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This version was published on November 1, 2006
Journal of Psychopharmacology, Vol. 20, No. 6, 850-859 (2006)
DOI: 10.1177/0269881106061116
© 2006 British Association for Psychopharmacology

Cognitive processing of drug-related stimuli: the role of memory and attention

Aviv Weinstein

Department of Medical Biophysics and Nuclear Medicine, Hadassah University Hospital, Ein Kerem, Jerusalem, Israel.

W. Miles Cox

School of Psychology, University of Wales, Bangor, Wales, UK.

Recent studies have investigated the role of attentional biases and memory in alcohol and other drugs of dependence and the relationship between the motivation to use alcohol or other drugs and vigilance for relevant stimuli in alcohol and drug dependence. Based on this research, we describe relationships among motivation, memory, and attentional biases in order to enable better understanding of their multiple and interacting roles in the maintenance and development of alcohol and other drug dependence. We argue that memory and attentional processes are critical in the development and maintenance of addiction processes. Furthermore, we assume that attentional bias is not simply a by-product of an addiction disorder but plays a vital role in its development and maintenance, and it serves to enhance actual drug use. Finally, we predict that the motivation to use alcohol or other drugs will increase vigilance for substance-related stimuli, which in turn can lead to actual use. Future research is needed to ll gaps in our knowledge and lead to a more dened and articulated cognitive-behavioural model of drug dependence.

Key Words: attention • memory • drug-dependence • craving


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