| Title: |
Unconscious effects of addiction-specific attentional bias and the wanting-liking imbalance in smoking: A visual mismatch negativity study |
| Authors: |
Domonkos, File; Petia, Kojouharova; Bela, Petro; Anna, Gaál Zsófia; Zsolt, Demetrovics; István, Czigler |
| Source: |
Nicotine and Tobacco Research ; ISSN 1469-994X |
| Publisher Information: |
Oxford University Press (OUP) |
| Publication Year: |
2026 |
| Description: |
Introduction Cognitive theories of addiction highlight attentional bias as a key factor in the development and maintenance of addictive behaviors. According to Incentive Sensitization Theory (IST), repeated substance exposure sensitizes the brain’s reward system, increasing the salience of substance-related cues and producing attentional bias that operates automatically, beyond conscious control. This study investigated (1) automatic change detection, indexed by the visual mismatch negativity (vMMN) EEG component, in smokers (N=20) and non-smokers (N=20), and (2) the relationship between self-reported wanting and liking in smokers and its association with vMMN. Methods EEG was recorded while participants completed a primary task. Peripheral, task unrelated stimuli were presented in smoking-related and neutral conditions. Smokers also completed the Imaginative Wanting and Liking Questionnaire and were assessed for nicotine dependence. Results In smokers, a posterior vMMN response was observed between 147–188 ms in the smoking-related condition, but not in the neutral condition or in non-smokers. Additionally, vMMN amplitude was negatively correlated with the difference between self-reported wanting and liking. Conclusions These findings support IST by showing that attentional bias toward substance related cues can influence early, automatic cognitive processing. The vMMN results suggest that this bias extends beyond the focus of conscious attention. Moreover, the correlation between vMMN and self-reported wanting–liking discrepancy highlights the potential of subjective measures to reflect IST-relevant mechanisms. This offers promising implications for future research, treatment development, and intervention strategies targeting early attentional processes in nicotine addiction. |
| Document Type: |
article in journal/newspaper |
| Language: |
English |
| DOI: |
10.1093/ntr/ntag044 |
| DOI: |
10.1093/ntr/ntag044/67087963/ntag044.pdf |
| Availability: |
https://doi.org/10.1093/ntr/ntag044; https://academic.oup.com/ntr/advance-article-pdf/doi/10.1093/ntr/ntag044/67087963/ntag044.pdf |
| Rights: |
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ |
| Accession Number: |
edsbas.F522603 |
| Database: |
BASE |