Instrumental and Pavlovian Mechanisms in Alcohol Use Disorder

Purpose of Review Current theories of alcohol use disorders (AUD) highlight the importance of Pavlovian and instrumental learning processes mainly based on preclinical animal studies. Here, we summarize available evidence for alterations of those processes in human participants with AUD with a focus...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Current addiction reports 2021-03, Vol.8 (1), p.156-180
Main Authors: Doñamayor, Nuria, Ebrahimi, Claudia, Garbusow, Maria, Wedemeyer, Friederike, Schlagenhauf, Florian, Heinz, Andreas
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Addictive behaviors
Adults
Alcohol (A Heinz & N Romanczuk-Seiferth
Alcohol use
Behavior
Child development
Drug use
Ethanol
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Neurology
Psychiatry
Rodents
Section Editors
Topical Collection on Alcohol
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Summary:Purpose of Review Current theories of alcohol use disorders (AUD) highlight the importance of Pavlovian and instrumental learning processes mainly based on preclinical animal studies. Here, we summarize available evidence for alterations of those processes in human participants with AUD with a focus on habitual versus goal-directed instrumental learning, Pavlovian conditioning, and Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer (PIT) paradigms. Recent Findings The balance between habitual and goal-directed control in AUD participants has been studied using outcome devaluation or sequential decision-making procedures, which have found some evidence of reduced goal-directed/model-based control, but little evidence for stronger habitual responding. The employed Pavlovian learning and PIT paradigms have shown considerable differences regarding experimental procedures, e.g., alcohol-related or conventional reinforcers or stimuli. Summary While studies of basic learning processes in human participants with AUD support a role of Pavlovian and instrumental learning mechanisms in the development and maintenance of drug addiction, current studies are characterized by large variability regarding methodology, sample characteristics, and results, and translation from animal paradigms to human research remains challenging. Longitudinal approaches with reliable and ecologically valid paradigms of Pavlovian and instrumental processes, including alcohol-related cues and outcomes, are warranted and should be combined with state-of-the-art imaging techniques, computational approaches, and ecological momentary assessment methods.
ISSN:2196-2952
2196-2952
DOI:10.1007/s40429-020-00333-9