Delay discounting of money and alcohol in actively using alcoholics, currently abstinent alcoholics, and controls

Rationale: Impulsivity is implicated in alcohol dependence, and discounting of delayed rewards may be an objective indicator of impulsiveness. Objecti ves: This study evaluated delay discounting functions in alcoholics and con trols. It compared discounting rates between different magnitudes ($1000 an d $100) and different types (money and alcohol) of rewards. Methods: Active alcoholics (n=19), currently abstinent alcoholics (n=12) and controls (n=1 5) indicated preferences for immediate versus delayed rewards using a titra tion procedure that determined indifference points at various delays. Four conditions were presented, and the delayed rewards in the four conditions w ere $1000, $100, 150 bottles of an alcoholic beverage, and 15 bottles of an alcoholic beverage. Results: In all three groups across all four condition s, hyperbolic discounting functions provided a good fit of the data. Linear contrasts, predicting the most rapid discounting rates in active alcoholic s, intermediary rates in currently abstinent alcoholics, and the least rapi d rates in controls, were significant for three of the four conditions. Alc ohol was discounted more rapidly than money. Conclusions: These data provid e further evidence of more rapid discounting of delayed rewards in alcohol abusers compared to controls, and especially steep discounting among curren t users. Rapid discounting of delayed rewards may be a feature related to a ddictive disorders. A better understanding of how delaying rewards in time impacts their value may have implications for treatment.