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Brain Responses to Cigarette-Related and Emotional Images in Smokers During Smoking Cessation: No Effect of Varenicline or Bupropion on the Late Positive Potential.
- Source :
-
Nicotine & Tobacco Research . Feb2019, Vol. 21 Issue 2, p234-240. 7p. - Publication Year :
- 2019
-
Abstract
- <bold>Introduction: </bold>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.<bold>Methods: </bold>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).<bold>Results: </bold>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.<bold>Conclusions: </bold>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.<bold>Implications: </bold>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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- *VARENICLINE
*SMOKING cessation
*BUPROPION
*HABIT breaking
*DESIRE
*RELEVANCE
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 14622203
- Volume :
- 21
- Issue :
- 2
- Database :
- Academic Search Index
- Journal :
- Nicotine & Tobacco Research
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 133953657
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1093/ntr/ntx264