Wiers R W, Rinck M, Dictus M, van den Wildenberg E
Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Genes Brain Behav. 2009 Feb;8(1):101-6. doi: 10.1111/j.1601-183X.2008.00454.x. Epub 2008 Nov 11.
This study investigated whether automatic approach action tendencies for alcohol-related stimuli were associated with variation in the mu-opioid receptor gene (OPRM1), previously related to rewarding effects of alcohol and craving. An adapted approach avoidance task was used, in which participants pulled or pushed a joystick in reaction to the format of a picture shown on the computer screen (e.g. pull landscape pictures and push portrait pictures). Picture size on the screen changed upon joystick movement, so that upon a pull movement picture size increased (creating a sense of approach) and upon a push movement picture size decreased (avoidance). Participants reacted to four categories of pictures: alcohol-related, other appetitive, general positive and general negative. The sample consisted of 84 heavy drinking young men without a g-allele in the A118G (or A355G) single nucleotide polymorphism of the OPRM1 gene and 24 heavy drinking young men with at least one g-allele. Heavy drinking carriers of a g-allele showed relatively strong automatic approach tendencies for alcohol (approach bias). Unexpectedly, they also showed an approach bias for other appetitive stimuli. No approach bias was found for general positive or negative stimuli. These results suggest that automatic approach tendencies in response to appetitive stimuli could play a role in the etiology of addictive behaviors and related disorders. Further research is needed to investigate the specificity of this approach bias and possible gender differences.
本研究调查了与酒精相关刺激的自动趋近动作倾向是否与μ-阿片受体基因（OPRM1）的变异有关，该基因先前与酒精的奖赏效应和渴望有关。采用了一种改编的趋近-回避任务，参与者根据电脑屏幕上显示的图片格式（例如，拉动风景图片并推动人像图片）拉动或推动操纵杆。屏幕上的图片大小会随着操纵杆的移动而变化，因此在拉动动作时图片大小会增加（营造一种趋近感），而在推动动作时图片大小会减小（回避）。参与者对四类图片做出反应：与酒精相关的、其他有食欲的、一般积极的和一般消极的。样本包括84名在OPRM1基因的A118G（或A355G）单核苷酸多态性中没有g等位基因的重度饮酒青年男性和24名至少有一个g等位基因的重度饮酒青年男性。携带g等位基因的重度饮酒者对酒精表现出相对较强的自动趋近倾向（趋近偏差）。出乎意料的是，他们对其他有食欲的刺激也表现出趋近偏差。对于一般积极或消极刺激未发现趋近偏差。这些结果表明，对有食欲刺激的自动趋近倾向可能在成瘾行为及相关障碍的病因学中起作用。需要进一步研究来调查这种趋近偏差的特异性以及可能的性别差异。
