NCT04281979

Effects of a Specific Substance in Smokers

An MRI Study of Neural Activity Following Exposure to a Specific Substance in Young Cigarette Smokers

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 60 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Oregon Health and Science University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 21 Years – 40 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

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.

Detailed 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.

Conditions

• Smoking

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
DRUG	Study Agent	The study agent will be administered via beverages and/or a capsule. The substances used in the study are legal, non-prescription, and are proven safe for human consumption at the doses used. The study agent may be a depressant (such as alcohol), a stimulant (such as caffeine), or an analgesic (such as aspirin).
DRUG	Placebo	In the placebo conditions participants will consume beverages and capsules that contain no or very small quantities of the study agent.

Timeline

• Start date: 2020-02-25
• Primary completion: 2025-12-31
• Completion: 2025-12-31
• First posted: 2020-02-24
• Last updated: 2025-07-28

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States