Explicit and Implicit Representation of Reward Value in Cocaine Use Disorder (CUD): A Mouse Kinematic Study on Intertemporal Decision-Making

Background: Cocaine Use Disorder (CUD) is a chronic condition with implications on cognitive functions such as decision-making and impulse control. Intertemporal choice paradigms, measuring temporal discounting, offer insight into decision-making of addictive behaviors; mouse kinematics, a process-tracing method, provide a deeper understanding of decision dynamics. Here, mouse kinematics was implemented with the aim to investigate the intertemporal decision-making in CUD patients compared to healthy controls (HC), and to explore the relation between decision-making biases and clinical measures.
Methods: mouse kinematics recorded during an intertemporal choice task was administered in 36 CUD patients and 34 healthy matched controls. Participants also underwent a complete psychiatric and neuropsychological evaluation.
Results: In line with previous literature, results revealed higher discount rates in the CUD group. Mouse kinematics was able to discriminate among groups, with CUD patients display straighter trajectories for immediate choices and edge-curved ones for future ones. Further, a series of associations have been found between discount rates, kinematic measures and clinical indices. Conclusion: Overall, these results hold important implications and relevant insights for tailored therapeutic interventions, relapses prediction, and neurobiological classification of addictive disorders.