Inclusion Criteria:
1. Treatment-seeking smokers between the ages of 18 and 65, that smoke at least 10
cigarettes/day for at least the past 6 months
2. Provide a baseline CO (carbon monoxide) reading of >10ppm
3. Provide written informed consent and are fluent, English-speaking
4. Weight of equal to or less than 300 lbs
Exclusion Criteria:
Smoking Behavior
1. Use of chewing tobacco, snuff or cigars
2. Current enrollment or plans to enroll in another smoking cessation program in the
next 5 months
3. Plan to use other nicotine substitutes or smoking cessation treatments in the next 5
months
4. Provide a baseline CO (carbon monoxide) reading ≤10 ppm
Alcohol/Drug Exclusion Criteria
1. History of substance abuse and/or currently receiving treatment for substance abuse
2. Current alcohol consumption that exceeds 25 standard drinks/week
3. A breath alcohol concentration reading ≥ 0.01 at the H&P (health & physical)
screening or either of the lab sessions
Medication Exclusion Criteria
1. Prior use of Chantix
2. Current use or recent discontinuation (within last 14-days) of the following
medications:
1. Any form of smoking cessation medication
2. Any form of anti-psychotic medications that includes:
- antipsychotics,
- atypical antipsychotics,
- mood-stabilizers,
- anti-depressants (tricyclic, SSRI, MAOI),
- anti-panic agents,
- anti-obsessive agents,
- anti-anxiety agents, and
- stimulants (e.g., Provigil, Ritalin)
- herbal medications (St. John's Wort)
3. Opioid medication for chronic pain
4. Anti-coagulants
5. Any heart medications
6. Daily medication for asthma
Medical Exclusion Criteria
1. Women who are pregnant, planning a pregnancy, or lactating;
2. History or current diagnosis of psychosis, current major depression, bipolar
disorder, ADHD, schizophrenia, or any Axis 1 disorder as identified by the MINI
3. Serious or unstable disease within the past 6 months (heart disease, HIV)
4. Diagnosis of cancer in the past 6 months or if successful treatment for cancer has
not ended within the past 6 months
5. History of epilepsy or a seizure disorder
6. History or current diagnosis (last 6-months) of abnormal rhythms and/or tachycardia
(>100 beats/minute); history or current diagnosis of COPD (chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease), cardiovascular disease (stroke, angina, coronary heart disease),
heart attack in the last 6 months, uncontrolled hypertension (SBP>150 or DBP>90)
7. History of kidney and/or liver failure (including transplant)
8. History of head trauma or prior seizure; family history of a seizure disorder, brain
(or central nervous system) tumor
9. Use of pacemakers, certain metallic implants, or presence of metal in the eye as
contraindicated for MRI (magnetic resonance imaging);
10. Low or borderline intellectual functioning - determined by receiving a score <80 on
the Shipley verbal IQ Test
11. Non-English speaking; determined at phone screen
12. History of claustrophobia (contraindicated for MRI) or color blindness (task requires
color recognition); self-report at telephone screen
13. Being left-handed
14. Any fore-limb deformity
15. Wearing cochlear implant or bi-lateral hearing aids
General Exclusion
1. Any medical condition or concomitant medication that could compromise participant
safety or treatment, as determined by the Principal Investigator and/or Study
Physician.
2. Inability to provide informed consent or complete any of the study tasks as
determined by the Principal Investigator and/or Study Physician.
3. Any physical or visual impairment that may prevent the individual from using a
computer keyboard or completing any study tasks.