Real Time fMRI and Quitting Smoking

This is an interventional treatment trial for Nicotine Use Disorder focused on measuring nicotine treatment, real time fMRI Read More

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Treatment-seeking smokers between the ages of 18 and 65, reporting consumption of at least 10 cigarettes per day for at least the past 6 months;
2. Planning to live in the area for at least the next month;
3. Capable of giving written informed consent, which includes compliance with the requirements and restrictions listed in the combined consent and HIPAA form;
4. Able to communicate fluently in English (speaking, writing, and reading).

Exclusion Criteria:

Smoking Behavior:

1. Use of chewing tobacco or snuff or cigars;
2. Current enrollment or plans to enroll in another smoking cessation program or research study in the next month;
3. Current or anticipated (within the next month) use of smoking cessation medications or nicotine replacement therapy (NRT);
4. A baseline carbon monoxide (CO) reading less than 10ppm.

Alcohol/Drugs:

1. Current alcohol consumption that exceeds 25 standard drinks/week;
2. Positive breath alcohol concentration test (BrAC greater than or equal to 0.01) at intake; a. Participants testing positive for breath alcohol with a reading equal to or greater than .08 (the legal driving limit) or who are visibly impaired will be instructed not to drive themselves home after the appointment. If a participant needs to use a phone to call for a safe ride home, an office telephone will be made available to the participant.

Medication:

Current use or recent discontinuation (within the past 30 days at the time of Intake) of:

1. Smoking cessation medication (e.g., Zyban, Wellbutrin, Wellbutrin SR, Chantix, NRT);
2. Anti-psychotic medications;

3. Any medication that could compromise participant safety as determined by the Principal Investigator and/or Study Physician;

   Daily use of:

4. Opiate-containing medications for chronic pain.

Medical/Neuropsychiatric:

1. Women who are pregnant, planning a pregnancy, and/or breast feeding. All female subjects of childbearing potential will undergo a urine pregnancy test at Intake and at each scan session.
2. History of epilepsy or a seizure disorder;
3. History of stroke;
4. Self-reported brain (or CNS) or spinal tumor;
5. Self-reported history of head trauma;
6. Self-reported history or current diagnosis of psychosis.

fMRI-Related:

1. Self-reported use of pacemakers, certain metallic implants, or presence of metal in the eye as contraindicated for fMRI;
2. Self-reported history of claustrophobia;
3. Being left-handed;
4. Color blindness;
5. Weight greater than 250lbs at intake;
6. Self-reported history of gunshot wounds;
7. Any impairment preventing participants from using the response pad necessary for the computer tasks;
8. Circumstances or conditions that may interfere with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

General Exclusion:

1. Any medical condition, illness, disorder, or concomitant medication that could compromise participant safety or treatment, as determined by the Principal Investigator;
2. Enrollment or plans to enroll in another research study;
3. Inability to provide informed consent or complete any of the study tasks as determined by the Principal Investigator.