title: Nicotine blood levels and subjective craving for cigarettes.
abstract: This study examined cigarette craving and blood nicotine levels in 11 male heavy smokers who were observed during 16 h of tobacco abstinence. Subjects rated their urge to smoke on a new brief 10-item questionnaire, Urge to Smoke (UTS), Schuh and Stitzer's four-item Visual Analog Scale (SSI), and a Strength of Urge to Smoke (SUTS) item. Testing occurred: 1) after 16 h (1700 h the night before to 0900 h the next morning) of abstinence from smoking; 2) after an ad lib smoking period following the 16 h abstinence; 3) every hour during 6 hours of abstinence; 4) and finally, after the 6 h abstinence, another ad lib smoking period. Thus, subjects smoked twice in each session. Blood plasma nicotine levels were measured before, after, and every 2 h during the 6-h abstinence period for a total of six measures. Blood pressure and heart rate were measured prior to each blood draw. There was a significant negative correlation between blood nicotine levels and craving for cigarettes on all craving questionnaires (rs = -0.55 to -0.78; ps < 0.002). Carbon monoxide was shown to correlate highly with nicotine blood levels (rs = 0.83 to 0.98 across subjects; ps < 0.001). Results are consistent with the hypothesis that "urge to smoke" reflects nicotine seeking in continuing smokers.
authors.affiliation: UCLA, School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90073, USA.
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Jarvik
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Madsen
authors.forename: R E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Olmstead
authors.forename: P N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Iwamoto-Schaap
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Elins
authors.forename: N L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Benowitz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D009538:Nicotine / Q000097:blood*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012907:Smoking / Q000097:blood* / Q000523:psychology; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000523:psychology; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000097:blood / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D009538:Nicotine