Brain Responses to Cigarette-Related and Emotional Images in Smokers During Smoking Cessation: No Effect of Varenicline or Bupropion on the Late Positive Potential.
Nicotine Tob Res
; 21(2): 234-240, 2019 01 04.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-29220524
ABSTRACT
Introduction:
Varenicline and bupropion are two effective smoking cessation pharmacotherapies. Researchers have hypothesized that they might be effective, in part, because they reduce cue reactivity and cue-induced cravings. Here, we used event-related potentials (ERPs) to directly measure brain responses to cigarette-related and other motivationally relevant images during a pharmacologically aided quit attempt.Methods:
Smokers involved in a 12-week placebo-controlled double-blind clinical trial of smoking cessation medications (varenicline, bupropion, placebo) took part in the study. We assessed participants at two time points 24 h (n = 140) and 4 weeks (n = 176) after the quit date. At both sessions, we measured the amplitude of the late positive potential (LPP), an ERP component reliably associated with motivational relevance, and self-reported tonic craving using the brief version of the Questionnaire of Smoking Urges (QSU-Brief).Results:
At both sessions, emotional and cigarette-related images evoked significantly larger LPPs than neutral images. Neither drug type nor smoking abstinence altered this effect at either session. At both sessions, varenicline and bupropion significantly reduced self-reported tonic craving relative to the placebo condition.Conclusions:
While both varenicline and bupropion reduced self-reported tonic craving, neither medication altered the amplitude of the LPP to cigarette-related or emotional pictures in smokers attempting to quit. These medications may influence abstinence by means other than by reducing neuroaffective responses to cigarette-related cues. Smokers should be prepared for the likelihood that even after several weeks of successful abstinence, once treatment ends, cigarette-related cues may remain motivationally relevant and trigger cravings that might lead to relapse. Implications Bupropion and varenicline do not alter electrophysiological responses, as measured by the LPP, to cigarette-related and emotional images. These findings help explain why cigarette-related cues can trigger relapse when smoking cessation medication treatments end.
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Encéfalo
/
Bupropiona
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Emoções
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Vareniclina
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Fumar Cigarros
/
Agentes de Cessação do Hábito de Fumar
Tipo de estudo:
Clinical_trials
Limite:
Adult
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Female
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Humans
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Male
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Middle aged
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Nicotine Tob Res
Assunto da revista:
SAUDE PUBLICA
Ano de publicação:
2019
Tipo de documento:
Article