Posttraumatic stress symptoms and cigarette deprivation in the prediction of anxious responding among trauma-exposed smokers: a laboratory test.
BACKGROUND
The present investigation examined the main and interactive effects of posttraumatic stress symptom severity and 12-hr cigarette deprivation (cf. smoking as usual) in the prediction of anxious responding during a 4-min 10% carbon dioxide (CO₂)-enriched air laboratory challenge. It was hypothesized that 12-hr cigarette deprivation would exacerbate the effects of posttraumatic stress symptom severity with regard to anxious responding during the challenge.


METHODS
Participants were 63 daily smokers (46.0% women; M(age) = 30.79, SD = 13.12, range = 18-60) who reported experiencing one or more traumatic events. The study consisted of two laboratory sessions. At the first session, participants were administered a structured diagnostic interview and completed self-reported measures. Eligible participants were randomly assigned to one of two conditions for the second session: (a) 12-hr cigarette deprivation or (b) noncigarette deprivation (i.e., smoking as usual). At the second session, participants' smoking status was biochemically verified, and all eligible participants then were administered the 10% CO₂-enriched air laboratory challenge protocol.


RESULTS
The main and interactive effects of posttraumatic stress symptom severity and the smoking-as-usual condition--not the hypothesized 12-hr cigarette deprivation condition--were significantly predictive of peri-challenge anxiety. The interactive effect of posttraumatic stress by smoking as usual was significant at Minutes 3 and 4 of the challenge specifically.


CONCLUSIONS
The present investigation provided novel findings related to the roles of cigarette deprivation and smoking with regard to self-reported anxious responding, among trauma-exposed smokers, during a challenge paradigm.
Vujanovic
Anka A
AA
National Center for PTSD-Behavioral Science Division, VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 South Huntington Avenue (116B-2), Boston, MA 02130, USA. anka.vujanovic@va.gov
Marshall-Berenz
Erin C
EC
Beckham
Jean C
JC
Bernstein
Amit
A
Zvolensky
Michael J
MJ
D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D003213:Conditioning, Psychological; D019548:Crime Victims / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012044:Regression Analysis; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology*; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult
D002245:Carbon Dioxide