Can people ‘train’ themselves out of their addiction?
Reinout Wiers receives Vici grant for addiction research
Both automatic and rational processes have roles to play in addiction. But how does that work? Can we influence these processes to help people shake their addiction? Professor of Developmental Psychology Reinout Wiers has received a Vici grant of €1.25 million to research and influence the mechanisms surrounding addiction.
Both automatic and rational processes have roles to play in addiction. But how does that work? Can we influence these processes to help people shake their addiction? Professor of Developmental Psychology Reinout Wiers has received a Vici grant of €1.25 million to research and influence the mechanisms surrounding addiction.Addiction creates an imbalance between the brain's automatic and rational processes whereby the automatic processes are reinforced, increasing the cravings for the substance in question, while rational processes of self-control are weakened, making it increasingly difficult to stop using the addictive substance. Wier's research comprises four projects: the first two projects will mostly study the brain's automatic processes and the predictive value thereof. Projects three and four are focused on influencing both the automatic and rational processes directly.
1000 youths
The first project will follow youths aged 11 through to 16 for four years. Wier's research team, which will consist of three PhD students, one post-doctoral student, one technician and Wiers himself, will conduct tests on approximately 700 youths. A further 300 youths - mostly preparatory secondary vocational education (VMBO) students, as this group generally drinks more than higher-level students in their age group - will also participate in a so-called risk group. "We are focusing on youths in this study, as their brain development is at its peak. Moreover, substance use is highest between the ages of approximately 16 and 20 years."Images of alcoholic products
Each participating youth undergoes testing to examine their automatic processes. Wiers explains, "The tests are made up of such tasks as pushing the mouse away from you if you see an image of food for example, and conversely pulling the images of alcohol towards you. Previous studies have shown that heavy drinkers pull images of alcoholic products towards themselves faster than those who are not addicted to alcohol. This automatic, associative process has become hypersensitive in heavy drinkers. We could possibly predict that youths who pull images of alcohol towards themselves faster than the average will become addicted later down the line."Test subjects under the influence
In the second project, in which around 100 low-risk and 50 high-risk youths participate, the researchers conduct similar tests, while ensuring that subjects are under the influence when doing so. "This allows us to make better predictions for the future", explains Wiers. "The way in which their associative and rational processes behave tells us something about their future behaviour. Put another way: hopefully we will gain clearer insight into which people will lose control in the near future with regards to alcohol use. We also look at the acute effects of alcohol on the relevant brain processes and at the genetic differences between people in these effects."
Direct influence
Projects three and four are focused on directly influencing both the brain's automatic and rational processes. "This might bring to mind a version of the exercise in which people have to push and pull images away and towards themselves. You could just push all the images away from you, something which could possibly retrain the automatic processes, creating less room for the addictive substance. We are also trying to strengthen control over impulses through other forms of training and are researching whether the same state can also be reached with direct stimulation of the brain."Talking, pills or training
Wiers believes the results of his research can contribute to addict care. "Current care consists of talking or pills - that is to say therapy or drugs. Perhaps soon we will have the choice between pills, talk or training." Wiers does not expect brain process training to completely replace the current form of addict care - training is simply "too flimsy" a method for heavily addicted persons - but he does see the possibility of using it in aftercare for those heavily addicted persons who have been released from a clinic. "Internet training can help people cope outside the clinic walls without having to resort to alcohol." Finally, Wiers also sees possibilities for the large group of ‘silent' addicts: people who, although addicted to a substance, never end up in treatment. "We have already started offering these people self-help training also."The study will run for five years.