Reply to Bradford: Comment on increasing ecological validity in neuropsychopharmacology research on the relationship between alcohol use and uncertain stressors.
Reply to Bradford: Comment on increasing ecological validity in neuropsychopharmacology research on the relationship between alcohol use and uncertain stressors.
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回复布拉德福德：评论关于提高酒精使用与不确定压力源之间关系的神经精神药理学研究的生态有效性。
DOI：
10.1038/s41386-023-01706-0
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发表时间：
2024
期刊：
影响因子：
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通讯作者：
Gorka,StephanieM
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Radoman,Milena;Gorka,StephanieM
在他们的评论中，Bradford 及其同事 [1] 讨论了这样的理论：对不确定威胁（U 威胁）的夸大反应通过负强化过程导致有问题的饮酒的发生和维持。作者断言，只有当实验室对 U 威胁的反应性测量与酒精影响的“主观期望和经验”测量联系起来时，这一理论才能得到支持。沿着这些思路，作者提出了本科生样本的研究结果，表明年轻人“期望酒精能够在与某些社交场合相比相对不确定的情况下降低他们的焦虑。”布拉德福德等人[1]得出的结论是，在不确定的情况下，酒精被认为具有抗焦虑作用，因此将不确定的压力与酒精预期联系起来。我们同意布拉德福德及其同事提出的观点。我们必须继续研究对 U-威胁的反应是否、如何以及对谁影响饮酒行为，这一点至关重要。我们还想强调另外两项支持推动该研究计划的总体理论的发现。首先，我们的小组之前曾报道，在患有酒精使用障碍 (AUD) 的成年人群体中，对 U-威胁的行为和神经反应性增强与饮酒行为问题的严重程度增加以及自我报告的应对动机增强相关[2]。因此，现有证据表明，对 U-威胁的反应与使用酒精减轻 AUD 患者负面影响的动机有关。此外，我们最近进行了一项初步分析，研究了 Gorka 等人[3]中描述的同一组新兴年轻人中酒精的主观体验和对 U 威胁的惊吓反应之间的关系。在基线时，参与者完成了酒精主观影响量表（SEAS）[4]，其中他们回顾性评估了他们在第一次饮酒经历期间的酒精影响经历。 SEAS 包含四个根据经验得出的二维子量表——效价（正与负）和唤醒度（高与低）。我们进行了综合 2（价：正或负）x 2（唤醒：高或低）重复测量方差分析 (ANOVA)，其中将 U 威胁的惊吓反应性作为受试者间因素。在低但不是高唤醒时，更大的 U 威胁反应性与更多关于酒精降低唤醒的报道相关（F [1, 115] = 4.07，p = 0.04）；虽然价相互作用没有 U 威胁反应性 (F [1, 115]= 0.09, p= 0.76)。这表明，无论酒精效应的感知效价如何，在第一次饮酒经历期间，更大的 U 威胁反应性与觉醒等级降低相关。在可预测的威胁（P-威胁）期间惊吓的个体差异与酒精效应评级无关。
In their commentary, Bradford and colleagues [1] discuss the theory that exaggerated reactivity to uncertain threat (U-threat) contributes to the onset and maintenance of problematic alcohol use via negative reinforcement processes. The authors assert that this theory can only be supported once laboratory measures of reactivity to U-threat are linked to measures of “subjective expectations and experience” of alcohol’s effects. Along these lines, the authors present findings from an undergraduate sample demonstrating that youth “expect alcohol to lower their anxiety in relatively uncertain compared to certain social situations.” Bradford et al.[1] conclude that alcohol is perceived as anxiolytic in the context of uncertainty and therefore connect uncertain stress to alcohol expectancies.We agree with the points raised by Bradford and colleagues. It is critical that we continue to study if, how, and for whom reactivity to U-threat influences drinking behavior. We also want to highlight two other findings that support the overarching theory driving this program of research. First, our group has previously reported that greater behavioral and neural reactivity to U-threat was associated with increased severity of problem drinking behavior and greater self-reported coping motives in a cohort of adults with alcohol use disorder (AUD)[2]. Thus, there is existing evidence that reactivity to U-threat relates to the motivation to use alcohol to alleviate negative affect in individuals with AUD. In addition, we recently conducted a preliminary analysis examining the relationship between subjective experience of alcohol and startle reactivity to U-threat in the same cohort of emerging young adults described in Gorka et al.[3]. At baseline, participants completed the Subjective Effects of Alcohol Scale (SEAS)[4] in which they retrospectively rated their experience of alcohol effects during their very first drinking experience. The SEAS comprises four empirically derived subscales that are on two dimensions–valence (positive vs. negative) and arousal (high vs. low). We conducted an omnibus 2 (Valence: positive or negative) x 2 (Arousal: high or low) repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) with startle reactivity to U-threat included as a betweensubjects factor. At low but not high arousal, greater U-threat reactivity was associated with greater reports that alcohol decreased arousal (F [1, 115]= 4.07, p= 0.04); though there was no U-threat reactivity by valence interaction (F [1, 115]= 0.09, p= 0.76). This indicates that greater U-threat reactivity was associated with decreased arousal ratings during the first ever drinking experience, regardless of the perceived valence of alcohol’s effects. Individual differences in startle during predictable threat (P-threat) were unrelated to alcohol effect ratings.