THE EFFECTS OF CUE EXPOSURE ON REACTION-TIME IN MALE ALCOHOLICS

The present study investigates reaction time (RT) as a measure of atte ntional deficits produced during alcohol cue exposure. Twenty-four mal e alcoholic patients responded to a series of computer-generated tones as rapidly as possible during baseline and again during either an alc ohol cue exposure period or exposure to a control beverage (water). Pa tients required increased time to respond to the tones when exposed to alcohol cues. No such increase in RT was found during exposure to a c ontrol beverage. In addition, RT was significantly correlated with sel f-reported urge to drink. These data provide initial validation for th e use of RT as an objective measure of cue reactivity. Both theoretica l and clinical implications for the use of RT as a measure of the effe cts of cue exposure are discussed.