Effects of transdermal nicotine during imaginal exposure to anxiety and smoking cues in college smokers.
In a 2 (patch) x 2 (smoking) x 2 (anxiety) mixed design, 52 undergraduate smokers randomly received a nicotine (21 mg) or placebo patch. After a 4-hr nicotine absorption/deprivation period, participants imagined several scenarios varying in cue content: (a) anxiety plus smoking, (b) anxiety, (c) smoking, and (d) neutral. Although smoking urge increased in both the nicotine and placebo conditions after the absorption/deprivation period, those who received the placebo reported significantly greater urge. During the cue reactivity trials, a significant Patch x Smoking x Anxiety interaction effect was observed for urge. However, participants who received nicotine still experienced moderate urges, indicating that nicotine did not attenuate cue-elicited urge. Transdermal nicotine did not diminish anxiety during the absorption/deprivation period or in response to the cues.
Morissette
Sandra Baker
SB
Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders, Boston University, MA, USA. sandra.morissette@med.va.gov
Palfai
Tibor P
TP
Gulliver
Suzy Bird
SB
Spiegel
David A
DA
Barlow
David H
DH
D000279:Administration, Cutaneous; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology*; D003463:Cues; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007092:Imagination; D008297:Male; D009538:Nicotine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000379:methods*; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014495:Universities
D018722:Nicotinic Agonists; D009538:Nicotine