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Alcohol and Alcoholism Advance Access originally published online on October 4, 2006
Alcohol and Alcoholism 2006 41(6):604-610; doi:10.1093/alcalc/agl076
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© The Author 2006. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Medical Council on Alcohol. All rights reserved

DIAZEPAM DOSE-DEPENDENTLY INCREASES OR DECREASES IMPLICIT PRIMING OF ALCOHOL ASSOCIATIONS IN PROBLEM DRINKERS

MARTIN ZACK*, CONSTANTINE X. POULOS and TRACY M. WOODFORD

Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), 33 Russell Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 2S1

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. Tel: +416 535 8501, ext. 6052; Fax: +416 595 6618; E-mail: martin_zack{at}camh.net

(Received 9 December 2005; first review notified 6 March 2006; in revised form 17 August 2006; accepted 17 August 2006)

Aims: Words denoting negative affect (NEG) have been found to prime alcohol-related words (ALC) on semantic priming tasks, and this effect is tied to severity of addiction. Previous research suggested that high doses of benzodiazepines may dampen NEG-ALC priming. The present study tested this possibility and the role of motivation for alcohol in this process. Methods: A placebo-controlled, double blind, between-within, counterbalanced design was employed. Two groups of male problem drinkers (n = 6/group) received a high (15-mg) or low (5-mg) dose of diazepam versus placebo on two identical test sessions. A lexical decision task assessed priming. Results: Under placebo, significant NEG->ALC priming emerged in each group. High-dose diazepam selectively reversed this effect, while low-dose selectively enhanced it. Correlations between NEG->ALC priming and desire for alcohol provided further support that semantic priming of ALC concepts reflects a motivational process. The bi-directional effects found here parallel the effects of high- versus low-dose benzodiazepines on alcohol self-administration in animals. Conclusions: High-dose diazepam reduces prime-induced activation of ALC concepts in problem drinkers. Low-dose diazepam facilitates this process, and cross-priming of motivation for alcohol appears to explain this effect. Neurochemical modulation of the alcohol memory network may contribute to the motivational effects of benzodiazepines in problem drinkers.


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