TY - JOUR
T1 - Disadvantageous Decision-Making as a Predictor of Drop-Out among Cocaine-Dependent Individuals in Long-Term Residential Treatment
AU - Stevens, Laura
AU - Betanzos-Espinosa, Patricia
AU - Crunelle, Cleo L
AU - Vergara-Moragues, Esperanza
AU - Roeyers, Herbert
AU - Lozano, Oscar
AU - Dom, Geert
AU - Gonzalez-Saiz, Francisco
AU - Vanderplasschen, Wouter
AU - Verdejo-García, Antonio
AU - Pérez-García, Miguel
PY - 2013
Y1 - 2013
N2 - BACKGROUND: The treatment of cocaine-dependent individuals (CDI) is substantially challenged by high drop-out rates, raising questions regarding contributing factors. Recently, a number of studies have highlighted the potential of greater focus on the clinical significance of neurocognitive impairments in treatment-seeking cocaine users. In the present study, we hypothesized that disadvantageous decision-making would be one such factor placing CDI at greater risk for treatment drop-out.METHODS: In order to explore this hypothesis, the present study contrasted baseline performance (at treatment onset) on two validated tasks of decision-making, the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) and the Cambridge Gamble Task (CGT) in CDI who completed treatment in a residential Therapeutic Community (TC) (N = 66) and those who dropped out of TC prematurely (N = 84).RESULTS: Compared to treatment completers, CDI who dropped out of TC prematurely did not establish a consistent and advantageous response pattern as the IGT progressed and exhibited a poorer ability to choose the most likely outcome on the CGT. There were no group differences in betting behavior.CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that neurocognitive rehabilitation of disadvantageous decision-making may have clinical benefits in CDI admitted to long-term residential treatment programs.
AB - BACKGROUND: The treatment of cocaine-dependent individuals (CDI) is substantially challenged by high drop-out rates, raising questions regarding contributing factors. Recently, a number of studies have highlighted the potential of greater focus on the clinical significance of neurocognitive impairments in treatment-seeking cocaine users. In the present study, we hypothesized that disadvantageous decision-making would be one such factor placing CDI at greater risk for treatment drop-out.METHODS: In order to explore this hypothesis, the present study contrasted baseline performance (at treatment onset) on two validated tasks of decision-making, the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) and the Cambridge Gamble Task (CGT) in CDI who completed treatment in a residential Therapeutic Community (TC) (N = 66) and those who dropped out of TC prematurely (N = 84).RESULTS: Compared to treatment completers, CDI who dropped out of TC prematurely did not establish a consistent and advantageous response pattern as the IGT progressed and exhibited a poorer ability to choose the most likely outcome on the CGT. There were no group differences in betting behavior.CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that neurocognitive rehabilitation of disadvantageous decision-making may have clinical benefits in CDI admitted to long-term residential treatment programs.
U2 - 10.3389/fpsyt.2013.00149
DO - 10.3389/fpsyt.2013.00149
M3 - Article
C2 - 24298260
SN - 1664-0640
VL - 4
JO - Frontiers in Psychiatry
JF - Frontiers in Psychiatry
M1 - 149
ER -