The Effects of Craving and Abstinence From Cigarettes on Brain Metabolism in Smokers

Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center

Status: Completed

Conditions: Nicotine Dependence

Treatments: Drug: Bupropion (Zyban)

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT00267813

TASMC-O5-EE-065-CTIL

Details and patient eligibility

About

Craving and withdrawal from smoking cigarettes are major factors for relapse. We investigated craving for cigarettes in smokers undergoing pharmacological treatment with Bupropion (Zyban). We compare cue-induced reactivity to smoking videos in smokers who were successfully treated with Bupropion to smokers who are still smoking. We measured the brain's metabolic activity in response to smoking and neutral cues in Positron Emission Tomography using FDG.

Full description

Craving and withdrawal from smoking cigarettes are major factors for relapse. We investigated craving for cigarettes in smokers undergoing pharmacological treatment with Bupropion (Zyban)for 2 months. We compare cue-induced reactivity to smoking videos in smokers who were successfully treated with Bupropion to smokers who are still smoking. We measured the brain's metabolic activity after exposure to videotapes showing smoking and neutral scenes in Positron Emission Tomography using FDG. There were 2 scanning sessions, one with a smoking videotape and one with a neutral video separated by a week. So far we have compared the brain's metabolic activity in 6 abstinent smokers and 6 still smokers.

Enrollment: 24 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 20 to 65 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Cigarette smokers (over 1 pack a day)
• Age 20-65, male-females

Exclusion criteria

• Dependence on other substances
• Psychiatric diagnosis
• Neurological disorder
• Obesity
• Young persons
• Pregnant women

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Non-Randomized

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)