Active clinical trials for "Tobacco Use Disorder"

This proposal addresses the critical absence of information about the neurobiology of recovery from Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) in alcohol and nicotine users.

This clinical trial studies widefield fluorescence and reflectance imaging, fluorescence spectroscopy, and tissue samples in regularly examining (monitoring) participants at risk for developing oral cancer. All tissue and cells are made of tiny particles. Some of these particles give off small amounts of light. This light is called fluorescence. Fluorescent imaging use instruments that shine different wavelengths (colors) of light in the mouth taking fluorescence pictures through a portable head light or by taking fluorescent and reflectance pictures through a dental microscope using a digital camera. Fluorescent spectroscopy uses a small probe placed gently against the lining of the mouth and the tissue is exposed to small amounts of fluorescent light that is then collected with a special camera and a computer to be analyzed. Checking mouth tissue samples under a microscope may also help detect abnormal cells. Diagnostic procedures, such as fluorescence and reflectance imaging, fluorescence spectroscopy imaging, and tissue samples, may help doctors detect pre-cancer or early cancer when it may be easier to treat.

Background: - Smoking is a difficult habit to quit, and some people find it more difficult to quit than others do. Nicotine is the substance in cigarettes that makes smoking so addictive. Nicotine changes some patterns of brain activity, and smokers have differences in brain activity when compared to non-smokers. Some genes make it more likely that a person will become addicted to smoking. Researchers want to study how nicotine interacts with genes and brain activity. This may help develop better treatments to help people quit smoking. Objectives: - To develop a test of nicotine dependence, using brain activity and genetic analysis, which may be useful in predicting success in smoking cessation and in the development of new smoking cessation treatment targets. Eligibility: Main group: Current smokers between 18 and 55 years of age who are seeking treatment to quit. Comparison group: Current smokers between 18 and 55 years of age who are not seeking to quit. Comparison group: Healthy former smokers between 18 and 55 years of age. Comparison group: Healthy nonsmoking volunteers between 18 and 55 years of age. Design: Participants will be screened with a physical exam and medical history. Blood samples will be collected. The three comparison groups will have one magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan session. They will have tests of thinking, concentration, and memory both inside the scanner, and while sitting in front of a computer. Current smokers who are trying to quit must be willing to undergo a course of nicotine treatment that includes weekly counseling (for 12 weeks) and e-cigarettes. Participants will attempt smoking abstinence and will have a total of 6 MRI scanning sessions. They will do thinking, concentration, and memory tasks inside and outside of the scanner. For smokers, the first scanning session will take place before they attempt to quit. This will be a baseline scan. The second scanning session will take place 48 hours after having their last real cigarette. After this scan, they will use electronic cigarettes to help quit their habit. After using e-cigarettes for two weeks, smokers will have a third scan session.. They will then gradually taper their use of the electronic cigarettes over the course of three weeks, at which point they will be nicotine abstinent. After about 5 weeks of abstinence, they will have the fourth scan. The fifth scan will be approximately 6 months after start of the study, and the final scan will take place at about 1 year from the study start. Smokers will continue to receive support on quitting smoking until the study ends at about 1 year.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate how certain childhood experiences influences brain function and responses to nicotine exposure in a group of nonsmoking young adults. The investigators assess responses to nicotine exposure by giving participants a small amount of nicotine or placebo, and then asking them to answer questionnaires. The investigational drugs used in this study are a nicotine nasal spray (i.e., Nicotrol) and/or a nasal spray placebo (made of common kitchen ingredients, including a very tiny amount of pepper extract also called capsaicin). The investigators assess brain function through function magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), which is a noninvasive procedure that uses a magnetic field to take pictures of your brain while you are performing certain tasks. This study will help us to learn more about why some childhood experiences (adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs) contribute to increased risk for smoking and other substance use.

Background: Smoking is a major public health problem in the U.S. Almost a half a million Americans die from it in a year. One thing that contributes to why people smoke is the marketing of cigarettes. Cigarette direct mail marketing usually targets young smokers of lower socioeconomic status. Researchers want to find out more about how this kind of marketing influences smoking behavior in young people from different socioeconomic levels. Objectives: To study the effects of cigarette direct mail marketing on beliefs, responses, and arousal. To study how these things may differ among young adult smokers of high and low socioeconomic status. Eligibility: Healthy adults ages 18 to 29 who smoke. Design: Participants will have 1 visit. Participants will be asked questions about their health and recent smoking. A nurse will check their vital signs. Participants will have a simple eye exam. They will give blood and urine samples. Participants will be connected to equipment. This will collect data while they look at pictures. Then they will have a 10-minute break. A nurse will observe them during the break. Participants will have their breath analyzed. Participants will answer questions. The topics will include: Education Job Income Family history Tobacco use Exposure to pro-smoking and anti-smoking messages History of drug and alcohol use

This study is designed to investigate the effects of a beta-adrenergic antagonist (Propranolol; 40 mg IR) and nicotine patch (14 mg) administered alone and in combination on neurobiological and behavioral responses to smoking cues in ongoing cigarette smokers. This is a basic experimental study in humans and participants will not take these medications for an extended period or make a cessation attempt as part of their involvement in this research project.

The primary objective is to examine the influence of sex on sensory effects, appeal, and reinforcing value of nicotine containing e-cigs in popular flavor components; sweet and cooling.

Nicotine remains a major cause of health problems in the US and around the world. Insight into the behavioral changes induced by nicotine use may help advance the understanding of the mechanisms underlying the maintenance of nicotine addiction and thus the important factors involved in the quitting process. Pavlovian bias is a phenomenon that includes an approach tendency toward rewarding cues and an action withdrawal tendency in response to punishments. This phenomenon may be particularly relevant to nicotine users. The current study will use an experimental, within-subjects, repeated-measured design to investigate whether acute nicotine administration influences individual Pavlovian bias in nicotine users. By recruiting participants from the University of Southern California (USC) community and contacting participants of previous nicotine-related studies of the Addiction and Self-Control Laboratory at USC, the investigators will enroll forty adult nicotine users in the study. Participants will come to the lab twice after a 10-hour nicotine fast. At each lab visit, participants will undergo a vaping session prior to completing the study tasks. The content of the e-liquid in the vape will vary by nicotine content: the vape will either contain nicotine or not. Subsequent to vaping, participants will complete a version of the Go/No-Go task which will measure their individual levels of Pavlovian bias. The investigators will compare performance on the task across the two conditions within each participant: on- and off- nicotine, after controlling for nicotine withdrawal and nicotine tolerance. Based on past research on nicotine, the researchers anticipate that acute nicotine administration will be associated with higher levels of Pavlovian bias, compared to the off-nicotine condition. Specifically, two patterns are expected to arise: a higher likelihood of making a go-response in the "win reward" condition and a higher likelihood of making a no-go response in the "avoid losing" condition, regardless of whether it is a "go" or "no-go" trial. Participants will also complete a measure of their working memory capacity. The investigators will conduct exploratory analyses for the relationship between different nicotine conditions and working memory capacity.

This study is an examination of the influence of cooling components of WS-3 and menthol on the appeal and addiction potential of nicotine-containing e-liquids among adults.

The purpose of this clinical trial is to understand the health effects of a new oral nicotine pouch, and also to understand if this product can help reduce traditional cigarette smoking. The main aims are: Understand the impact of nicotine pouch use on toxicant exposure biomarkers, and indicators of potential harms to health. Examine the influence of nicotine pouch use on conventional tobacco product use (cigarettes). Participants will be randomized to one of six nicotine pouch groups (3 nicotine strengths, each with 2 potential flavors) to use over 16 weeks and asked to reduce their cigarette smoking over that time by at least 75% by substituting with the use of the nicotine pouches. Researchers will compare the outcomes of the different nicotine pouch strengths and flavors to each other. Participants will be asked to complete study questionnaires and provide urine, exhaled carbon monoxide, and mouth cell samples, and other health measurements.