Abstract

Rationale

Severe alcohol use disorder (SAUD) is a psychiatric condition linked to cerebral and cognitive consequences. SAUD is notably characterized by an overactivation of the reflexive/reward system when confronted with alcohol-related cues. Such overreactivity generates a preferential allocation of attentional resources toward these cues, labeled as attentional biases (AB). Theoretical assumptions have been made regarding the characteristics of AB and their underlying processes. While often considered as granted, these assumptions remain to be experimentally validated.

Aims

We first identify the theoretical assumptions made by previous studies exploring the nature and role of AB. We then discuss the current evidence available to establish their validity. We finally propose research avenues to experimentally test them.

Methods

Capitalizing on a narrative review of studies exploring AB in SAUD, the current limits of the behavioral measures used for their evaluation are highlighted as well as the benefits derived from the use of eye-tracking measures to obtain a deeper understanding of their underlying processes. We describe the issues related to the theoretical proposals on AB and propose research avenues to test them. Four experimental axes are proposed, respectively, related to the determination of (a) the genuine nature of the mechanisms underlying AB; (b) their stability over the disease course; (c) their specificity to alcohol-related stimuli and (d) their reflexive or controlled nature.

Conclusions

This in-depth exploration of the available knowledge related to AB in SAUD, and of its key limitations, highlights the theoretical and clinical interest of our innovative experimental perspectives capitalizing on eye-tracking measures.

中文翻译：

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了解严重酒精使用障碍中的注意力偏差：行为和眼动追踪的结合视角。

摘要

基本原理

严重酒精使用障碍 (SAUD) 是一种与大脑和认知后果相关的精神疾病。SAUD 的显着特点是在面对与酒精相关的线索时，反射/奖励系统过度激活。这种过度反应会产生对这些线索的注意力资源的优先分配，标记为注意力偏差（AB）。已经对 AB 的特征及其潜在过程进行了理论假设。虽然通常被认为是理所当然的，但这些假设仍有待实验验证。

宗旨

我们首先确定了先前探索 AB 的性质和作用的研究所做的理论假设。然后，我们讨论可用于确定其有效性的当前证据。我们最终提出了对它们进行实验测试的研究途径。

方法

利用对 SAUD 中探索 AB 的研究的叙述性审查，强调了用于评估的行为措施的当前限制，以及使用眼动追踪措施获得对其潜在过程的更深入了解所带来的好处。我们描述了与 AB 理论建议相关的问题，并提出了测试它们的研究途径。提出了四个实验轴，分别与确定 (a) AB 基础机制的真实性质有关；(b) 它们在病程中的稳定性；(c) 它们对酒精相关刺激的特异性和 (d) 它们的反射或受控性质。

结论

对 SAUD 中与 AB 相关的可用知识及其主要局限性的深入探索，突出了我们利用眼动追踪测量的创新实验视角的理论和临床兴趣。