Losing and Regaining Control Over Drug Intake: General and Specific Pavlovian-to-Instrumental Transfer Effects in Substance Use Disorders

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are investigating how Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer (PIT) effects differ in people with moderate to severe substance use disorders (SUD), including alcohol, cannabis, methamphetamine, amphetamine, and cocaine use disorders, compared to healthy individuals. This study aims to understand behavioral and brain activity differences related to control over substance use, focusing on both general and specific PIT effects. The research builds on earlier findings suggesting that alcohol use disorder (AUD) patients show stronger specific PIT effects than healthy controls. Participants are divided into four groups: those with AUD alone, those with AUD plus comorbid SUD, those with SUD without AUD, and healthy controls. They will complete a full PIT task consisting of instrumental training, Pavlovian conditioning, a transfer phase, and query trials to assess explicit knowledge. Functional MRI (fMRI) and structural MRI scans will be used to examine brain activity and structure related to PIT. Psychological assessments and neuropsychological tests will also be conducted. A follow-up will occur three months later using online questionnaires to track substance use behavior. During the study, participants will undergo behavioral tasks and brain imaging to measure neural and behavioral PIT effects. They will complete interviews and questionnaires assessing substance use, mental health, and cognitive functions. The primary outcomes include neural PIT effects measured by fMRI and behavioral PIT effects from the task. The follow-up assesses alcohol and substance consumption three months after testing. Safety screenings, including breath alcohol tests and urine drug tests, will be performed at assessment. Participants will be involved for a single testing day plus the follow-up period.

Role of Pavlovian Mechanisms for Control Over Substance Use