Effects of a Specific Substance in Smokers

Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU)

Status

Enrolling

Conditions

Smoking

Treatments

Drug: Study Agent

Drug: Placebo

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

NIH

Identifiers

NCT04281979

STUDY00018483

K01DA046649 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Details and patient eligibility

About

Although rates of cigarette use are declining, the proportion of nondaily smokers is rising, particularly among young adults. Among young adults, nondaily smoking is associated with negative health consequences and, for some, may lead to the establishment of life-long smoking patterns. The goal of this project is to understand the behavioral, psychological and neurobiological factors that contribute to cigarette use in nondaily smokers to aid the development of tailored evidence-based interventions.

Full description

The purpose of this study is to investigate the neurobiological mechanisms associated with cigarette use in young nondaily smokers (ages 21-25). Nondaily smokers experience fewer symptoms of cigarette withdrawal than daily smokers; however, they still experience difficulty quitting. Since smoking cessation before the age of 30 substantially attenuates the long-term health consequences associated with smoking, understanding the factors that motivate cigarette use in young nondaily smokers and developing tailored interventions will be critical for curbing cigarette use and improving public health. The proposed project will use functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine how other substances (e.g. stimulates, sedatives, or analgesics) impact brain function and will assess the extent to which substance-induced changes in brain function correlate with impulsive choice, cigarette craving, and craving regulation in young adults. Furthermore, the investigators will assess how substance-induced changes in brain function, impulsivity, craving, and capacity for craving regulation predict cigarette use over the course of 1 year.

Enrollment

60 estimated patients

Sex

All

Ages

21 to 40 years old

Volunteers

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Participants must be 21-40 years old
Right-handed
Fluent in English
Report smoking cigarettes or e-cigarettes 1-27 days in the past month
Report binge drinking based on NIAAA criteria (5 or more drinks per occasion for males, 4 or more drinks per occasion for females) at least 1 time in the past 90 days without adverse incident

Exclusion criteria

Seeking treatment for substance use (e.g. nicotine or alcohol use)
Moderate or Severe Nicotine Dependence
Current alcohol use disorder
Illicit substance use other than marijuana use in the past year
Marijuana use more than 10 times in the past year
Major neurological or medical illness - Significant head trauma - Current use of medication affecting the central nervous system
MRI contraindications (e.g. irremovable metal on the body or pregnancy)