Effect of acupuncture on selective attention for smoking-related visual cues in smokers.
OBJECTIVE
Cue reactivity is a key factor that modulates motivational goal directed behavior associated with compulsive drug intake and relapse. We investigated the effect of acupuncture on the selective attention to smoking-related visual cues in smokers, as an index of the severity of drug dependence.


METHODS
Twenty-nine smokers received real acupuncture (n=15) or sham acupuncture (n=14) to the acupuncture point HT7 (Sinmun) for 2 consecutive days after quitting smoking. A visual probe task was used to measure the attentional bias using neutral or smoking visual cues after the second acupuncture stimulation. The cigarette withdrawal scale was also measured on the same day.


RESULTS
The real acupuncture group showed markedly attenuated attentional bias towards smoking cues. The real acupuncture group exhibited significant decrease in withdrawal symptoms compared to the sham acupuncture group. The attentional bias revealed a significant positive correlation with the smoking withdrawal symptoms (r=0.430, p<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Acupuncture treatment ameliorated the smoking withdrawal symptoms as well as the selective attention to smoking-related visual cues in smokers. The selective attention to smoking cues was associated with the degree of the cigarette withdrawal symptoms.
Chae
Younbyoung
Y
Acupuncture and Meridian Science Research Center, Kyung Hee University, Seoul 130-701, Korea.
Kang
O-Seok
OS
Lee
Hwa-Jin
HJ
Kim
Song-Yi
SY
Lee
Hyejung
H
Park
Hun-Kuk
HK
Yang
Jong-Soo
JS
Park
Hi-Joon
HJ
D015670:Acupuncture Therapy; D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention; D003463:Cues; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011930:Reaction Time; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012907:Smoking; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000379:methods*; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000628:therapy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014796:Visual Perception