Project Title: Event-Related Potentials and Cognitive
Mechanisms in Specific Health Risk Behaviors
Objective 1
Heterogeneity among alcohol users
Identified heterogeneity within alcohol-using populations by classifying individuals into approach vs. avoidance groups based on behavioral and ERP data.
Found significant differences in neural responses (e.g., P3, FN400) between the two groups, highlighting the need for individualized intervention strategies.
Objective 2
Influence of approach tendencies on instrumental behavior
Used the Pavlovian-to-Instrumental Transfer (PIT) paradigm to assess how alcohol cues affect adaptive reward-seeking behavior.
ERP findings revealed that neural impairments during PIT were more prominent in the approach group, despite comparable behavioral performance.
Demonstrated that automatic tendencies modulate underlying neural processes during goal-directed tasks.
Objective 3
Effectiveness of CC and rTMS in reducing alcohol approach tendencies
Implemented counterconditioning (CC) by pairing alcohol cues with negative outcomes (e.g., token loss), which significantly reduced both behavioral and neural indicators of approach bias.
Planned and initiated a neurostimulation intervention using excitatory rTMS targeted at the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), based on observed attenuated activity in this region among approach-biased individuals.
Currently collecting pilot data for the rTMS phase, with the goal of enhancing top-down control and reducing automatic cue-driven responses.