Current theories suggest individuals with methamphetamine use disorder (iMUDs) have
difficulty considering long-term outcomes in decision-making, which could contribute to risk of
relapse. Aversive interoceptive states (e.g., stress, withdrawal) are also known to increase this
risk. The present study analyzed computational mechanisms of planning in iMUDs, and
examined the potential impact of an aversive interoceptive state induction. A group of 40 iMUDs
and 49 healthy participants completed two runs of a multi-step planning task, with and without
an anxiogenic breathing resistance manipulation. Computational modeling revealed that iMUDs
had selective difficulty identifying the best overall plan when this required enduring negative
short-term outcomes – a mechanism referred to as aversive pruning. Increases in reported
craving before and after the induction also predicted greater aversive pruning in iMUDs. These
results highlight a novel mechanism that could promote poor choice in recovering iMUDs and
create vulnerability to relapse.
Claire A. Lavalley and Marishka M. Mehta and Samuel Taylor and Anne E. Chuning and Jennifer L. Stewart and Quentin J. M. Huys and Sahib S. Khalsa and Martin P. Paulus and Ryan Smith
The preprint can be found here.