Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42538610›Full record

ArticleAlcohol, clinical & experimental research2026

Attentional Bias During a Novel Alcohol Cue Virtual Reality Paradigm.

Ryan M Sullivan, Benjamin S McKenna, Weichen Liu, Arwynn McKinty, Camarin Laurance, Craig R Rush, Nadir Weibel, Kelly E Courtney

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Alcohol, clinical & experimental research, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Ryan M SullivanDepartment of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9180-4909
Benjamin S McKennaDepartment of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5607-6376
Weichen LiuDepartment of Computer Science and Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8576-6130
Arwynn McKintyDepartment of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.
Camarin LauranceDepartment of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.
Craig R RushDepartment of Behavioral Science, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0814-8558
Nadir WeibelDepartment of Computer Science and Engineering, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3457-4227
Kelly E CourtneyDepartment of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9280-2435

Funding

UC San Diego Clinical and Translational Research InstituteUL1TR001442 · NCATS · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · PI FIRESTEIN, GARY S, HOGARTH, MICHAEL · 2015 to 2024
$88.3M
Alcohol Research in the Science/Practitioner ModelT32AA013525 · NIAAA · SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY · PI EDWARD P RILEY, ANDREA SPADONI TOWNSEND · 2002 to 2026
$8.4M
The Use of Virtual Reality to Discover Objective Correlates of Alcohol CravingR21AA030284 · NIAAA · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · PI COURTNEY, KELLY ELIZABETH · 2023 to 2024
$415k
Developmental Brain Connectomes and Substance Use in AdolescenceF32DA064409 · NIDA · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · PI Ryan Michael Sullivan · 2025 to 2026
$152k
California Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program (TRDRP) T30IP0962NCATS NIH HHS UL1 TR001442NIAAA NIH HHS R21 AA030284NIAAA NIH HHS T32 AA013525NIDA NIH HHS F32 DA064409NIH HHS F32 DA064409NIH HHS R21 AA030284NIH HHS T32 AA013525NIH HHS UL1 TR001442
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAttentional bias to alcohol cues is largely investigated using pictorial cues (i.e., two-dimensional images). The addition of eye-tracking metrics has improved these investigations yet are limited by a lack of naturalistic cues. Virtual reality (VR) can theoretically improve ecological validity through three-dimensional alcohol object presentation while utilizing eye-tracking metrics. This report sought to test the construct validity of the Alcohol Cue VR paradigm in evoking subjective craving and attentional bias through measurement of eye-gaze characteristics.

methodsParticipants (n = 105, 53% male, M

resultsAlcohol use history, age of regular use onset, recency of use, and binge episodes were significantly associated with eye-gaze fixation time to alcohol cues; how present one felt within the VR scenes did not moderate these findings. Alcohol-related predictors accounted for a larger proportion of variance in VR-based models of attentional bias (ΔR

conclusionsThe Alcohol Cue VR paradigm provided commensurate measures of attentional bias in the context of alcohol cues. Unique alcohol-related characteristics impacted the extent of attentional bias to alcohol-related cues, exemplifying the utility of VR-derived measurement in assessing alcohol use. Future research can understand whether VR attentional bias is modifiable through treatment and can serve as clinical endpoints.

Indexed as

Alcohol DrinkingAttentional BiasCravingCuesVirtual RealityAdultEye-Tracking TechnologyFemaleFixation, OcularHumansMalePhotic StimulationReaction TimeYoung Adultalcoholattentional biascravingcue‐exposurevirtual reality

Identifiers

PMID42538610
PMCPMC13428062

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.