Loading...
Decision-making, somatic markers and emotion processing in opiate users
Kathryn Biernacki Gill Terrett Skye McLennan Izelle Labuschagne Phoebe Morton Peter Rendell
Kathryn Biernacki
Gill Terrett
Skye McLennan
Izelle Labuschagne
Phoebe Morton
Peter Rendell
Abstract
Rationale
Opiate use is associated with deficits in decision-making. A possible explanation for these deficits is provided by the somatic marker hypothesis, which suggests that substance users may experience abnormal emotional responses during decision-making involving reward and punishment. This in turn may interfere with the brief physiological arousal, i.e. somatic markers that normally occur in anticipation of risky decisions. To date, the applicability of the somatic marker hypothesis to explain decision-making deficits has not been investigated in opiate users.
Objectives
This study assessed whether decision-making deficits in opiate users were related to abnormal emotional responses and reduced somatic markers.
Methods
Opiate users enrolled in an opiate substitute treatment program (n = 28) and healthy controls (n = 32) completed the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) while their skin conductance responses (SCRs) were recorded. Participants’ emotional responses to emotion-eliciting videos were also recorded using SCRs and subjective ratings.
Results
Opiate users displayed poorer decision-making on the IGT than did controls. However, there were no differences between the groups in SCRs; both groups displayed stronger SCRs following punishment than following reward, and both groups displayed stronger anticipatory SCRs prior to disadvantageous decisions than advantageous decisions. There were no group differences in objective or subjective measures of emotional responses to the videos.
Conclusions
The results suggest that deficits in emotional responsiveness are not apparent in opiate users who are receiving pharmacological treatment. Thus, the somatic marker hypothesis does not provide a good explanation for the decision-making deficits in this group.
Keywords
opiate, heroin, decision-making, somatic marker, skin conductance, emotion experience
Date
2018
Type
Journal article
Journal
Psychopharmacology
Book
Volume
235
Issue
1
Page Range
223-232
Article Number
ACU Department
School of Behavioural and Health Sciences
Faculty of Health Sciences
Faculty of Health Sciences
Relation URI
Source URL
Event URL
Open Access Status
License
File Access
Controlled