Search

Background: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) show a graded association with the development of substance use disorders (SUDs) and engagement in risky substance use behaviors. Women are overrepresented among individuals with more severe childhood adversity (≥4 types of ACEs) and may be at particular risk for aberrant substance use. Objectives: To assess the prevalence of ACEs among men and women with cannabis, opioid, cocaine, and tobacco use disorders. Methods: Non-treatment-seeking individuals participating in clinical addiction research at a single site completed the ACE questionnaire and provided a detailed substance use history. Data were analyzed using proportional odds models and logistic regression. Results: Most participants (424/565; 75%) reported at least one ACE, and more than one-quarter (156/565; 27%) reported severe childhood adversity. Relative to men ( n  = 283), women ( n  = 282) reported more ACEs (OR = 1.49; p  = .01) and more experiences of emotional/physical abuse (OR = 1.52; p  = .02), sexual abuse (OR = 4.08; p  = .04), and neglect (OR = 2.30; p  < .01). Participants in the cocaine (OR = 1.87; n = .01) and opioid (OR = 2.21; p  = .01) use disorder, but not cannabis use disorder (OR = 1.46; p  = .08), studies reported more severe adversity relative to the tobacco group. Relative to tobacco users, emotional/physical abuse (OR = 1.92; p  = .02) and neglect (OR = 2.46; p  = .01) scores were higher in cocaine users and household dysfunction scores were higher in opioid users (OR = 2.67; p  = .01). Conclusion: The prevalence of ACEs differs with respect to both participant gender and primary substance used. Novel SUD treatment strategies that incorporate ACEs may be uniquely beneficial in specific subpopulations of people with SUDs.

Importance: Cigarette smoking is the leading cause of preventable morbidity and mortality in the United States and worldwide, and most tobacco users begin smoking in adolescence. Although advances have yielded efficacious pharmacotherapies to complement smoking cessation counseling in adults, far less progress has been made in addressing tobacco use in adolescence., Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of varenicline tartrate for smoking cessation in adolescents and young adults., Design, Setting, and Participants: This 2-group randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind intention-to-treat clinical trial enrolled a volunteer sample of treatment-seeking adolescent and young adult cigarette smokers (n = 157) aged 14 to 21 years at an outpatient clinical site in Charleston, South Carolina, from August 15, 2012, to October 20, 2017. Follow-up was completed on January 25, 2018. Data were analyzed from March 19, 2018, to August 11, 2018, with further revisions completed April 10, 2019., Interventions: Participants were randomized in a 1:1 ratio to a 12-week course of varenicline (n = 77) or placebo (n = 80). All participants received weekly smoking cessation counseling., Main Outcomes and Measures: The preselected primary efficacy outcome was urine cotinine level-confirmed 7-day abstinence at the end of treatment. Secondary efficacy outcomes included weekly abstinence throughout active treatment, abstinence at posttreatment follow-up visits, and time to first 7-day abstinence. The primary safety outcome was the frequency of treatment-emergent adverse events., Results: A total of 157 participants were enrolled (94 male [59.9%]; mean [SD] age, 19.1 [1.5] years). The varenicline and placebo groups did not differ in the primary outcome of cotinine-confirmed self-reported 7-day abstinence at the end of treatment (varenicline group, 4 of 45 [8.9%]; placebo group, 4 of 45 [8.9%]; risk ratio [RR], 0.97; 95% CI, 0.29-2.99; P = .96). However, among secondary outcomes, the varenicline group achieved self-reported earlier abstinence of at least 7 days (hazard ratio, 1.91; 95% CI, 1.12-3.27) and demonstrated higher rates of self-reported weekly abstinence during the full course of treatment (RR, 1.81; 95% CI, 1.09-2.99; P = .02) and at posttreatment follow-up (RR, 1.82; 95% CI, 1.01-3.28; P = .02). Study medication was generally well tolerated, and treatment-emergent adverse events did not differ between groups (any adverse events, 55 [71.4%] in the varenicline group vs 60 [75.0%] in the placebo group; RR, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.79-1.15; P = .61)., Conclusions and Relevance: When added to weekly cessation counseling for adolescent cigarette smokers, varenicline, compared with placebo, was well tolerated but did not improve end-of-treatment abstinence. However, varenicline may hasten abstinence and yield improvements in posttreatment abstinence outcomes., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01509547.

Although distress tolerance (DT) is associated with smoking lapse and relapse outcomes, few studies have conducted a rigorous assessment of DT across domain and method in the context of acute abstinence. In a human laboratory-based study of 106 adult daily smokers, we examined between multiple indices of DT and smoking lapse, withdrawal processes, and motivation to quit. We expected that low DT would be associated with shorter latency to smoke, greater withdrawal severity, and lower motivation to quit. Following a smoking abstinence period (≥ 6 hr deprived), participants completed an assessment battery including both behavioral (mirror-tracing, serial addition, cold pressor, and breath-holding tasks) and self-report measures of DT (general and smoking-specific), withdrawal processes (craving, negative affect, and positive affect), and motivation to quit. Latency to smoke (range = 0-50 min) was assessed in a laboratory analogue task in which delaying smoking was monetarily rewarded. Behavioral and self-report DT indices displayed only modest intercorrelations, indicating different facets of this construct by domain and method of assessment. Tolerance of physical pain was uniquely associated with smoking choice. Both self-report DT measures were associated with abstinence-induced increases in negative affect, while only smoking-specific DT was positively associated with craving. Results are discussed within the context of guiding targeted behavioral interventions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Objective: Long-term abstinence can be undermined by cessation fatigue-an exhaustion of coping resources attributable to quitting smoking/staying quit. The current study examines the predictive validity of a Cessation Fatigue Scale (CFS; three subscales). Among current smokers, we hypothesized higher fatigue would predict longer latency to both quit initiation and achieving 7-day point prevalence abstinence (7-day PPA). Among recent quitters, we expected higher cessation fatigue would confer greater lapse/relapse risk. Lower rates of abstinence at 2-month follow-up were expected for those with higher fatigue., Method: Current smokers motivated to quit in the next month (n = 301) and recent quitters (n = 242) were assessed biweekly over the course of 2 months. Retention rates were high (>85%). Cox and logistic regression analyses tested hypotheses., Results: Among smokers, greater emotional exhaustion predicted longer delay to achieving 7-day PPA (HR = .53, 95% CI [.40, -.68], p < .001) and lower likelihood of 7-day PPA at 2-month follow-up (OR = .27, 95% CI [.16, -.46], p < .001), even after controlling for nicotine dependence and motivation to quit. Among recent quitters, emotional exhaustion progressively increased over the first 6 weeks since quit initiation. Elevated exhaustion was associated with greater lapse (HR = 1.65, 95% CI [1.06, 2.56], p < .05) and relapse (HR = 2.33, 95% CI [1.37, 3.97], p < .01) risk, and lower likelihood of 7-day PPA at 2-month follow-up (OR = .39, 95% CI [.16, .94], p < .05), even after controlling for nicotine withdrawal and motivation to quit., Conclusions: Cessation fatigue, as measured by the CFS's emotional exhaustion subscale, prospectively predicted important cessation milestones. Findings suggest that cessation fatigue is a novel process that undermines smoking cessation and a viable target for intervention. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Introduction: The Intolerance for Smoking Abstinence Discomfort Questionnaire (IDQ-S) assesses distress tolerance specific to nicotine withdrawal. Though developed to assess withdrawal-related distress, the IDQ-S has not been validated among nicotine-deprived, treatment-seeking smokers. The present study extended previous research by examining the predictive utility of the IDQ-S among abstinent, motivated-to-quit smokers., Methods: Abstinent, treatment-seeking smokers completed the IDQ-S Withdrawal Intolerance and Lack of Cognitive Coping scales, assessments of nicotine dependence and reinforcement, and smoking history at baseline. At baseline and at 24-h, 2-week, and 1-month follow-up, participants completed a smoking cue-reactivity task (collection of cue-elicited craving and negative affect), and assessments of cigarettes per day (CPD; daily diaries at follow-up), carbon monoxide (CO), and cotinine., Results: Greater IDQ-S Withdrawal Intolerance was associated with younger age, higher nicotine dependence and reinforcement, and less smoking years (ps < .03). Greater IDQ-S Lack of Cognitive Coping was associated with less education, lower nicotine dependence and reinforcement, higher baseline CPD, and no prior quit attempts (ps < .04). IDQ-S scales did not significantly predict cue-elicited craving or negative affect, CPD, CO, or cotinine levels at follow-up (ps > .10)., Conclusions: Withdrawal intolerance and lack of cognitive coping did not predict smoking outcomes among nicotine-deprived, treatment-seeking smokers, but were associated with smoking characteristics, including nicotine dependence and reinforcement. Withdrawal intolerance and lack of cognitive coping may not be especially useful in predicting craving and smoking behavior, but future studies should replicate the present study's findings and assess the stability of the IDQ-S before forming firm conclusions about its predictive utility., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Impulsivity is a multi-dimensional construct that is robustly related to cigarette smoking. While underlying factors that account for this relation are not well understood, craving has been proposed as a central mechanism linking impulsivity to smoking. In order to further refine our understanding of associations between impulsivity and cigarette craving, the current study examined the association between impulsivity and tonic and cue-elicited craving among a sample of adolescent smokers. We expected trait impulsivity would be positively associated with both tonic and cue-elicited craving, and that this relationship would be stronger among daily vs. occasional smokers., Methods: 106 smokers (ages 16-20) completed the questionnaires and reported their cigarette craving prior to and immediately following presentation of each of three counterbalanced cue types: (a) in vivo smoking, (b) alcohol, and (c) neutral cue., Results: Impulsivity was positively associated with tonic craving for daily smokers (β=.38; p=.005), but not occasional smokers (β=.01; p=.95), with a significant impulsivity x smoker group interaction (β=1.31; p=.03). Impulsivity was unrelated to craving following smoking or alcohol cue, regardless of smoker group (all p's>.16)., Conclusions: Results suggest a moderated effect in which impulsivity is positively associated with tonic craving for daily smokers, but not occasional smokers. Tonic craving may serve as a mechanism linking impulsivity, smoking persistence, and nicotine dependence among daily smokers., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: We previously reported that female smokers evidence greater subjective craving and stress/emotional reactivity to personalized stress cues than males. The present study employed the same dataset to assess whether females in the follicular versus luteal phase of the menstrual cycle accounted for the gender differences., Methods: Two objective criteria, onset of menses and luteinizing hormone surge (evaluated via home testing kits), were used to determine whether female smokers were in either the follicular (n = 22) or the luteal (n = 15) phase of their menstrual cycle, respectively. The females and a sample of male smokers (n = 53) were then administered a laboratory-based cue reactivity paradigm that involved assessment of craving, stress, and emotional reactivity in response to counterbalanced presentations of both a personalized stress script and neutral/relaxed script., Results: While there were no significant differences between females in the follicular versus luteal phase on any outcome measure, females in the luteal menstrual phase reported greater craving than males whereas females in the follicular phase reported greater stress and arousal than males and perceived the stress cues as more emotionally aversive than males., Conclusions: This preliminary investigation suggests that gender differences in craving versus affective responding to stress cues may, in part, be explained variation by menstrual cycle phase. Study limitations and implications of the findings for future research and treatment are briefly discussed., (© The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: As most smokers initiate smoking during adolescence, assessment of smoking motives that underlie trajectories of dependence is critical for both prevention and cessation efforts. In the current study, we expected participants with higher nicotine dependence would smoke (a) less for positive reinforcement (PR) and (b) more for negative reinforcement (NR) motives. We secondarily assessed the relative contribution of PR to NR motives across levels of dependence., Methods: Data were drawn from a study on cue-elicited craving among occasional versus daily adolescent smokers aged 16-20 years (N = 111). Smoking motives were assessed in relation to 3 commonly used measures of nicotine dependence: (a) Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND), (b) Autonomy over Smoking Scale (AUTOS), and (c) Nicotine Dependence Syndrome Scale (NDSS)., Results: Compared to occasional smokers, daily smokers had significantly higher scores on each dependence measure and endorsed more prominent NR smoking motives. Each measure of nicotine dependence was strongly associated with NR motives for smoking, although measures differed in their association with PR motives. As expected, the FTND, AUTOS, and NDSS each significantly predicted smoking motive difference score (PR - NR), such that higher dependence was associated with more prominent NR motives for smoking., Conclusions: Results are consistent with our understanding of dependence and provide further support for 3 common measures of nicotine dependence among early stage smokers., (© The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Introduction: Smoking initiation usually begins in adolescence, but how and for whom nicotine dependence emerges during this period is unclear. The cue-reactivity paradigm is well suited to examine one marker of dependence: craving-related stimulus control, i.e., the ability of environmental cues to elicit craving to smoke. This study examined the effects of both level of smoking involvement (daily vs. occasional smoking) and gender on reactivity to both smoking and alcohol cues., Methods: Young (age range 16-20; 42% female) daily (n = 55) and occasional (n = 52) smokers were exposed to each of three counterbalanced cues: (a) in vivo smoking (e.g., sight, smell, lighting of cigarette), (b) alcohol (e.g., opening, pouring, and smell of preferred beverage), and (c) neutral cue., Results: Daily smokers exhibited higher levels of tonic (i.e., noncue-elicited) craving than did occasional smokers. Both groups showed significant increases in craving in response to cues (i.e., cue-elicited craving), with little evidence that cue-elicited craving differed between groups. Females were more cue reactive to both the alcohol and smoking cues than males, particularly for the positively reinforced aspects of smoking (i.e., hedonic craving). There were no gender × group interaction effects in response to either the alcohol or the smoking cue., Conclusions: Findings show the presence of cue-elicited craving even among occasional smokers and are consistent with literature demonstrating heightened sensitivity to environmental cues among females. Cue-elicited craving may be one mechanism that contributes to the maintenance of smoking behavior and perhaps to the development of nicotine dependence within early stage smokers.

Background: Neurofeedback delivered via real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging (rtfMRI) is a promising therapeutic technique being explored to facilitate self-regulation of craving in nicotine-dependent cigarette smokers. The current study examined the role of nicotine-dependence severity and the efficacy of multiple visits of neurofeedback from a single region of interest (ROI) in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) on craving reduction., Methods: Nine nicotine-dependent cigarette smokers participated in three rtfMRI visits that examined cue-induced craving and brain activation. Severity of nicotine dependence was assessed with the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence. When viewing smoking-related images with instructions to "crave," patient-tailored ROIs were generated in the vicinity of the ACC. Activity levels from the ROI were fed back while participants viewed smoking cues with the instruction to reduce craving., Results: Neurofeedback from a single ROI in the ACC led to consistent decreases in self-reported craving and activation in the ACC across the three visits. Dependence severity predicted response to neurofeedback at Visit 3., Conclusions: This study builds upon previous rtfMRI studies on the regulation of nicotine craving in demonstrating that feedback from the ACC can reduce activation to smoking cues across three separate visits. Individuals with lower nicotine-dependence severity were more successful in reducing ACC activation over time. These data highlight the need to consider dependence severity in developing more individualized neurofeedback methods.

Numerous research groups are now using analysis of blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) results and relaying back information about regional activity in their brains to participants in the scanner in 'real time'. In this study, we explored the feasibility of self-regulation of frontal cortical activation using real-time fMRI (rtfMRI) neurofeedback in nicotine-dependent cigarette smokers during exposure to smoking cues. Ten cigarette smokers were shown smoking-related visual cues in a 3 Tesla MRI scanner to induce their nicotine craving. Participants were instructed to modify their craving using rtfMRI feedback with two different approaches. In a 'reduce craving' paradigm, participants were instructed to 'reduce' their craving, and decrease the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) activity. In a separate 'increase resistance' paradigm, participants were asked to increase their resistance to craving and to increase middle prefrontal cortex (mPFC) activity. We found that participants were able to significantly reduce the BOLD signal in the ACC during the 'reduce craving' task (P=0.028). There was a significant correlation between decreased ACC activation and reduced craving ratings during the 'reduce craving' session (P=0.011). In contrast, there was no modulation of the BOLD signal in mPFC during the 'increase resistance' session. These preliminary results suggest that some smokers may be able to use neurofeedback via rtfMRI to voluntarily regulate ACC activation and temporarily reduce smoking cue-induced craving. Further research is needed to determine the optimal parameters of neurofeedback rtfMRI, and whether it might eventually become a therapeutic tool for nicotine dependence., (© 2012 The Authors, Addiction Biology © 2012 Society for the Study of Addiction.)

There is evidence that women may be less successful when attempting to quit smoking than men. One potential contributory cause of this gender difference is differential craving and stress reactivity to smoking- and negative affect/stress-related cues. The present human laboratory study investigated the effects of gender on reactivity to smoking and negative affect/stress cues by exposing nicotine dependent women (n = 37) and men (n = 53) smokers to two active cue types, each with an associated control cue: (1) in vivo smoking cues and in vivo neutral control cues, and (2) imagery-based negative affect/stress script and a neutral/relaxing control script. Both before and after each cue/script, participants provided subjective reports of smoking-related craving and affective reactions. Heart rate (HR) and skin conductance (SC) responses were also measured. Results indicated that participants reported greater craving and SC in response to smoking versus neutral cues and greater subjective stress in response to the negative affect/stress versus neutral/relaxing script. With respect to gender differences, women evidenced greater craving, stress and arousal ratings and lower valence ratings (greater negative emotion) in response to the negative affect/stressful script. While there were no gender differences in responses to smoking cues, women trended towards higher arousal ratings. Implications of the findings for treatment and tobacco-related morbidity and mortality are discussed., (Copyright © American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry.)

Introduction: Cue reactivity paradigms are well-established laboratory procedures used to examine subjective craving in response to substance-related cues. For smokers, the relationship between nicotine dependence and cue reactivity has not been clearly established. The main aim of the present study was to further examine this relationship., Methods: Participants (N=90) were between the ages 18-40 and smoked > or =10 cigarettes per day. Average nicotine dependence (Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence; FTND) at baseline was 4.9 (SD=2.1). Participants completed four cue reactivity sessions consisting of two in vivo cues (smoking and neutral) and two affective imagery cues (stressful and relaxed), all counterbalanced. Craving in response to cues was assessed following each cue exposure using the Questionnaire of Smoking Urges-Brief (QSU-B). Differential cue reactivity was operationally defined as the difference in QSU scores between the smoking and neutral cues, and between the stressful and relaxed cues., Results: Nicotine dependence was significantly and negatively associated with differential cue reactivity scores in regard to hedonic craving (QSU factor 1) for both in vivo and imagery cues, such that those who had low FTND scores demonstrated greater differential cue reactivity than those with higher FTND scores (beta=-.082; p=.037; beta=-.101; p=.023, respectively). Similar trends were found for the Total QSU and for negative reinforcement craving (QSU factor 2), but did not reach statistical significance., Discussion: Under partially sated conditions, less dependent smokers may be more differentially cue reactive to smoking cues as compared to heavily dependent smokers. These findings offer methodological and interpretative implications for cue reactivity studies., (2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Cigarette craving, one hallmark sign of nicotine dependence, is often measured in laboratory settings using cue reactivity methods. How lab measures of cue reactivity relate to real world smoking behavior is unclear, particularly among non-treatment seeking smokers. Within a larger study of hormonal effects on cue reactivity (N=78), we examined the predictive relationship of cue reactivity to smoking, each measured in several ways. Results indicated that cue-evoked craving in response to stressful imagery, and to a lesser extent, in vivo smoking cues, significantly predicted smoking behavior during the week following testing. However, this predictive relationship was absent upon controlling for reactivity to neutral cues. Nicotine dependence may moderate the relationship between cue reactivity and actual smoking, such that this predictive relationship is less robust among highly dependent smokers than among smokers low in nicotine dependence. The question of whether cue-elicited craving predicts smoking among smokers not in treatment is best answered with a qualified yes, depending on how craving is manipulated and measured. Our findings highlight important methodological and theoretical considerations for cue reactivity research.

Smoking rates are higher and cessation rates are lower among individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) compared to the general population, thus understanding the relationship between PTSD and nicotine dependence is important. In a sample of 213 participants with a crime-related trauma (109 with PTSD), the relationship between PTSD status, smoking status (smoker vs. non-smoker), substance abuse diagnosis (SUD), PTSD symptoms, and sex was assessed. SUD diagnosis was significantly related to smoking status, but PTSD symptomatology and sex were not. Among smokers (n=117), increased nicotine dependence severity was associated with being male and with increased level of PTSD avoidance symptoms. Correlations indicated that PTSD avoidance and hyperarousal symptom clusters and total PTSD symptom scores were significantly related to nicotine dependence severity in males, while PTSD symptomatology in general did not correlate with dependence severity for females. The results suggest that level of PTSD symptomatology, particularly avoidance symptoms, may be important targets for smoking cessation treatment among male smokers who have experienced a traumatic event.

Despite a growing appreciation that genetic factors may impart vulnerability toward smoking behavior, only a modest consensus has been created about the specific genetic mechanisms that may underlie various aspects of smoking. A core feature of genetic contribution toward any complex human behavior is familial resemblance. Most previous attempts to index familial smoking have classified individuals into discrete categories, based on the number of smokers in a family. We discuss the development of a continuous measure of familial smoking, the Family Smoking Index (FSI), which is based on the proportion of smokers in first- and second-degree family members and provides a more precise weighting according to genetic proximity. We present the psychometric characteristics of the FSI as well as initial validation data from two studies. We also describe current and future directions for continued FSI validation and application.