Stimuli-Specific Inhibitory Control in Disorders Due to Addictive Behaviours: a Review of Current Evidence and Discussion of Methodological Challenges

Abstract

Abstract Purpose of Review This systematic review focuses on stimuli-specific inhibitory control as measured with variations of Go/No-Go, Stroop, and Stop-Signal tasks including addiction-related cues. We aimed to identify whether individuals with tendencies towards behavioural addictions show stimulus-specific reductions in inhibitory control as assumed by recent theoretical models. Recent Findings The systematic literature search yielded 31 studies eligible for inclusion. Most studies focused on gaming disorder and problematic social networks use. Variants of the Go/No-Go task were most frequently used measures of inhibitory control. Findings on stimuli-specific reductions in inhibitory control are mixed. The studies differ considerably regarding used measures, sample characteristics, and study designs. Summary The large methodological heterogeneity across studies makes it almost impossible to draw any clear conclusions. Study designs, task characteristics, stimuli, and diagnostic instruments should be more standardised and used more consistently. We recommend to recruit clinical samples for studying stimuli-specific inhibitory control in behavioural addictions.