Clinical trial NCT02481752: The Effect of AAT Training in Smokers
Official title: The Effect of AAT Training in Smokers
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Tobacco Use
Keywords: Tobacco Use
Nicotine Dependence
Lead sponsor: University of Texas at Austin
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2015-06-25
Enrollment: 52
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 65
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL

Brief summary: The purpose of this research study is to investigate the effect of a brief computer task (Approach Avoidance Task) on smoking cessation. The investigators will use a novel training protocol that works to target automatic thoughts and tendencies that occur outside of conscious control. Previous research suggests that these automatic tendencies may have a direct effect on certain health behaviors- like continuing to smoke despite having previous quit attempts.

The investigators hypothesize that individuals in the AAT training condition will evidence a greater decrease in reaction times to avoid smoking-related stimuli \& approach positive stimuli relative to those in the control condition. The investigators also expect that individuals in the AAT condition will exhibit superior outcomes on several quit-related variables as evidenced by an increase in motivation to quit smoking, an increase in number of days abstinent following a self-guided quit attempt, an increase in self-efficacy, and a decrease in urge to smoke compared to those in the SHAM training condition.


Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Male and female patients ages 18-65 capable of providing informed consent
* Willing and able to provide informed consent, attend all study visits, and comply with the protocol
* Daily smoker for at least 6 months
* Currently smoke an average of at least 8 cigarettes per day
* Report a motivation to quit smoking of at least 5 on a 10-point scale
* Interest in making a serious quit attempt within the next month (without professional assistance or nicotine therapy)
* Have not decreased their number of cigarettes by more than half in the last six months

Exclusion Criteria:

* Visual or hand-motoric impairments
* Current use of nicotine replacement therapy
* Current use of tobacco products other than cigarettes
* Insufficient command of the English language

Primary outcomes:
measure: Reaction Time on Approach Avoidance Task
timeFrame: 2 weeks
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Motivation to Quit Smoking as assessed by having participants rate their motivation to quit smoking on a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being not motivated at all and 10 being extremely motivated to quit).
timeFrame: 2 weeks
measure: Number of Days Abstinent as assessed by daily cigarette count during a self-guided quit attempt.
timeFrame: 2 weeks
measure: Self Efficacy as assessed by the Relapse Situation Self-Efficacy questionnaire.
timeFrame: 2 weeks
measure: Urge to Smoke as assessed by the QSU-brief (Questionnaire of Smoking Urges).
timeFrame: 2 weeks
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Austin
country: United States
facility: University of Texas at Austin
state: Texas
Study officials:
affiliation: University of Texas at Austin
name: Jasper A Smits, Ph.D.
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
affiliation: University of Texas at Austin
name: Scarlett O Baird, B.A.
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: