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Higher rates of delay discounting, or impulsive choice, may be related to relapse during abstinence reinforcement interventions for cigarette smoking, and a transdermal nicotine patch may attenuate delay discounting. The objectives of this study are to assess the relation between delay discounting and smoking after nicotine deprivation in a laboratory model of abstinence reinforcement and the effects of a transdermal nicotine patch on discounting and smoking. Smokers with no self-reported intention to quit were randomly assigned to an active (14 mg) or placebo patch group ( n = 15 per group). In each of three sessions, after a 3-h deprivation period, participants completed a delay discounting task, mood, and craving measures and finally engaged in a laboratory model of abstinence reinforcement. Three abstinence reinforcement conditions were presented in counterbalanced order across the three sessions. During the control session, monetary consequences were delivered every 30 s regardless of smoking. During the low ($5.00 available) and high ($20.00 available) sessions, participants could earn a progressively increasing amount of money for each 30 s period of abstinence. The low and high conditions significantly increased the latency to smoke relative to control and significantly decreased the amount of smoking. The nicotine patch decreased negative affect, but it did not significantly affect delay discounting or smoking. Individuals who smoked during the low and high conditions showed higher rates of discounting. The patch did not attenuate delay discounting or smoking after a period of deprivation, but contingencies for abstinence significantly decreased smoking. Higher rates of delay discounting were related to smoking in a model of abstinence reinforcement treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In smokers, nicotine deprivation may increase impulsive decision-making and the demand for cigarettes. Objectives: To investigate the effects of acute nicotine deprivation on (a) the delay discounting of monetary and cigarette rewards, and (b) the behavioural economics of hypothetical cigarette purchases. Materials and methods: A repeated measures design was employed, with participants (daily cigarette smokers, N=30) repeating experimental tasks in two different sessions, once after at least 13 h of abstinence from smoking and once after ad lib smoking. Participants completed measures of cigarette craving, impulsivity, delay discounting and a behavioural economic simulation in which participants made hypothetical purchases of cigarettes and other commodities as the price of cigarettes was systematically varied. Results: Participants showed more pronounced delay discounting of both cigarette and monetary rewards after abstinence compared to after ad lib smoking. In the behavioural economic simulation, nicotine deprivation had no influence on hypothetical cigarette purchases. However, spending on some commodities (alcohol, clothing, household goods, leisure activities and long-distance travel) was reduced as the price of cigarettes increased in order to fund increased spending on cigarettes, although the number of packs of cigarettes purchased actually decreased. Conclusions: Nicotine deprivation increases impulsive choices for both cigarette and monetary rewards in a delay-discounting task. Results from a behavioural economic simulation suggest that increases in the price of cigarettes may increase smokers' spending on cigarettes, while also reducing the number of cigarettes purchased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]