title: Psychophysiological reactivity to environmental tobacco smoke on smokers and non-smokers.
abstract: Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) is an air pollutant with a relevant impact on public health. In addition, ETS is a significant stimulus that may elicit different responses depending on previous experience and current status regarding smoking. Exposure to cigarette cues has been shown to be a reliable method for inducing subjective and physiological responses. However, the role of ETS as a stimulus has not received, to date, enough attention in the research literature. This study aimed to analyse both the autonomic and subjective responses of smokers and non-smokers to exposure to ETS. To that end, 41 non-smokers and 57 smokers were exposed to ETS, in a controlled laboratory setting. We measured the subjective perception of smoke, unpleasantness, heart rate and skin conductance to compare the reactions of smokers and non-smokers to ETS. Additionally, subjective tobacco craving after exposure was assessed for current smokers. We found different psychophysiological responses to ETS exposure for smokers and non-smokers. Smokers showed a generalised increase in autonomic activity, significantly greater than that of non-smokers. In addition, heart rate increase during exposure to ETS was positively correlated with subjective craving. Our data suggested that ETS was an important stimulus and acted as a relevant cue for smokers; it induced both psychophysiological reactions and subjective craving. Hence, this kind of stimulus within the cue-reactivity research paradigm may be useful for studying the effect of ETS on smokers' reactions, craving, quitting attempts, or relapse probabilities.
authors.affiliation: Area of Psychobiology, Department of Human Anatomy and Psychobiology, University of Murcia, 30100 Espinardo-Murcia, Spain. ordonana@um.es
authors.forename: Juan R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Ordoñana
authors.forename: Francisca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: González-Javier
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gómez-Amor
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology; D003463:Cues; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011603:Psychophysiology; D057566:Self Report; D012907:Smoking / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000009:adverse effects*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution