Conditions: Nicotine Dependence
Keywords: nicotine dependence tobacco smoking
Allocation: NON_RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: SINGLE_GROUP
Enrollment: 21
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of varenicline treatment on cue induced craving to smoking using brain imaging. The investigators hypothesize that participants will report reduced urges to smoke and will have less activation in parts of the brain associated with craving.

Detailed description:
Treatment with varenicline reduces overall subjective cigarette craving and smoking reward in nicotine-dependent smokers. This preliminary study will explore the impact of varenicline treatment on smoking cue-induced craving and associated regional brain activation using BOLD fMRI. Twenty healthy smokers (10 males, 10 females) will undergo two BOLD fMRI scans with the presentation of smoking-related and neutral cues at baseline and after five weeks of treatment with open-label varenicline. The investigators hypothesize that participants will report reduced urges to smoke on the Questionnaire of Smoking Urges-Brief and have less activation of the brain areas associated with craving during the fMRI after 5 weeks of varenicline and smoking cessation counseling compared to the baseline scan.

Arms:
arm 1: All participants received varenicline. A priori determined analysis was between participants who quit smoking and those who continued to smoke.

This arm was abstinent after 5 weeks of varenicline treatment.. arm 2: All participants received varenicline. A priori determined analysis was between participants who quit smoking and those who continued to smoke.

This arm was participants who continued to smoke after 5 weeks of varenicline treatment.

Interventions: intervention 1: varenicline
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: Participants will be treated with a standard course of varenicline, 0.5 mg 1 tablet every day for 3 days, then 0.5 mg 1 tab twice a day for four days, and 1 mg 1 tablet twice a day for three months.

Protocol document: