up survey. From PBS measures of other substances, harm reduction strategies found in the literature, and expert feedback, we developed the 60-item Opioid Protective Behavioral Strategies Scale (OPBSS). We removed 14 items based on item and exploratory factor analyses, resulting in 46 retained items. A two-factor solution was supported: strategies focused on managing opioid use (Controlled Opioid Use) and preventing opioid-related harm (Serious Harm Reduction). The OPBSS subscales demonstrated high internal consistencies, fair-to-excellent test-retest reliability, significant positive associations with PBS measures for other substances, and robust associations with risky opioid use and opioid-related negative consequences, both concurrently and prospectively when controlling for other opioid characteristics. The 46-item OPBSS has promising psychometric properties. Importantly, more opioid PBS predicted less risky opioid use and related consequences, suggesting that opioid PBS may be a beneficial opioid prevention effort. However, additional psychometric work is needed to determine which PBS are most suitable for populations with distinct opioid use patterns. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Hypothetical purchase tasks offer effective and efficient methods to assess the reinforcing value of various substances, including cigarettes. The purpose of the present study is to examine the validity and reliability of the Cigarette Purchase Task (CPT) in an experimental arrangement in which participants were receiving free cigarettes. Critical to the validity of the CPT is that those who smoke can accurately estimate how much they would smoke under varying economic constraints. Participants ( = 9) were provided free study cigarettes for 8 weeks. Participants completed the CPT once weekly. To examine the validity of the five CPT demand indices (i.e., demand intensity, , , breakpoint, and α), we used a simple linear regression stratified by session number to model which of the five CPT demand indices were associated with the number of cigarettes smoked per day during Week 1 of the experiment. Significant associations in the hypothesized direction were noted across the five CPT indices, with the evidence for validity greatest for intensity, followed by , , breakpoint, and α. To examine CPT test-retest reliability, we estimated interclass correlation coefficients between Sessions 1 and 4 and Sessions 5 and 8. All but one interclass correlation coefficient supported "good" or "excellent" reliability, with the only exception seen with the α index between Sessions 1 and 4, which was moderate reliability. Collectively, these results provide evidence supporting the construct validity and temporal stability/reliability of the CPT demand indices under conditions of limited economic constraint. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The impact of cannabis on cognitive and psychomotor function is important to understand, given the role of the endocannabinoid system in these critical processes. The literature has shown robust acute negative effects of cannabis on cognition and psychomotor skills during intoxication, and to a lesser degree, persisting effects following short-term abstinence up to 4 weeks. However, whether these decrements resolve after long-term cessation of use remains unclear. We evaluated cognitive and psychomotor function in 31 adults with current cannabis use during unrestricted use (UNR) and after a 3-day abstinence (RES), 23 adults with former cannabis use (> 90 days abstinent; FU), and 58 nonusing controls (CON) using the cognition and motor batteries of the National Institutes of Health Toolbox. Linear mixed models showed no significant differences in cognitive and motor performance between UNR, RES, and FU groups. Group effects emerged such that CON outperformed UNR on the Oral Reading Recognition Test, and CON outperformed both UNR and RES on the Picture Vocabulary Test. In terms of psychomotor function, FU, RES, and UNR performed better than CON on the Grip Strength Test. In this comprehensive examination of cognitive and psychomotor performance in adults with cannabis use with 3 days to > 90 days of abstinence, our results indicated that the cognitive impacts of chronic, heavy cannabis use are observable during short-term abstinence but remit after > 90 days of abstinence. This highlights widespread impacts of cannabis use abstinence across cognitive and psychomotor domains. Future studies are needed to evaluate whether these effects are also observable with use reduction, as opposed to abstinence. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

A behavioral economic reinforcer pathology model theorizes that alcohol problems are influenced by steep delay discounting, overvaluation of alcohol reinforcement, and low reinforcement from alcohol-free activities. Extending this account to the comorbidity of alcohol problems and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the present study tested the hypothesis that alcohol problems and PTSD symptom severity would interact and be positively associated with indicators from these three domains. High-risk emerging adults from North America (Study 1, = 1,311, = 22.13) and general community adults from Canada (Study 2, = 1,506, = 36.80) completed measures of alcohol problems, PTSD symptoms, delay discounting, alcohol demand, and proportionate alcohol-related reinforcement. Across studies, regression analyses revealed significant main effects of alcohol problems and PTSD symptoms in relation to selected reinforcer pathology indicators, but no significant interactions were present for delay discounting or proportionate alcohol-related reinforcement. Interactions were observed for alcohol consumption at $0 (intensity) and the rate of change in consumption across the demand curve (elasticity; Study 1) and for elasticity and maximum alcohol expenditure (; Study 2), but not in the predicted directions. Higher synergistic severity was associated with lower alcohol reinforcing value in each case. These findings reveal expected relations between reinforcer pathology indicators and both alcohol problems and PTSD symptomatology in general but did not support the hypothesized synergistic relationship. The relation between alcohol problems and PTSD is more complex than predicted by existing extensions of the reinforcer pathology model, warranting further investigation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a highly prevalent, yet heterogenous condition linked to anxiety, reward sensitivity, and cognitive biases. Understanding cognitive mechanisms of specific AUD symptoms is crucial for developing tailored, effective interventions. This pilot study sought to assess whether two potential cognitive correlates of AUD-intolerance of uncertainty and delay discounting-differentially influence the relationship between AUD, anxiety sensitivity, and drinking motives. Individuals with mild-to-moderate AUD ( = 31) and healthy control participants ( = 31) completed a single-session lab study in which they performed a decision making under uncertainty task as a behavioral measure of uncertainty tolerance, completed a delay discounting task as a measure of reward sensitivity, and responded to surveys related to anxiety sensitivity, state and trait anxiety, intolerance of uncertainty, and drinking motives. Hierarchical regression results demonstrated a significant interaction between AUD status (AUD vs. control) on both self-reported (β = 0.687, = .020) and behavioral (β = 0.777, = .012) intolerance of uncertainty. Greater anxiety sensitivity was associated with heightened intolerance of uncertainty in those with AUD but not controls. Correlations showed that the coping drinking motive was significantly positively associated with anxiety sensitivity ( = 0.462, = .010), self-reported ( = 0.535, = .002), and behavioral intolerance of uncertainty ( = 0.396, < .027) in participants with AUD but not controls. No significant associations between anxiety sensitivity, drinking motives, and delay discounting were observed in either the AUD or the control group. Intolerance of uncertainty may therefore represent a cognitive bias in which individuals with AUD and anxiety sensitivity drink to cope with environmental and internal uncertainty. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Attentional bias modification (ABM) has been proposed to treat tobacco use disorder by reducing attentional bias (AB) to smoking-related cues. We sought to determine the extent to which AB to smoking cues, as measured by eye-tracking technology, was sensitive to multisession ABM among treatment-seeking adult smokers. The participants ( = 203; 74 women) completed 13 days of daily ABM or sham training using a smartphone, followed by 8 weeks of nicotine replacement therapy and cessation counseling. ABM and sham training were administered using the modified dot-probe task (i.e., neutral cues probed 100% of the time) and the unmodified dot-probe task (i.e., cue types probed equally), respectively. Eye gaze dwell time proportions to paired presentations of smoking and neutral cues were measured at baseline, 1 day post-ABM training, and 8 weeks post-ABM training. At baseline, younger, more dependent smokers and those with higher smoking satisfaction scores looked longer at smoking cues than neutral ones. ABM training resulted in greater gaze preference for the smoking cues than sham training at 1 day posttraining. Gaze preference for smoking cues was positively associated with AB to smoking cues as measured by reaction time during the laboratory dot-probe assessment. At 8 weeks posttraining, gaze preference was not associated with any of the smoking outcome measures. These findings suggest that multisession ABM training resulted in changes in AB by increasing time spent looking at neutral compared with smoking cues in the short term. However, this effect was not sustained and was not associated with smoking behavior outcomes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Intranasal oxytocin (INOT) has received attention as a treatment for substance use disorders including tobacco dependence. However, it is unclear whether INOT-related effects differ by sex and social functioning traits. This study examined the influence of sex and two trait social functioning measures (hostility and rejection sensitivity) on INOT effects on abstinence-related subjective measures and smoking lapse. Adults who smoked cigarettes daily ( = 64; 21-40 years; 39% female) completed trait hostility and rejection sensitivity surveys at baseline followed by three experimental sessions following 12-hr smoking abstinence. Each session, participants received a single INOT dose (placebo, 20, 40 international units [IU]) in counterbalanced order, completed withdrawal, smoking urges and affect questionnaires, and a smoking lapse analog task. Interactive effects between INOT and sex, hostility, or rejection sensitivity on all outcomes were analyzed. INOT produced differential effects as a function of sex, trait hostility, and rejection sensitivity. The 20 IU dose worsened abstinence-related subjective effects for individuals with high trait hostility. Both INOT doses decreased smoking urges for high rejection sensitivity, and the 20 IU dose increased smoking urges for low rejection sensitivity. INOT increased withdrawal symptoms, smoking urges, and feelings of anger in females but not males. INOT did not improve withdrawal symptoms during abstinence and did not affect smoking lapse. While INOT produced some beneficial effects for a subset of participants with high rejection sensitivity, it worsened abstinence-related symptoms for others. Our results suggest that sex and social functioning should be considered when examining the therapeutic potential of INOT for smoking cessation in future research. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Previous work examining the extent to which individuals seek alcohol to enhance positive experiences (reward drinking) or relieve aversive states (relief drinking) has shown that reward/relief drinking predicts response to naltrexone and acamprosate treatment for alcohol use disorder. Yet, various measures of reward/relief drinking have been used in prior research, and the comparative psychometric properties of these measures are unknown. Evaluating and comparing the psychometric properties of these reward/relief drinking measures could identify measures with the most promise for translating precision medicine findings to clinical practice. In a community sample of 65 individuals with heavy/hazardous alcohol use on the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test, we showed good internal consistency reliability, test-retest reliability, and concurrent validity for theoretically aligned measures (e.g., reward drinking and reward responsiveness, relief drinking and depression/anxiety symptoms) of the reward and relief subscales across the six measures. We then used ecological momentary assessment to determine whether reward and relief drinking subscales predicted within-person associations between contextual factors of interest (e.g., negative affect, positive affect, distress intolerance, physical pain, hangover symptoms, social drinking situations, alcohol cues) and same-moment alcohol craving. All six measures demonstrated limited predictive validity for alcohol craving contexts in daily life as assessed via ecological momentary assessment. Despite these findings, reward and relief drinking measures show good reliability and concurrent validity and previously demonstrated clinical utility for predicting response to alcohol use disorder treatments, including naltrexone. Future research should aim to elucidate the mechanisms underlying the association between responses to reward/relief drinking measures and pharmacotherapy outcomes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).