Effects of video cues on inhalants craving in individuals receiving inhalants substance-dependency treatment

Abstract

Background : Subjective craving, a desire to take a substance, occurs when individuals with substance dependence are exposed to specific cues. However, effects of cue exposure on inhalant craving have not been studied.

Objective : The objective of this study is to study craving responses when individuals who are receiving inhalant dependency treatment at Thanyarak Institute are watching inhalant video cues.

Method : Subjective inhalant craving responses of the thirty-four male inhalant dependent patients were measured by the modified version of Penn Alcohol Craving Scale for Inhalants (PACS-inhalants) and the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). The instruments were shown every five minutes on a computer screen before the test and right after exposure of each of the three sets of silent video cues for inhalants (one-minute length per set of video cues) and each of the three sets of neutral video every five minutes (one-minute length per set of neutral video). Levels of systolic and diastolic blood pressures and pulse rate were also measured. Data were analyzed using repeated measure ANOVA. Scores on PACS-inhalant and VAS were also tested for correlation using Pearson’s correlation test.

Results : Craving responses as measured by PACS-inhalants and VAS were at high correlation (Pearson correlation = 0.83, p < 0.001). The effects of time on craving responses during exposure to inhalant video cues were observed (PACS-inhalants; p < 0.001, F_{3.1, 102.2} = 19.7) (VAS-craving; p < 0.001, F_{5.0, 164.3} = 5.7). Post-hoc analysis of PACS-inhalants and VAS showed differences of craving responses at the times between cue and neutral videos (cues > neutral videos). However, there were differences of craving at the times between pre-test and cue exposure only when craving was measured by PACS-inhalants (cues > pre-test), but not by VAS. In addition, the effects of inhalant cues on systolic blood pressure were observed when the blood pressures are compared during cue exposure with neutral video, but not with the pre-test.

Conclusions : Our findings show evidence of the effect of exposure to inhalant video cues on increasing of subjective craving response. Although non-clinically significant, a statistically significant difference between exposure to video cues and neutral videos were observed.