Effects of short-term varenicline administration on emotional and cognitive processing in healthy, non-smoking adults: a randomized, double-blind, study.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Mocking RJ
PROVIDER: S-EPMC3547198 | biostudies-other | 2013 Feb
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other
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Project description:Within a parent study examining ovarian hormone effects on smoking cessation in women, we conducted an exploratory short-term trial of varenicline versus transdermal nicotine patch.Double-blind double-dummy randomized trial.Single-site out-patient research clinic in the United States.Female smokers, ages 18-45?years and averaging ?10 cigarettes per day for at least 6 months (n=140).Participants were randomized to receive a 4-week course of (a) varenicline tablets and placebo patches (n?=?67) or (b) placebo tablets and nicotine patches (n=73). Two brief cessation counseling sessions were provided for all participants.The outcome of primary clinical interest was 2-week end-of-treatment abstinence. Secondary outcomes included 1- and 4-week end-of treatment abstinence and abstinence at a post-treatment follow-up visit occurring 4 weeks after treatment conclusion. Breath carbon monoxide (??10?parts per million) was used to confirm biochemically self-reported abstinence.Two-week end-of-treatment abstinence was achieved by 37.3% (25 of 67) of varenicline participants and by 17.8% (13 of 73) of nicotine patch participants [odds ratio (OR)?=?2.7, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.3-6.0, P=0.011]. One-week (44.8 versus 20.6%, OR=3.1, 95% CI=1.5-6.6, P=0.003) and 4-week (22.4 versus 9.6%, OR=2.7, 95% CI=1.0-7.2, P=0.043) end-of-treatment abstinence similarly favored varenicline, although post-treatment follow-up Russell Standard abstinence was not significantly different between groups (23.9 versus 13.7%, OR=2.0, 95% CI=0.8-4.7, P=0.126).In an exploratory 4-week head-to-head trial in female smokers, varenicline, compared with nicotine patch, more than doubled the odds of end-of-treatment abstinence, although this diminished somewhat at post-treatment follow-up.
| S-EPMC4430389 | biostudies-literature
Project description:UnlabelledSchizophrenic patients have a high rate of smoking and cognitive deficits which may be related to a decreased number or responsiveness of nicotinic receptors in their brains. Varenicline is a partial nicotinic agonist which is effective as an antismoking drug in cigarette smokers, although concerns have been raised about potential psychiatric side-effects. We conducted a double-blind placebo controlled study in 87 schizophrenic smokers to evaluate the effects of varenicline (2 mg/day) on measures of smoking, cognition, psychiatric symptoms, and side-effects in schizophrenic patients who were cigarette smokers. Varenicline significantly decreased cotinine levels (P<0.001), and other objective and subjective measures of smoking (P < .01), and responses on a smoking urges scale (P = .02), more than placebo. Varenicline did not improve scores on a cognitive battery designed to test the effect of drugs on cognitive performance in schizophrenia (the MATRICS battery), either in overall MATRICS battery Composite or individual Domain scores, more than placebo. There were no significant differences between varenicline vs. placebo effects on total symptom scores on psychiatric rating scales, PANSS, SANS, or Calgary Depression scales, and there were no significant drug effects in any of these scales sub-scores when we used Benjamin-Hochberg corrected significance levels (? = .05). Varenicline patients did not show greater side-effects than placebo treated patients at any time point when controlled for baseline side-effect scores. Our study supports the use of varenicline as a safe drug for smoking reduction in schizophrenia but not as a cognitive enhancer.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov 00802919.
| S-EPMC4701439 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveTo assess the efficacy and safety of varenicline (a licensed cigarette smoking cessation aid) in helping users of smokeless tobacco to quit.DesignDouble blind, placebo controlled, parallel group, multicentre, randomised controlled trial.SettingMedical clinics (mostly primary care) in Norway and Sweden.ParticipantsMen and women aged ≥18 who used smokeless tobacco at least eight times a day, with no abstinence period over three months within one year before screening, who wanted to quit all tobacco use. Participants were excluded if they used any other form of tobacco (except smokeless tobacco) or medication to stop smoking within three months of screening or had any pre-existing medical or psychiatric condition.InterventionsVarenicline 1 mg twice daily (titrated during the first week) or placebo for 12 weeks, with 14 weeks' follow-up after treatment.Main outcome measuresThe primary end point was the four week continuous abstinence rate at the end of treatment (weeks 9-12) confirmed with cotinine concentration. A secondary end point was continuous abstinence rate for weeks 9-26. Safety and tolerability were also evaluated.Results431 participants (213 varenicline; 218 placebo) were randomised and received at least one dose of study drug. Participants' demographics and baseline use of smokeless tobacco were similar (89% (189) and 90% (196), respectively, were men; mean age in both groups was 43.9; participants used smokeless tobacco products about 15 times a day, and about 80% first used smokeless tobacco within 30 minutes after awakening). Continuous abstinence rate at week 9-12 was higher in the varenicline group than the placebo group (59% (125) v 39% (85); relative risk 1.60, 95% confidence interval 1.32 to 1.87, P<0.001; risk difference 20%; number needed to treat 5). The advantage of varenicline over placebo persisted through 14 weeks of follow-up (continuous abstinence rate at week 9-26 was 45% (95) v 34% (73); relative risk 1.42, 1.08 to 1.79, P=0.012; risk difference 11%; number needed to treat 9). The most common adverse events in the varenicline group compared with the placebo group were nausea (35% (74) v 6% (14)), fatigue (10% (22) v 7% (15)), headache (10% (22) v 9% (20)), and sleep disorder (10% (22) v 7% (15)). Few adverse events led to discontinuation of treatment (9% (19) and 4% (9), respectively), and serious adverse events occurred in two (1%) and three (1%) participants, respectively.ConclusionVarenicline can help people to give up smokeless tobacco and has an acceptable safety profile. The response rate in the placebo group in this study was high, suggesting a population less resistant to treatment than smokers.Trial registrationNCT00717093.
| S-EPMC2997603 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The aim of this study is to examine the effects of treatment with varenicline, a partial agonist at the ?4?2 and full agonist at the ?7 nicotine acetylcholine receptor, on cognitive impairments in people with schizophrenia. In all, 120 clinically stable people with schizophrenia participated in randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled 8-week trial. Antipsychotic and concomitant medication doses remained fixed throughout the study. Varenicline was titrated up to 1?mg twice daily for weeks 2-8. Neuropsychological, clinical, and safety assessments were administered at baseline and weeks 1, 2, 4, and 8. In the primary analyses of neurocognitive differences at week 8, no varenicline-placebo differences were significant. In secondary longitudinal analyses, varenicline improved compared with placebo on the Digital Symbol Substitution Test (p=0.013) and the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test non-perseverative errors (p=0.043). Some treatment effects were different between smokers and non-smokers. In smokers, Continuous Performance Test hit reaction time (p=0.008) and Stroop Interference (p=0.004) were reduced for varenicline compared with placebo, while there were no treatment differences in non-smokers. No significant treatment main effects or interactions were noted for total scores on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale or the Scale for the Assessment for Negative Symptoms. Our findings suggest beneficial effects of adjunctive varenicline treatment with antipsychotics for some cognitive impairments in people with schizophrenia. In some cases, effects of treatment varied between smokers and non-smokers. Further study is required to assess the functional significance of these changes.
| S-EPMC3260973 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Reducing exposure to cigarette smoke is an imperative for public health and for diabetic patients. Patients with diabetes who continue to smoke face challenges at quitting and the delivery of effective smoking cessation interventions is a major unmet need. The high-affinity α4β2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor partial agonist varenicline in combination with counseling is effective for smoking cessation, but evidence in patients with diabetes is limited. A clinical trial of varenicline targeted specifically at smokers with T2DM is warranted. This randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled trial will be the first study to test efficacy and safety of varenicline in smokers with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) over the course of 52 weeks. We hypothesize that varenicline treatment (1 mg BID, administered for 12 weeks) would increase quit rates, maintain smoking abstinence up to 1 year after treatment, and be well-tolerated in T2DM smokers intending to quit. Efficacy end points will include carbon monoxide-confirmed continuous abstinence rate (CAR) and 7-day point prevalence of abstinence. The results of this RCT will help inform medical/health authorities and physicians worldwide whether an optimally varenicline-treated cohort of T2DM patients who smoke will experience significant success rates, without significant side effects.Trial registration NCT01387425 ( https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01387425 ).
| S-EPMC8502165 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BACKGROUND:Previous studies have suggested that varenicline, an ?4?2 nicotinic receptor partial agonist, and ?7 nicotinic receptor full agonist, may be effective for the treatment of methamphetamine (MA) dependence due to dopaminergic effects, relief of glutamatergic and cognitive dysfunction, and activation of nicotinic cholinergic systems. This study aimed to determine if varenicline (1?mg BID) resulted in reduced methamphetamine use compared to placebo among treatment-seeking MA-dependent volunteers. METHODS:Treatment-seeking MA-dependent volunteers were randomized to varenicline 1?mg twice daily (n?=?27) or placebo (n?=?25) and cognitive behavioral therapy for 9?weeks. The primary outcomes were the proportion of participants achieving end-of-treatment-abstinence (EOTA, MA-negative urine specimens during weeks 8 and 9) and the treatment effectiveness score (TES, number of MA-negative urine specimens) for varenicline versus placebo. RESULTS:There was no significant difference in EOTA between varenicline (15%, 4/27) and placebo (20%, 5/25; p?=?0.9). There was some suggestion that urinary confirmed medication compliance corresponded with EOTA in the varenicline condition, though it did not reach statistical significance, OR?=?1.57 for a 100?ng/ml increase in urine varenicline, p?=?0.10, 95% CI (0.99, 3.02). There was no significant difference in mean TES in the varenicline condition (8.6) compared to the placebo condition (8.1), and treatment condition was not a statistically significant predictor of TES, IRR?=?1.01, p?=?0.9, 95% CI (0.39, 2.70). CONCLUSIONS:The results of this study indicate that 1?mg varenicline BID was not an effective treatment for MA dependence among treatment-seeking MA-dependent volunteers.
| S-EPMC6391991 | biostudies-literature
Project description:There is renewed interest in the use of lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) in psychiatric research and practice. Although acute subjective effects of LSD are mostly positive, negative subjective effects, including anxiety, may occur. The induction of overall positive acute subjective effects is desired in psychedelic-assisted therapy because positive acute experiences are associated with greater therapeutic long-term benefits. 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) produces marked positive subjective effects and is used recreationally with LSD, known as "candyflipping." The present study investigated whether the co-administration of MDMA can be used to augment acute subjective effects of LSD. We used a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover design with 24 healthy subjects (12 women, 12 men) to compare the co-administration of MDMA (100 mg) and LSD (100 µg) with MDMA and LSD administration alone and placebo. Outcome measures included subjective, autonomic, and endocrine effects and pharmacokinetics. MDMA co-administration with LSD did not change the quality of acute subjective effects compared with LSD alone. However, acute subjective effects lasted longer after LSD + MDMA co-administration compared with LSD and MDMA alone, consistent with higher plasma concentrations of LSD (Cmax and area under the curve) and a longer plasma elimination half-life of LSD when MDMA was co-administered. The LSD + MDMA combination increased blood pressure, heart rate, and pupil size more than LSD alone. Both MDMA alone and the LSD + MDMA combination increased oxytocin levels more than LSD alone. Overall, the co-administration of MDMA (100 mg) did not improve acute effects or the safety profile of LSD (100 µg). The combined use of MDMA and LSD is unlikely to provide relevant benefits over LSD alone in psychedelic-assisted therapy. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04516902.
| S-EPMC10584820 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Cognitive control enables successful goal-directed behavior by resolving a conflict between opposing action tendencies, while emotional control arises as a consequence of emotional conflict processing such as in irony. While negative emotion facilitates both cognitive and emotional conflict processing, it is unclear how emotional conflict processing is affected by positive emotion (e.g., humor). In 2 EEG experiments, we investigated the role of positive audiovisual target stimuli in cognitive and emotional conflict processing. Participants categorized either spoken vowels (cognitive task) or their emotional valence (emotional task) and ignored the visual stimulus dimension. Behaviorally, a positive target showed no influence on cognitive conflict processing, but impeded emotional conflict processing. In the emotional task, response time conflict costs were higher for positive than for neutral targets. In the EEG, we observed an interaction of emotion by congruence in the P200 and N200 ERP components in emotional but not in cognitive conflict processing. In the emotional conflict task, the P200 and N200 conflict effect was larger for emotional than neutral targets. Thus, our results show that emotion affects conflict processing differently as a function of conflict type and emotional valence. This suggests that there are conflict- and valence-specific mechanisms modulating executive control.
| S-EPMC5403863 | biostudies-other
Project description:To assess the efficacy and safety of varenicline (Chantix) for the treatment of alcohol dependence. Varenicline is a partial ?4?2 nicotinic acetylcholine agonist approved by the Food and Drug Administration for smoking cessation. It has reduced drinking in animal studies and in small studies of humans who were both heavy drinkers and smokers. This is the first multisite clinical trial of varenicline in a population of smokers and nonsmokers with alcohol dependence.Men and women (n = 200) meeting the criteria for alcohol dependence were recruited across 5 clinical sites. Patients received double-blind varenicline or placebo and a computerized behavioral intervention. Varenicline was titrated during the first week to 2 mg/d, which was maintained during weeks 2 to 13.The varenicline group had significantly lower weekly percent heavy drinking days (primary outcome) (adjusted mean difference = 10.4), drinks per day, drinks per drinking day, and alcohol craving compared with the placebo group (P < 0.05). The average treatment effect on alcohol use was similar for smokers and nonsmokers. Varenicline was well-tolerated; adverse events were expected and mild.Varenicline significantly reduced alcohol consumption and craving, making it a potentially viable option for the treatment of alcohol dependence.
| S-EPMC3914416 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundVaping cessation is virtually unexplored. The efficacy and safety of varenicline for vaping cessation has not been studied and rigorous research is required to advance best practice and outcomes for people who use electronic cigarettes (EC) and want to quit. The objective is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of varenicline (1 mg BID, administered for 12 weeks, with follow-up to week 24) combined with vaping cessation counseling in exclusive daily EC users intending to quit vaping.MethodsDesign: Double-blind, randomized, parallel-group, placebo-controlled trial.SettingThe study took place at a University-run smoking cessation center.ParticipantsPeople who exclusively use ECs daily and intend to quit vaping.InterventionA total of 140 subjects were randomized to either varenicline (1 mg, administered twice daily for 12 weeks) plus counseling or placebo treatment (administered twice daily, for 12 weeks) plus counseling. The trial consisted of a 12-week treatment phase followed by a 12-week follow-up, nontreatment phase.Main outcomes and measuresThe primary efficacy endpoint of the study was biochemically validated continuous abstinence rate (CAR) at weeks 4 to 12. Secondary efficacy end points were CAR at weeks 4 to 24 and 7-day point prevalence of vaping abstinence at weeks 12 and 24.ResultsCAR was significantly higher for varenicline vs placebo at each interval: weeks 4-12, 40.0% and 20.0%, respectively (OR = 2.67, 95% CI = [1.25-5.68], P = 0.011); weeks 4-24, 34.3% for varenicline with counseling and 17.2% for placebo with counseling (OR = 2.52, 95% CI = [1.14-5.58], P = 0.0224). The 7-day point prevalence of vaping abstinence was also higher for the varenicline than placebo at each time point. Serious adverse events were infrequent in both groups and not treatment-related.ConclusionsThe findings of the present RCT indicate that inclusion of varenicline in a vaping cessation program for people who use electronic cigarettes and intending to quit may result in prolonged abstinence. These positive findings establish a benchmark of intervention effectiveness, may support the use of varenicline combined with counseling in vaping cessation programs, and may also help guiding future recommendations by health authorities and healthcare providers.Trial registrationThe study has been registered in EUDRACT with Trial registration ID: 2016-000339-42.
| S-EPMC10321010 | biostudies-literature