Attentional Bias Modification for Attentional Bias Towards Negative Emotional Stimuli on Methamphetamine Abstainers

This study investigated the effectiveness of attention bias modification (ABM) in reducing the attentional bias towards negative emotional stimuli on methamphetamine abstainers and explored the underlying mechanisms using the drift diffusion model (DDM). A total of 43 male methamphetamine abstainers were randomly assigned to either an ABM group (n=20) or a control group (n=23). The ABM group received a 40-min training section to shift attention bias away from negative emotional faces, while the control group received placebo training. Results revealed a significant reduction in attentional bias towards negative emotional stimuli on the ABM group, compared with control group. DDM analyses further suggested that ABM intervention could reduce the process of participants' attentional enhancement while quicken the process of attentional disengagement towards negative emotional stimuli. This finding highlights the potential of ABM as a tool to reduce drug addicts’ relapse risk by breaking their negative reinforcement behavior patterns.