TY  - GEN
AV  - public
CY  - Heidelberg
TI  - Delay Discounting of Aversive Consequences: 
A Potential Cognitive Pathomechanism in Alcohol Use Disorder
Y1  - 2024///
N2  - Delay Discounting is a theoretical account used to describe and quantify intertemporal decision-making. It assumes that motivational values of future outcomes decrease as a function of delay and objective value, and that the slope of this devaluation can be modelled and compared between individuals. Steeper Reward Discounting (i.e. preference for immediate rewards) has been linked to a number of mental disorders, including Alcohol Use Disorder. Conversely, research on Aversion Discounting is relatively lacking, despite the fact that continued consumption despite delayed aversive consequences (e.g. health, financial well-being) is a hallmark symptom of addiction. 
This dissertation aimed to investigate the extent to which aversive consequences are subject to discounting, and whether Aversion Discounting is a relevant cognitive mechanism in pathological decision-making leading to addiction. Across three studies, Aversion Discounting was examined using monetary losses to represent future aversive consequences. First, neural activation during Reward and Aversion Discounting was compared in an fMRI experiment with 30 healthy participants. The second study focused on comparing behavior during Reward and Aversion Discounting in 198 healthy participants using a novel web-based adaptive intertemporal choice task. The third study applied this framework to 347 moderate-to-heavy drinkers.
The results demonstrated a systematic, time-dependent devaluation of future losses, although a notable proportion of participants exhibited non-discounting behavior in Aversion Discounting, and the discounting curves were generally more shallow compared to Reward Discounting. Despite these differences, Reward and Aversion Discounting rates were moderately correlated, and the same modified hyperboloid model best predicted behavior in both tasks. Furthermore, no significant differences in brain activity were observed during Reward and Aversion Discounting.
Aversion Discounting did not predict alcohol consumption levels or the severity of alcohol-related problems. Two possible conclusions can be drawn: either Aversion Discounting is not a relevant mechanism in Alcohol Use Disorder, or it is inadequately operationalized through monetary decision-making. Given the small effect sizes, Reward Discounting should be viewed as one of many risk factors, and Aversion Discounting, if relevant, may be an even smaller factor.
ID  - heidok35394
UR  - https://archiv.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/volltextserver/35394/
A1  - Pinger, Mathieu
ER  -