The trial-by-trial fluctuations in primary motor cortex excitability during attentional bias among smokers: a transcranial magnetic stimulation study

• Xue Xia ^[3] ; Dandan Wang ^[1] ; Yansong Li ^[2] ; Xiaoyun Zhu ^[1] ; Xiaoying Tan ^[4] ; Yin Wu ^[1]
  1. [1] Shanghai University of Sport

     Shanghai University of Sport

     China

     
  2. [2] Qingdao University

     Qingdao University

     China

     
  3. [3] University of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Qingdao, China
  4. [4] Macao Polytechnic University, Macao, China

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• Localización: International journal of clinical and health psychology, ISSN 1697-2600, Vol. 24, Nº. 2, 2024, págs. 241-250
• Idioma: inglés
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  • Background A relatively new computational approach called trial-level bias score (TL-BS) has shown that attentional bias to smoking-related stimuli in smokers fluctuates temporally, trial by trial, during attention tasks. Here, we investigated the reliability of using TL-BS values to assess attentional bias and the electrophysiology mechanisms undergirding fluctuations in attentional bias among smokers.

    Method In total, 26 male smokers and 26 male non-smokers performed a dot-probe task in Experiment 1. In Experiment 2, an additional 23 male smokers and 23 male non-smokers performed the same task while undergoing single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation, which was used to investigate corticospinal excitability.

    Results It showed that assessing TL-BS parameters for reaction time (RT) was more reliable than calculating the traditional mean attentional bias score; however, this superior reliability was no longer apparent after controlling for general RT variability. There was a significant difference between smokers and non-smokers in TL-BS parameters calculated for both RT and motor-evoked potential (MEP) amplitude. However, TL-BS parameters for RT and MEP amplitude were strongly correlated with general RT variability and general MEP variability, respectively.

    Conclusions Our findings indicated that TL-BS parameters may not be ideal for measuring attentional bias at either the behavioral or electrophysiology level; however, larger general RT and MEP amplitude variabilities in non-smokers may indicate dysregulation of cognitive processing in smokers.