Abstract
The role of interoceptive signals in the development of cognitive biases for drug‐related cues has been hypothesized in the past; however, experimental evidence is lacking. This report examined the relationship between physiological responses and memories for alcohol cues. Participants (n = 158) were categorized as having either a positive or negative family history of alcohol use disorder (AUD). They were assigned to an alcohol, placebo, or control beverage condition to which they were blinded. All participants were presented with alcohol, neutral, and emotional cues. Heart rate variability (HRV) at 0.1 Hz, as an index of viscero‐afferent reactivity, and in the high‐frequency range was measured during picture‐cue exposure. Participants then completed free recall and repetition priming tasks to assess memories for previously presented stimuli. Participants with a positive family history (FHP) for AUD who received an alcohol beverage displayed a positive relationship between 0.1 Hz HRV and free recall. This effect was specific to alcohol cues, highlighting the relevance of physiological signals in the development of alcohol cognitive biases. These results support the hypothesis of a coordinated brain‐body interaction in the development of drug‐related behaviors. FHP as an AUD risk factor may increase the mapping of physiological responses onto cognitive biases for alcohol cues. Increased ratings of subjective intoxication dampened this relationship, suggesting that perceived bodily states may modulate incentive salience processes. This report provides novel evidence for the involvement of interoceptive signals in addictive processes, setting a precedent for the exploration of brain‐body interactions in the study of alcohol cognitive biases.
After acute alcohol administration, participants with a family history of alcohol use disorder showed a positive relationship between their magnitude of physiological response to alcohol cues and subsequent memory for those cues.
This effect was modulated by subjective ratings of intoxication, highlighting the role of alcohol‐induced bodily states in reward values.
This is novel evidence for a brain‐body interaction in alcohol cognitive biases, and represents the involvement of interoceptive signals in addictive processes.