title: Young Adult Smokers' Neural Response to Graphic Cigarette Warning Labels.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The study examined young adult smokers' neural response to graphic warning labels (GWLs) on cigarette packs using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
  
  
  METHODS
  Nineteen young adult smokers (Mage 22.9, 52.6% male, 68.4% non-white,M4.3 cigarettes/day) completed pre-scan, self-report measures of demographics, cigarette smoking behavior, and nicotine dependence, and an fMRI scanning session. During the scanning session participants viewed cigarette pack images (total 64 stimuli, viewed 4 seconds each) that varied based on the warning label (graphic or visually occluded control) and pack branding (branded or plain packaging) in an event-related experimental design. Participants reported motivation to quit (MTQ) in response to each image using a push-button control. Whole-brain blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) functional images were acquired during the task.
  
  
  RESULTS
  GWLs produced significantly greater self-reported MTQ than control warnings (p< .001). Imaging data indicate stronger neural activation in response to GWLs than the control warnings at a cluster-corrected thresholdp<.001 in medial prefrontal cortex, amygdala, medial temporal lobe, and occipital cortex. There were no significant differences in response to warnings on branded versus plain cigarette packages.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this sample of young adult smokers, GWLs promoted neural activation in brain regions involved in cognitive and affective decision-making and memory formation and the effects of GWLs did not differ on branded or plain cigarette packaging. These findings complement other recent neuroimaging GWL studies conducted with older adult smokers and with adolescents by demonstrating similar patterns of neural activation in response to GWLs among young adult smokers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC.
authors.forename: Adam E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Green
authors.affiliation: Georgetown University Medical Center, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Washington, DC.
authors.forename: Darren
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mays
authors.affiliation: Annenberg School for Communication, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.
authors.forename: Emily B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Falk
authors.affiliation: Truth Initiative, Washington, DC; Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD; Global Institute of Public Health, New York University, New York, NY.
authors.forename: Donna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vallone
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC.
authors.forename: Natalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gallagher
authors.affiliation: University of North Carolina Gillings School of Public Health, Chapel Hill, NC.
authors.forename: Amanda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Richardson
authors.affiliation: Georgetown University Medical Center, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Washington, DC.
authors.forename: Kenneth P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Tercyak
authors.affiliation: Georgetown University Medical Center, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Washington, DC; Truth Initiative, Washington, DC; Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD.
authors.forename: David B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Abrams
authors.affiliation: Georgetown University Medical Center, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Washington, DC; Truth Initiative, Washington, DC; Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD.
authors.forename: Raymond S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Niaura
keywords: Graphic warning label; cigarettes; neuroimaging; young adults