The effectiveness of a standardized tobacco cessation program on psychophysiological parameters in patients with addiction undergoing long-term rehabilitation: a quasi-experimental pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Although there is a very high comorbidity between tobacco dependence and other addictive disorders, there are only few studies examining the implementation and outcomes of a tobacco cessation program in patients with addictive diseases. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate to what extent a standardized tobacco cessation program leads to improvements regarding psychological/physical parameters in patients with addiction undergoing therapy and whether there is a reduction in tobacco consumption. METHODS: The study took place in a therapeutic community specialized in addiction therapy. A total sample of 56 participants were non-randomly assigned to an intervention group (IG; n = 31) and a treatment as usual group (TAUG; n = 25). The IG participated in a 6-week tobacco cessation program, while the TAUG received no additional treatment. Both groups were assessed for changes in primary outcomes (tobacco dependence, smoked cigarettes per day (CPD), and general substance-related craving) and secondary outcomes (heart rate variability (HRV): root mean square of successive differences, self-efficacy, and comorbid psychiatric symptoms) at two measurement time points (pre- and post-treatment/6 weeks). RESULTS: We observed significant improvements in self-efficacy (F(1,53) = 5.86; p < .05; ηp2 = .11) and decreased CPD in the IG (ß = 1.16, ρ < .05), while no significant changes were observed in the TAUG. No significant interaction effects were observed in psychiatric symptoms, general substance-related craving, and HRV. CONCLUSIONS: The results highlight the potential benefit of an additional tobacco cessation program as part of a general addiction treatment. Although no improvements in the physiological domain were observed, there were significant improvements regarding self-efficacy and CPD in the IG compared to the TAUG. Randomized controlled trials on larger samples would be an important next step. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN15684371.

Development and initial validation of a new self-report measure to assess perceived dependence on tobacco and nicotine products.

How nicotine is administered has evolved from cigarettes to various delivery systems. Assessing perceived dependence on nicotine-containing products now requires accounting for product specificity while allowing comparisons across products and users. This study aims to develop a new self-report measure to assess perceived dependence on tobacco and nicotine products (TNPs) among exclusive and poly-TNP users. A draft version of the new measure, the ABOUT-Dependence, was constructed based on literature review, qualitative research, and expert opinion. Data for scale formation and psychometric assessment was obtained through a US-based web survey (n = 2334) that included additional dependence measures for convergent validity assessment. Qualitative research confirmed a preliminary conceptual framework with seven sub-concepts. Following a cognitive debriefing, 19 items were considered to best represent the different sub-concepts. Psychometric findings supported a three-domain structure [i.e., behavioral impact (five items), signs and symptoms (five items), and extent/timing of use (two items)] and an overall total composite score. The data confirmed convergent and known-group validity, as well as test-retest reliability. The ABOUT-Dependence is a 12-item, psychometrically sound, self-report measure that may be used as a tool for research and further understanding of perceived dependence across the spectrum of TNP and TNP users.

Smokers with higher positive or negative urgency have lower rates of smoking cessation success 12 months after a quit attempt.

Impulsivity dimensions have been shown to be associated with smoking status and tobacco use disorder severity. However, it is important to determine the specific impulsivity traits associated with smoking relapse. This study aimed at investigating the associations between impulsivity traits and smoking cessation success among adult smokers at 12 months after a quit attempt. Participants were 68 adult smokers enrolled in a 3-month course of simvastatine or placebo associated with behavioral cessation support, with a 9-month follow-up (ADDICSTATINE study). They were classified in 3 groups according to smoking status: abstinent, reduction ≥ 50%baseline or reduction < 50%baseline at 3 and 12 months. Impulsivity traits were assessed using the UPPS-P-scale. At 12 months, abstainers and participants who reduced smoking by 50% or more had significantly lower scores in negative and positive urgency compared to participants who reduced smoking by less than 50% (p = 0.011 and 0.0059). These urgency traits scores at 12 months were significantly and negatively correlated with smoking reduction at 12 months (p = 0.017 and 0.0012). These impulsivity traits were also associated with the smoking cessation success at 3 months. Patients who were abstinent at 3 months had also lower negative and positive urgency (p = 0.017 and 0.0039). Smoking cessation success at 3 and 12 months were not associated with the other impulsivity traits, sensation seeking, lack of premeditation or perseverance. Our findings suggest that positive and negative urgency are associated with smoking cessation success. Proposing better tailored-based-treatment targeting these impulsivity traits in combination with conventional treatment may help improving smoking treatment success.

Is impulsivity related to attentional bias in cigarette smokers? An exploration across levels of nicotine dependency and deprivation.

Research has largely focused on how attentional bias to smoking-related cues and impulsivity independently influence the development and maintenance of cigarette smoking, with limited exploration of the relationship between these mechanisms. The current experiments systematically assessed relationships between multiple dimensions of impulsivity and attentional bias, at different stages of attention, in smokers varying in nicotine dependency and deprivation. Nonsmokers (NS; n  = 26), light-satiated smokers (LS; n  = 25), heavy-satiated smokers (HS; n  = 23) and heavy 12-hour nicotine-deprived smokers (HD; n  = 30) completed the Barratt Impulsivity Scale, delayed discounting task, stop-signal task, information sampling task and a visual dot-probe assessing initial orientation (200 ms) and sustained attention (2000 ms) toward smoking-related cues. Sustained attention to smoking-related cues was present in both HS and LS, while initial orientation bias was only evident in HS. HS and LS also had greater levels of trait motor and nonplanning impulsivity and heightened impulsive choice on the delay discounting task compared with NS, while heightened trait attentional impulsivity was only found in HS. In contrast, in HD, nicotine withdrawal was associated with no attentional bias but heightened reflection impulsivity, poorer inhibitory control and significantly lower levels of impulsive choice relative to satiated smokers. Trait and behavioral impulsivity were not related to the extent of attentional bias to smoking-related cues at any stage of attention, level of nicotine dependency or state of deprivation. Findings have both clinical and theoretical implications, highlighting the unique and independent roles impulsivity and attentional bias may play at different stages of the nicotine addiction cycle.

Effects of brief mindfulness training on smoking cue-reactivity in tobacco use disorder: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of Tobacco Use Disorder (TUD) represents a significant and pressing global public health concern, with far-reaching and deleterious consequences for individuals, communities, and healthcare systems. The craving caused by smoking cue is an important trigger for relapse, fundamentally hindering the cessation of cigarette smoking. Mindfulness interventions focusing on cue-reactivity was effective for the treatment of related dependence. Brief mindfulness training (BMT) meets the short-term needs for intervention but the effects still need to be examined. The objective of the present study is to investigate the impact of BMT intervention on smoking cue-reactivity among Chinese college students with TUD, to uncover the dynamic models of brain function involved in this process. METHOD: A randomized control trial (RCT) based on electroencephalography (EEG) was designed. We aim to recruit 90 participants and randomly assign to the BMT and control group (CON) with 1:1 ratio. A brief mindfulness training will be administered to experimental group. After the intervention, data collection will be conducted in the follow-up stage with 5 timepoints of assessments. EEG data will be recorded during the smoking cue-reactivity task and 'STOP' brief mindfulness task. The primary outcomes include subjective reports of smoking craving, changes in EEG indicators, and mindfulness measures. The secondary outcomes will be daily smoking behaviours, affect and impulsivity, as well as indicators reflecting correlation between mindfulness and smoking cue-reactivity. To evaluate the impact of mindfulness training, a series of linear mixed-effects models will be employed. Specifically, within-group effects will be examined by analysing the longitudinal data. Additionally, the effect size for all statistical measurements will be reported, offering a comprehensive view of the observed effects. DISCUSSION: The current study aims to assess the impact of brief mindfulness-based intervention on smoking cue-reactivity in TUD. It also expected to enhance our understanding of the underlying processes involved in brain function and explore potential EEG biomarkers at multiple time points. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Trial registration number: ChiCTR2300069363, registered on 14 March 2023. Protocol Version 1.0., 10 April 2023.

Methodological considerations when assessing symptoms of nicotine dependence by cigarette and e-cigarette use behavior and brand.

Letter to the Editor re: Adjei et al., 2024. Symptoms of nicotine dependence by e-cigarette and cigarette use behavior and brand: A population-based, nationally representative cross-sectional study. Drug and Alcohol Dependence 255, 111059 concerning issues of context, citations, non-psychometrically validated dependence items, and disclosure transparency.

Nicotine-related interpretation biases in cigarette smoking individuals.

Addictive behaviors are characterized by information processing biases, including substance-related interpretation biases. In the field of cigarette smoking, such biases have not been investigated yet. The present study thus adopted an open-ended scenario approach to measure smoking-related interpretation biases. Individuals who smoke, those who ceased smoking, and those without a smoking history (total sample N = 177) were instructed to generate spontaneous continuations for ambiguous, open-ended scenarios that described either a smoking-related or neutral context. Overall, people who smoke generated more smoking-related continuations in response to smoking-relevant situations than non-smoking individuals or people who had stopped smoking, providing evidence for a smoking-related interpretation bias. When differentiating for situation type within smoking-relevant scenarios, smoking individuals produced more smoking-related continuations for positive/social and habit/addictive situations compared to negative/affective ones. Additionally, the tendency to interpret habit/addictive situations in a smoking-related manner was positively associated with cigarette consumption and levels of nicotine dependence. Exploratory analyses indicated that other substance-related continuations were correlated with their respective behavioral counterparts (e.g., the level of self-reported alcohol or caffeine consumption). The present study is the first to demonstrate smoking-related interpretation biases in relation to current cigarette smoking. Future studies should investigate the causal role of such biases in the initiation and/or maintainance of nicotine addiction and the merit of Interpretation-Bias-Modification training to support smoking cessation.

Data-driven connectivity profiles relate to smoking cessation outcomes.

At a group level, nicotine dependence is linked to differences in resting-state functional connectivity (rs-FC) within and between three large-scale brain networks: the salience network (SN), default mode network (DMN), and frontoparietal network (FPN). Yet, individuals may display distinct patterns of rs-FC that impact treatment outcomes. This study used a data-driven approach, Group Iterative Multiple Model Estimation (GIMME), to characterize shared and person-specific rs-FC features linked with clinically-relevant treatment outcomes. 49 nicotine-dependent adults completed a resting-state fMRI scan prior to a two-week smoking cessation attempt. We used GIMME to identify group, subgroup, and individual-level networks of SN, DMN, and FPN connectivity. Regression models assessed whether within- and between-network connectivity of individual rs-FC models was associated with baseline cue-induced craving, and craving and use of regular cigarettes (i.e., "slips") during cessation. As a group, participants displayed shared patterns of connectivity within all three networks, and connectivity between the SN-FPN and DMN-SN. However, there was substantial heterogeneity across individuals. Individuals with greater within-network SN connectivity experienced more slips during treatment, while individuals with greater DMN-FPN connectivity experienced fewer slips. Individuals with more anticorrelated DMN-SN connectivity reported lower craving during treatment, while SN-FPN connectivity was linked to higher craving. In conclusion, in nicotine-dependent adults, GIMME identified substantial heterogeneity within and between the large-scale brain networks. Individuals with greater SN connectivity may be at increased risk for relapse during treatment, while a greater positive DMN-FPN and negative DMN-SN connectivity may be protective for individuals during smoking cessation treatment.

Dying to Quit: Understanding the Burden of Tobacco in Psychiatric Patients-A Clinical Review.

Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death worldwide and remains a critical public health challenge. The burden of disease caused by smoking is disproportionately borne by persons living with mental illness. Public health efforts to address smoking have not historically translated to a significant reduction in smoking prevalence among patients with mental illness. Smoking is a substantial cause of morbidity and mortality among psychiatric patients who smoke at 1.7 to 3.3 times the rate of the general population. Among those with serious mental illness, tobacco-related illness accounts for half of all deaths. Nicotine dependence also interferes with treatment and worsens many psychiatric symptoms. Interventions are underutilized due to persistent misunderstandings regarding tobacco cessation for patients who are mentally ill. Addressing these misunderstandings is crucial in targeting the disparate rates of smoking in this population. Therefore, it is incumbent on psychiatrists to address the outsized effect that smoking has on patients with mental illness.

First Used Nicotine/Cannabis Product and Associated Outcomes in Late Adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Nicotine and tobacco product (NTP) and cannabis use are common in adolescence/young adulthood and increase risk for negative psychosocial outcomes. This study investigated associations among adolescent/young adults' initial experiences with NTPs, lifetime frequency of substance use, substance-related problems, and mental health symptoms. METHOD: Adolescents and young adults enrolled in a study on NTP and cannabis use were asked at what age they initiated the use of NTPs and were assigned to groups based on which product or substance(s) they reported using at the earliest age. Participants who reported use of NTPs (in isolation, without cannabis) first (N = 78, "NTP-only"), simultaneous use of NTPs and cannabis first (e.g., blunt or bowl; N = 25, "Simult-only"), use of both NTPs in isolation and simultaneous use at the same age (N = 48, "NTP + Simult"), and no NTP use (N = 53, "NTP-naïve") were compared on substance use, substance-related problems, and mental health symptoms. RESULTS: Groups differed on lifetime frequency of NTP, simultaneous, and cannabis use, with NTP users reporting more substance use episodes and substance-related problems than the NTP-naïve group. The lifetime frequency of cannabis use did not differ across NTP use groups. NTP use was associated with increased anxiety and depression, with no significant differences between groups. CONCLUSIONS: Adolescents and young adults who use nicotine may be at increased risk for greater nicotine use and mental health consequences, but initiating NTP use simultaneously with cannabis may not increase the risk of negative outcomes above and beyond nicotine initiation. Prospective longitudinal research is needed to establish temporal associations between first-used NTP/cannabis products and relevant outcomes.

Associations Between Childhood Trauma and Tobacco Use Outcomes in Adults after Overnight Abstinence.

INTRODUCTION: Childhood trauma is known to be associated with nicotine dependence, yet limited smoking outcomes have been examined and few studies have assessed associations between specific trauma subscales and smoking. Additionally, sex differences in trauma-smoking relations are understudied. This study examined associations between childhood trauma and several smoking-related outcomes in adults who smoke after overnight abstinence. AIMS AND METHODS: People who smoke (N = 205) completed self-report and biochemical assessments evaluating childhood trauma, affect, nicotine dependence, smoking urges, withdrawal, and plasma cortisol and cotinine levels. Smoking outcomes were compared between those with and without a history of moderate to severe childhood trauma among the total sample and by sex. RESULTS: Relative to those with no to minimal abuse, those with moderate to severe abuse had higher negative affect, withdrawal severity, and plasma cotinine levels. Exploratory analyses revealed that women were more likely than men to have urges to smoke for negative reinforcement and have higher withdrawal severity, but no interactions between abuse group and sex were observed. Examining specific trauma subscales, the moderate to severe emotional abuse group had more severe nicotine dependence, negative affect, and withdrawal compared to the no to minimal group. The moderate to severe sexual abuse group had more severe nicotine dependence and withdrawal compared to the no to minimal group. CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to childhood trauma is associated with more severe nicotine dependence, negative affect, withdrawal, and higher plasma cotinine levels. Findings also indicate that different types of trauma may differentially affect smoking behaviors. IMPLICATIONS: This study of adults who smoke finds that childhood trauma history may be a marker for smoking susceptibility and suggests that individuals with experiences of emotional and sexual abuse may require targeted forms of smoking cessation interventions. Moreover, findings suggest that smoking risks may differ for men and women. Findings inform public health interventions intended to reduce cigarette use in individuals with exposure to childhood trauma.

Tobacco withdrawal-induced changes in sensorimotor filtering as a predictor of smoking lapse in trauma-exposed individuals.

Prepulse inhibition (PPI) is a measure of sensorimotor filtering thought to shield the processing of initial weaker auditory stimuli from interruption by a later startle response. Previous studies have shown smoking withdrawal to have a negative impact on sensorimotor filtering, particularly in individuals with psychopathology. Because tobacco use may alleviate sensory and sensorimotor filtering deficits, we examined whether smoking withdrawal-induced changes in PPI were associated with maintenance of smoking abstinence in trauma-exposed individuals with and without PTSD who were attempting to quit smoking. Thirty-eight individuals (n = 24 with current or past PTSD; 14 trauma-exposed healthy controls) made an acute biochemically-verified smoking cessation attempt supported by 8 days of contingency management (CM) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for smoking. Participants completed a PPI task at the pre-quit baseline, 2 days post-quit, and 5 days post-quit. Post-quit changes in PPI were compared between those who remained abstinent for the first 8-days of the quit attempt and those who lapsed back to smoking. PPI changes induced by biochemically-verified smoking abstinence were associated with maintenance of abstinence across the 8-day CM/CBT-supported quit attempt. As compared to those who maintained tobacco abstinence, participants who lapsed to smoking had significantly lower PPI at 2 and 5 days post-quit relative to baseline. Thus, among trauma-exposed individuals, decreases in PPI during acute smoking cessation supported by CM/CBT are associated with lapse back to smoking. Interventions that improve PPI during early smoking abstinence may facilitate smoking cessation among such individuals who are at high risk for chronic, refractory tobacco use.

The Effect of Minority Stress Processes on Stage of Change and Nicotine Dependence Level for Sexual and Gender Minority Smokers in the Deep South.

Purpose: Minority stress has been posited as a cause for sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals to smoke as a coping mechanism. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the relationship between minority stress processes and nicotine dependence level and stage of change for SGM smokers living in the Deep South region of the United States. Methods: A one-time, cross-sectional online survey was administered to SGM smokers living in the Deep South. Survey measurements included demographics, minority stress processes (prejudice events, perceived stigma, and internalized queerphobia), and smoking cessation outcomes (nicotine dependence level and stage of change). Multivariable linear regression was used to assess the effect of each minority stress process on smoking outcomes, after adjusting for demographics and stratifying by gender and sexual identity. Results: Across all participants (n = 1296), lower levels of perceived stigma were significantly associated with further stage of change. Greater levels of internalized queerphobia were significantly associated with greater nicotine dependence level. After stratifying by gender and sexual identity, these significant associations were only maintained in cisgender males and gay individuals. An additional significant association between lower prejudice events and further stage of change for smoking cessation was found only for individuals whose sexual identity was labeled as "other." Conclusion: Addressing minority stress in smoking cessation and prevention programs has the potential to decrease nicotine dependence and further stage of change.

Asociación bidireccional entre uso de tabaco y riesgo de depresión en el estudio de cohorte SUN / Bidirectional association between tobacco use and depression risk in the SUN cohort study

Evaluamos la asociación del consumo de tabaco o su abandono con el riesgo de depresión y determinamos si presentar depresión se asoció al inicio de fumar. Diseño: estudio de cohortes prospectivo de 16.519 graduados universitarios españoles sin depresión al inicio del estudio. El consumo de tabaco se determinó al inicio y tras cuatro años de seguimiento. Los casos incidentes de depresión fueron autoinformados en los cuestionarios de seguimiento. Usamos modelos de regresión de Cox para estimar los Hazard Ratios (HR) de depresión según el nivel de tabaquismo inicial y sus cambios. Se estimaron los Odds Ratios (OR) para la asociación entre prevalencia de tabaquismo a lo largo de la vida y comienzo del hábito con modelos de regresión logística. Se observó un HR (IC 95%) para fumadores de 1,24 (1,05-1,46) en comparación con los que nunca habían fumado. Los participantes con la exposición más alta al tabaco (≥ 20 paquetes-año) tuvieron un incremento relativo del riesgo de depresión de 38%. Dejar de fumar durante los primeros cuatro años de seguimiento se asoció inversamente con la depresión (HR = 0,63; IC 95% = 0,40-0,99). Observamos un incremento significativo del riesgo de aparición de tabaquismo en los participantes con prevalencia de depresión a lo largo de la vida (OR multivariable = 1,44; IC 95% = 1,13-1,83). Encontramos una asociación bidireccional entre el consumo de tabaco y la depresión en la cohorte SUN. El control del tabaco y las campañas sanitarias de abstinencia deberían considerarse estrategias efectivas de salud pública para prevenir y manejar los trastornos depresivos. (AU)

We assessed the association of tobacco use or smoking cessation with depression risk and determined if the presence of a depressive disorder was associated with smoking onset. We conducted a prospective cohort study (SUN Project) based on 16,519 Spanish university graduates without depression at baseline. Tobacco use was determined at baseline and after four years of follow-up. Incident cases of depression were ascertained according to a previously validated report of a clinical diagnosis of depression during follow-up. Multivariable Cox regression models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) of depression according to previous smoking status. We used logistic regression models as a secondary analysis to estimate Odds Ratios (OR) of smoking onset during the first four years of follow-up according to lifetime depression prevalence at baseline. The multivariable HR (95% CI) for current smokers was 1.24 (1.05-1.46) as compared to participants who had never smoked. Participants with the highest exposure to tobacco (≥ 20 packsyears) had a significant 38% relative increment in depression risk. Smoking cessation during the first four years of follow-up was inversely associated with depression (HR = 0.63; 95% CI = 0.40-0.99). Finally, a significant increment in the risk of smoking onset for participants with lifetime depression prevalence was observed (multivariable OR = 1.44; 95% CI = 1.13-1.83). A bidirectional association between tobacco use and depression in the SUN cohort was found. Therefore, tobacco control and health promotion campaigns for smoking cessation could be considered as effective strategies of public health for the prevention and management of depressive disorders. (AU)

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Nicotine Use: Nursing Implications for Patient Outcomes.

ABSTRACT: Tobacco use is a leading cause of cancer, cardiovascular and respiratory disease, and preventable death in the United States. The brains of individuals with nicotine dependence are characterized by damaged mesolimbic pathways in the medial portion of the limbic and frontal lobes, creating positive reinforcing mechanisms. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) targets this neuroadaptation to improve smokers' nicotine-related outcomes, such as craving and smoking behavior, by depolarizing or hyperpolarizing the neurons of the brain. Recent literature reported promising outcomes in smokers after tDCS treatment interventions. tDCS has great potential for clinical nursing research for tobacco control given its multiple methodological advantages and few disadvantages. Nurse researchers can consider individualized and home-based tDCS interventions for community-based tobacco control research and may need to consider objective outcome measures (e.g., cotinine in urine) and addiction-related cognitive variables (e.g., self-regulation). Users of electronic nicotine delivery systems also need to be considered as participants in tDCS interventions. Additional considerations for nursing research are discussed.

Modeling Idiographic Longitudinal Relationships between Affect and Cigarette Use: An Ecological Momentary Assessment Study.

Background: Despite public knowledge of the adverse health effects of tobacco use, cigarettes remain widely used due to the addictive nature of nicotine. Physiologic adaptation to the presence of nicotine over time leads to unpleasant effects during withdrawal periods. Alongside these physiological effects, tobacco users often report changes in their consumption of tobacco in response to their emotional state. Objectives: We hypothesized that idiographic, or person-specific level, increases in participants' negative affect (NA) and positive affect (PA) ratings at a given time point would be associated with higher and lower craving and smoking over the following several hours, respectively. Fifty-two participants completed block randomized ecological momentary assessment surveys on their smartphones 4 times per day for 30 days, reporting from 0-100 their level of seven discrete emotions, stress, current craving, and smoking behavior. We analyzed the relationships between affect and smoking and craving using idiographic generalized linear models. Results: While some participants exhibited the hypothesized relationships, each participant varied in the strength and direction of the relationships between affect and craving/smoking. These outcomes were partially moderated at the group level by anxiety/depression at baseline, but not by level of nicotine dependence or sex. Conclusions: This suggests that the factors driving cigarette use vary significantly between individuals.

Differences in biobehavioral measures of cigarette smoking by depression symptomology.

INTRODUCTION: Research that explores the clinical relevance of subclinical depressive symptoms and smoking is primarily focused on smoking cessation. We examine whether depression symptoms vary across an array of biological (carbon monoxide boost), behavioral (FagerströmTest of Nicotine Dependence, cigarettes per day, smoking topography), and psychological smoking-related outcomes (Questionnaire on Smoking Urges, Withdrawal Symptoms Checklist) in non-treatment-seeking smokers. METHODS: Baseline data were pooled from three research trials with identical procedures designed to assess individual smoking behavior using smokers preferred cigarette brands. Depression symptom level (asymptomatic, subsyndromal, syndromal) was defined using established Center for Epidemiological Depression Scale (CES-D) cutpoint criteria. Smokers were instructed to smoke as usual for one-week. At the beginning and end of the baseline period, nicotine dependence, smoking topography, CO boost, desire to smoke, anticipation of positive reinforcement, negative affect, and withdrawal were measured. RESULTS: Ordinary least squares linear regression models were used to test the association between depression symptom level and outcome measures adjusting for sex and education (N = 355). The results revealed no differences in topography measures, cigarettes per day and FTND. Smoking withdrawal and smoking urges were higher among both individuals with subsyndromal symptoms and syndromal depression symptoms compared to those who were asymptomatic. Individuals with subsyndromal depressive symptoms experienced higher smoke exposure and higher relief from negative affect. CONCLUSION: Increased smoke exposure, greater withdrawal symptoms and urges to smoke, and anticipation of negative affect relief among smokers with subsyndromal depression symptoms suggest that depression symptoms need not reach syndromal levels to alter smoking-related outcomes.

Poor inhibitory control predicts sex-specific vulnerability to nicotine rewarding properties in mice.

RATIONALE: The risk of becoming addicted to tobacco varies greatly from individual to individual, raising the possibility of behavioural biomarkers capable of predicting sensitivity to nicotine reward, a crucial step in the development of nicotine addiction. Amongst all of nicotine's pharmacological properties, one of central importance is the enhancement of cognitive performances, which depend on the balance between attentional processes and inhibitory control. However, whether the cognitive enhancement effects of nicotine are predictive of sensitivity to its rewarding properties is still unknown. OBJECTIVE: Using male and female mice, we investigated whether the effects of nicotine on cognitive performances are predictive of sensitivity to the rewarding properties of nicotine and, if so, whether this relationship is sex dependent. METHODS: Naïve male and female mice were first assessed for their performances in both baseline conditions and following nicotine injection (0.15 and 0.30 mg/kg) in a cued-Fixed Consecutive Number task (FCNcue) measuring both optimal (attention) and premature (inhibitory control) responding. Next, all mice underwent nicotine-induced conditioned place preference (CPP) in order to evaluate inter-individual differences in response to nicotine reward (0.30 mg/kg). RESULTS: Results showed that males and females benefited from the effect of nicotine as a cognitive enhancer in the FCNcue task. However, only those males displaying poor inhibitory control, namely high-impulsive animals, subsequently displayed sensitivity to nicotine reward. In females, sensitivity to nicotine reward was independent of FCNcue performances, in both basal and nicotine conditions. CONCLUSION: Thus, our study suggests that poor inhibitory control and its modulation by nicotine may be a behavioural biomarker for sensitivity to nicotine reward and consequent vulnerability to nicotine addiction in males but not females.