Cognition and Addiction

From The Critics

Reviewer: Gary B Kaniuk, Psy.D.(Cermak Health Services)
Description: This book describes the cognitive factors which underlie addictive behaviors, focusing on abused substances including alcohol, nicotine, cocaine, and opiates.
Purpose: According to the editors in the foreword, "although research into the relationship between cognitive processes and addictive behaviours is currently an area of substantial growth and interest, there are few volumes that bring together the state-of-the-art in this research. As the field matures, such a monograph is timely and will serve to capture the current state of knowledge, as well as identifying directions for future research. We have attempted to do this by inviting leading authorities in the field to contribute specialist chapters which synthesize the current state of their research, in the context of dominant theoretical models."
Audience: The intended readership "would comprise postgraduate students, research workers and other academic staff, as well as current workers in the field of addiction," according to the editors. The editors and contributors represent international academic centers of learning, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, the Netherlands, and Iran.
Features: The 10 chapters are filled with research and theoretical models of the relationship of cognition to addiction. Some of the topics covered include theoretical perspectives and approaches, motivational basis of cognitive determinants of addiction, opiate cognitions, and neurocircuitry of attentional processes in addictive behaviors. Each chapter is written in outline form so it is easy to follow the author's train of thought. The authors also provide directions for future research. Chapter nine, "Clinical relevance of implicit cognition in addiction" is interesting in the way the authors differentiate between implicit and explicit cognitions and provide various behavioral alternatives to intervene on implicit processes. Chapter 10, "Appetite lost and found: cognitive psychology in the addiction clinic" presents an alternative to traditional CBT treatment for addictive behaviors. This new approach incorporates cognitive science (CHANGE model —Change Habits and Negative Generation of Emotions) to deal with impulse control and emotionality, along with other CBT techniques as part of an integrated treatment plan.
Assessment: This book is on the cutting edge of cognitive science and its relationship to addiction. It is full of research findings and provides treatment alternatives. There are no easy answers to ameliorating such a difficult set of behaviors, but this book does a fine job of presenting the most salient issues. It is not the easiest book to read but certainly worth the effort. The authors are internationally known in this field and really cover many important bases. Readers won't be disappointed.