Inhibitory capacity assessment in alcohol dependent patients: translation from a modified stop signal task

Abstract

Introduction. Inhibitory control is clearly impaired in alcohol dependent individuals, being associated to the addiction process establishment and abstinence maintenance difficulties. Inhibitory control assessment tasks involving responses to neutral stimuli are available, although a Spanish version task including contextual cues influence on inhibition capacity has not been performed yet. Alcohol related stimuli can modify behavioural inhibition performance. Thus, the purpose of this study was the Spanish translation of a modified stop signal task that assessed inhibitory control, as well as the degree of interference produced by the presence of alcohol related words.

Methodology. A modified stop signal reaction task, based on a fast lexical decision paradigm was employed. Stimuli used were translated from Zack et al1 , according to frequency of use in Spanish, including neutral words, pseudowords and alcohol-related words. Task was applied to 85 alcohol dependent patients, with a minimum of 28 days of abstinence and to 27 healthy participants constituting the control group.

Results. Patients showed a poorer performance, with a lower stop signal mean delay comparing to control group, in presence of neutral and alcohol-related words.

Conclusions. Alcohol dependent individuals exhibit a lower behavioural inhibition performance, added to a significant influence of contextual cues on the stop signal task, resulting in impulsive behaviour, only in the patients group.