Effects of Smoking Cues on Tobacco Craving Responses and the Reinforcing Efficacy of Cigarettes in Adolescent Smokers
Condition: Nicotine Dependence
MeSH terms: Tobacco Use Disorder
Study type: Observational

Summary: 
      Background:

        -  Multiple social, psychological, and environmental factors contribute to adolescents' use
           of cigarettes. Environmental smoking cues have been shown to play an important role in
           the maintenance of nicotine addiction and in relapse to smoking. However, few studies
           have examined craving and cue-reactivity in adolescent smokers, even though craving
           appears to contribute to ongoing smoking and relapse in this age group.

        -  Another factor central to addiction is the rewarding effect of drugs, or the interaction
           between the person, the drug, and the environmental setting. However, more research is
           needed on whether environmental cues lead to increased smoking in adolescents.

      Objectives:

      - To determine the effects of smoking versus neutral cues in adolescents who smoke on (1)
      craving, mood, and autonomic responsivity and (2) the relative reinforcing efficacy of
      tobacco cigarettes.

      Eligibility:

      - Adolescents 12 to 17 years of age who are current smokers (at least five cigarettes per day
      for the past 6 months).

      Design:

        -  This study will involve three study visits. Participants will be allowed to smoke before
           all study sessions and will give a breath carbon monoxide (CO) sample before all
           sessions. Participants must not use any illicit drugs or alcohol 24 hours before
           sessions.

        -  Visit 1 (baseline session): Participants will provide a urine sample and will be
           familiarized with the study room and session design.

        -  Visits 2 and 3: Participants will be connected to physiological recording devices to
           measure heart rate, perspiration, and other physical responses. After baseline readings,
           participants will be exposed to smoking cues at one experimental session and to neutral
           cues at the other experimental session.

        -  Before, during, and after cue presentation, participants will complete self-report
           measures of mood and craving and have physiological measures taken. They will then be
           re-exposed to smoking or neutral cues and engage in a self-administration procedure to
           examine the effect of cues on the reinforcing efficacy of cigarettes.
    

Detailed description: 
      Objective:

      To determine the effects of smoking versus neutral cues in adolescents who smoke on 1)
      craving, mood, and autonomic responsivity and 2) the relative reinforcing efficacy of tobacco
      cigarettes.

      Study population:

      25 adolescents who smoke at least 5 cigarettes per day.

      Design:

      Comparison-controlled, within-subjects design.

      Outcome Measures:

      During cue trials, primary measures include craving (TCQ-SF, VAS), mood (mood form, VAS), and
      autonomic (heart rate, blood pressure, skin conductance) responsivity. During
      self-administration trials, primary measures include breakpoint (final ratio completed),
      total number of responses, and number of cigarette puffs earned and taken. Secondary measures
      include baseline smoking history, mood, tobacco craving, smoking expectancies, nicotine
      dependence, and urinary cotinine and 3-hydroxycotinine.
    

Time perspective: Prospective
Keywords: Craving; Moods; Adolescents; Nicotine; Reinforcement