Does sleep affect alcohol-related attention bias?

Brown, C.E. and Wilcockson, T.D.W. and Lunn, J. (2020) Does sleep affect alcohol-related attention bias? Journal of Substance Use, 25 (5). pp. 515-518. ISSN 1465-9891

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Abstract

Background: Poor quality sleep can lead to executive function deficits, including problems with inhibitory control. Similarly, substance use is associated with decreased inhibitory control for substance-related stimuli. Therefore, this study investigated whether sleep quality is associated with attentional bias. Methods: Participants were 39 university students (18-28 years, 29 females). An eye tracking task was used to measure attentional bias for alcohol-related stimuli. Alcohol usage and sleep quality were measured using self- report questionnaires (AUDIT and PSQI respectively). Results: An attentional bias related to alcohol usage was observed within the participants. However, there was no association observed with sleep quality. Conclusion: Therefore, we conclude that sleep quality may not influence attentional biases.