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Belief about Nicotine Modulates Subjective Craving and Insula Activity in Deprived Smokers.

ABSTRACT: Little is known about the specific neural mechanisms through which cognitive factors influence craving and associated brain responses, despite the initial success of cognitive therapies in treating drug addiction. In this study, we investigated how cognitive factors such as beliefs influence subjective craving and neural activities in nicotine-addicted individuals using model-based functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and neuropharmacology. Deprived smokers (N?=?24) participated in a two-by-two balanced placebo design, which crossed beliefs about nicotine (told "nicotine" vs. told "no nicotine") with the nicotine content in a cigarette (nicotine vs. placebo) which participants smoked immediately before performing a fMRI task involving reward learning. Subjects' reported craving was measured both before smoking and after the fMRI session. We found that first, in the presence of nicotine, smokers demonstrated significantly reduced craving after smoking when told "nicotine in cigarette" but showed no change in craving when told "no nicotine." Second, neural activity in the insular cortex related to craving was only significant when smokers were told "nicotine" but not when told "no nicotine." Both effects were absent in the placebo condition. Third, insula activation related to computational learning signals was modulated by belief about nicotine regardless of nicotine's presence. These results suggest that belief about nicotine has a strong impact on subjective craving and insula responses related to both craving and learning in deprived smokers, providing insights into the complex nature of belief-drug interactions.

SUBMITTER: Gu X

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4942468 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Belief about Nicotine Modulates Subjective Craving and Insula Activity in Deprived Smokers.

Gu Xiaosi X Lohrenz Terry T Salas Ramiro R Baldwin Philip R PR Soltani Alireza A Kirk Ulrich U Cinciripini Paul M PM Montague P Read PR

Frontiers in psychiatry 20160713

Little is known about the specific neural mechanisms through which cognitive factors influence craving and associated brain responses, despite the initial success of cognitive therapies in treating drug addiction. In this study, we investigated how cognitive factors such as beliefs influence subjective craving and neural activities in nicotine-addicted individuals using model-based functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and neuropharmacology. Deprived smokers (N = 24) participated in a two ...[more]

PMID: 27468271

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Project description:BackgroundAlthough the amygdala and insula are regarded as critical neural substrates perpetuating cigarette smoking, little is known about their circuit-level interactions with interconnected regions during nicotine withdrawal or following pharmacotherapy administration. To elucidate neurocircuitry associated with early smoking abstinence, we examined the impact of varenicline and nicotine, two modestly efficacious pharmacologic cessation aids, on amygdala- and insula-centered circuits using resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC).MethodsIn a functional magnetic resonance imaging study employing a two-drug, placebo-controlled design, 24 overnight-abstinent smokers and 20 nonsmokers underwent ∼17 days of varenicline and placebo pill administration and were scanned, on different days under each condition, wearing a transdermal nicotine or placebo patch. We examined the impact of varenicline and nicotine (both alone and in combination) on amygdala- and insula-centered rsFC using seed-based assessments.ResultsBeginning with a functionally defined amygdala seed, we observed that rsFC strength in an amygdala-insula circuit was down-regulated by varenicline and nicotine in abstinent smokers. Using this identified insula region as a new seed, both drugs similarly decreased rsFC between the insula and constituents of the canonical default-mode network (posterior cingulate cortex, ventromedial/dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, parahippocampus). Drug-induced rsFC modulations were critically linked with nicotine withdrawal, as similar effects were not detected in nonsmokers.ConclusionsThese results suggest that nicotine withdrawal is associated with elevated amygdala-insula and insula-default-mode network interactions. As these potentiated interactions were down-regulated by two pharmacotherapies, this effect may be a characteristic shared by pharmacologic agents promoting smoking cessation. Decreased rsFC in these circuits may contribute to amelioration of subjective withdrawal symptoms.

Project description:Background and aimsVaporized nicotine products (VNPs) can vary in important characteristics including size, shape, flavor and nicotine yield. We examined whether complex interactions among these characteristics could affect smokers' VNP perceptions and usage patterns.DesignA within-subject randomized cross-over trial.SettingRoswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, USA.ParticipantsEighteen daily cigarette smokers.MeasurementsParticipants attended eight weekly visits during which they sampled six different VNPs (disposable, rechargeable, eGO, mod, e-Cigar and e-Pipe) with tobacco-flavored e-liquid. Prior to device use, participants completed product-ranking questionnaires. Participants completed controlled puffing sessions during each of the six trials, after which satisfaction questionnaires were completed and blood samples were taken.FindingsInitial perceptions showed that the smallest device (disposable) was ranked as safer compared with a larger device (e-Pipe) (P < 0.05). Participants rated the eGO and mod devices higher on satisfaction and enjoyment from use, taste, pleasantness, harshness ('throat hit') and speed of effect, but lower on perceived health risk and embarrassment from use (P < 0.05). All devices had a lower Cmax than the combustible cigarette (P < 0.05), but there were differences among devices (P < 0.05). The mod, e-Pipe and eGO provided the highest amount of perceived smoking urge relief, and this correlated strongly with Cmax across all devices (R2 = 0.8614, P = 0.007). The perceived speed of urge relief was not correlated with Tmax (R2 = 0.0035, P = 0.911) CONCLUSIONS: Daily cigarette smokers testing six types of vaporized nicotine products (VNPs) reported that they varied in taste, amount of withdrawal relief, harshness, embarrassment from use, perceived health risk and subjective and objective nicotine delivery. The eGO and mod models have properties that may make them most effective for cigarette substitution among smokers who intend to switch to a VNP.

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Belief about Nicotine Modulates Subjective Craving and Insula Activity in Deprived Smokers.

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Belief about Nicotine Modulates Subjective Craving and Insula Activity in Deprived Smokers.

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