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Bello MS, Pang RD, Colby SM, Cassidy RN, Zvolensky M, Langdon KJ. Interactive effects of financial strain and distress tolerance on prequit tobacco withdrawal symptoms in smokers preparing to initiate a quit attempt. Exp Clin Psychopharmacol 2023; 31:805-816. [PMID: 36649154 PMCID: PMC10349897 DOI: 10.1037/pha0000639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Smokers experiencing greater financial strain are less likely to successfully quit smoking, possibly due to greater severity of tobacco withdrawal. However, limited research has explored whether individual-level psychological factors (i.e., distress tolerance) may buffer the deleterious effects of financial strain on withdrawal. This study examined the main and interactive effects of financial strain and distress tolerance on tobacco withdrawal experienced prior to quitting smoking among smokers preparing to initiate a quit attempt. Fifty-nine adult smokers completed a baseline session including a financial strain measure and subjective and behavioral assessments of distress tolerance. Participants were then instructed to initiate a quit attempt, without any behavioral or pharmacological assistance, 14 days following baseline. Prequit tobacco withdrawal symptoms were assessed once per day for 3 days prior to quit date. Linear regression models tested main and interactive effects between financial strain and distress tolerance on experiences and perceptions of prequit withdrawal. Findings demonstrated significant interactions between financial strain, distress tolerance, and perceptions of tolerating withdrawal. Negative associations found between higher distress tolerance and lower perceptions of tobacco withdrawal and negative mood as being "intolerable" prior to quitting were stronger for those experiencing greater levels of financial strain. Financial strain may negatively impact one's perceived ability to tolerate mood- and tobacco-related withdrawal prior to quitting. Yet, higher distress tolerance may buffer the effects of financial strain on smoking cessation processes. Psychosocial interventions designed to promote tolerance of distress from both internal and external stressors may benefit cessation efforts among smokers experiencing high financial strain. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariel S. Bello
- Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Raina D. Pang
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Suzanne M. Colby
- Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
- Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Rachel N. Cassidy
- Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Michael Zvolensky
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
- Health Institute, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
- Department of Behavioral Science, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Kirsten J. Langdon
- Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
- Brown-Lifespan Center for Digital Health, Providence, RI, USA
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Oliva A, Reed SC, Brooks DJ, Levin FR, Evans SM. Safety and tolerability of progesterone treatment for women with cocaine use disorder: a pilot treatment trial. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE 2022; 48:586-595. [PMID: 36095308 DOI: 10.1080/00952990.2022.2114004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Background: Problematic cocaine use remains a significant public health issue, particularly among women. However, no concerted efforts have been made to target a pharmacological treatment option for women with cocaine use disorder (CUD) despite preclinical, human laboratory, and a limited number of clinical studies demonstrating that progesterone can attenuate the effects of cocaine to a greater extent in women than men.Objectives: To evaluate the safety, tolerability, and preliminary efficacy of progesterone for treating women with CUD.Methods: A 10-week double-blind randomized treatment trial was conducted. Prior to randomization, participants were required to achieve cocaine abstinence (1 week) before assignment to progesterone (up to 400 mg/day) or placebo. The primary efficacy outcomes were days to relapse and cocaine abstinence during the last 3 weeks of the trial. The frequency of side effects was also assessed.Results: 227 women were assessed for eligibility. Twenty-five women entered treatment and 21 were randomized to progesterone (n = 11) or placebo (n = 10). The majority of women relapsed in less than 4 days with no differences between the two groups. Further, there were no significant differences between the progesterone and placebo groups in terms of cocaine abstinence during the last 3 weeks of the trial (27% and 10% respectively). The most commonly reported side effects were headache and fatigue, but no group differences were noted.Conclusions: Progesterone was well tolerated and safe and supports further study is in a larger sample to determine if exogenous progesterone is an effective treatment option for women with CUD.(ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00632099).
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa Oliva
- Division on Substance Use Disorders, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Stephanie C Reed
- Division on Substance Use Disorders, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
| | - Daniel J Brooks
- Division on Substance Use Disorders, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Frances R Levin
- Division on Substance Use Disorders, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Suzette M Evans
- Division on Substance Use Disorders, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA
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Abstract
LEARNING OBJECTIVE After participating in this activity, learners should be better able to:• Discuss and outline the general and overlapping effects of the menstrual cycle on women's mental health. ABSTRACT A growing body of research demonstrates menstrual cycle-dependent fluctuations in psychiatric symptoms; these fluctuations can therefore be considered as prevalent phenomena. Possible mechanisms underlying these fluctuations posit behavioral, psychological, and neuroendocrine influences. Recent reviews document cyclic exacerbation of symptoms and explore these mechanisms in the context of specific and often single disorders. The question remains, however, as to whether there are general and overlapping effects of the menstrual cycle on women's mental health. To address this gap, we synthesized the literature examining the exacerbation of a variety of psychiatric symptoms across the menstrual cycle in adult women. Results show that the premenstrual and menstrual phases are most consistently implicated in transdiagnostic symptom exacerbation. Specifically, strong evidence indicates increases in psychosis, mania, depression, suicide/suicide attempts, and alcohol use during these phases. Anxiety, stress, and binge eating appear to be elevated more generally throughout the luteal phase. The subjective effects of smoking and cocaine use are reduced during the luteal phase, but fewer data are available for other substances. Less consistent patterns are demonstrated for panic disorder, symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder, and borderline personality disorder, and it is difficult to draw conclusions for symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and trichotillomania because of the limited data. Future research should focus on developing standardized approaches to identifying menstrual cycle phases and adapting pharmacological and behavioral interventions for managing fluctuations in psychiatric symptoms across the menstrual cycle.
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Female rats display greater nicotine withdrawal-induced cellular activation of a central portion of the interpeduncular nucleus versus males: A study of Fos immunoreactivity within provisionally assigned interpeduncular subnuclei. Drug Alcohol Depend 2021; 221:108640. [PMID: 33640680 PMCID: PMC8043600 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2021.108640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2020] [Revised: 01/31/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The interpeduncular nucleus (>1840) (IPN) has been shown to modulate the behavioral effects of nicotine withdrawal in male rodents. To date, the contribution of this brain structure to sex differences in withdrawal is largely unexplored. METHODS This study compared neuronal activation, as reported by observable Fos expression in the IPN of nicotine-dependent female and male rats experiencing withdrawal. We provisionally localized the Fos-expressing cells to certain IPN subnuclei within Swanson's standardized brain atlas (2018). Adult female and male rats were prepared with a pump that delivered nicotine (3.2 mg/kg/day; base) continuously. Controls received a sham surgery. Fourteen days later, the rats received administration of saline or the nicotinic receptor antagonist, mecamylamine (3.0 mg/kg; salt), and physical signs and anxiety-like behavior were assessed. The rats were then euthanized and brain sections containing the IPN were processed for Fos immunofluorescence to infer the possible IPN subnuclei displaying differential activation between sexes. RESULTS Both female and male rats displayed withdrawal-induced Fos expression within the IPN. Compared to males, female rats displayed greater numbers of withdrawal-induced Fos-positive cells within a circumscribed portion of the IPN that may fall within the cytoarchitectural boundaries of the central subnucleus (>1840) (IPNc). The withdrawal-induced activation of the IPN was correlated with negative affective states in females, but not males. CONCLUSION These data suggest that a centrally located group of IPN cells, presumably situated partly or completely within the IPNc, play a role in modulating sex differences in negative affective states produced by withdrawal.
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Baker NL, Gray KM, Ramakrishnan V, Tomko RL, McClure EA, Carpenter MJ, Saladin ME. Increases in endogenous progesterone attenuate smoking in a cohort of nontreatment seeking women: An exploratory prospective study. Addict Biol 2021; 26:e12918. [PMID: 32476209 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2020] [Revised: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Despite advances in prevention and treatment, cigarette smoking remains a leading cause of preventable death in the United States. Although men and women are equally likely to attempt to quit smoking cigarettes, women are far less likely to achieve abstinence both during and following cessation treatment. Recent evidence suggests that ovarian hormone levels may play a role in successful abstinence attempts in women smokers. The primary goal of this exploratory prospective observational study was to estimate the association between within-participant levels of progesterone and estradiol with associated cigarettes smoked per day in adult women smokers (n = 104). The primary study outcome was self-reported cigarettes smoked per day (CPD) during a 2-week observational period collected using a daily smoking diary. Additionally, participants collected saliva daily, from which hormone levels (progesterone and estradiol) were derived. Higher within-participant progesterone levels were associated with a significant decrease in CPD (p = .008) whereas within-participant estradiol levels were unrelated to CPD (p = .25). Regression models indicated a single change in the trajectory of smoking behavior for both within-participant progesterone and estradiol. When progesterone values were below the change point, there was a significant inverse relationship between within-participant progesterone levels and smoking behavior (p = .025) whereas the relationship was attenuated for higher within-participant progesterone levels (p = .59). The effect of estradiol on smoking behavior was not significant when it was either below (p = .92) or above (p = .16) the change point. Higher within-participant levels of progesterone but not estradiol are associated with reduced CPD in nontreatment seeking women smokers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathaniel L. Baker
- Department Public Health Sciences Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Charleston South Carolina USA
| | - Kevin M. Gray
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Charleston South Carolina USA
- Youth Division, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Charleston South Carolina USA
| | - Viswanathan Ramakrishnan
- Department Public Health Sciences Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Charleston South Carolina USA
| | - Rachel L. Tomko
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Charleston South Carolina USA
| | - Erin A. McClure
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Charleston South Carolina USA
| | - Matthew J. Carpenter
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Charleston South Carolina USA
- Hollings Cancer Center Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Charleston South Carolina USA
| | - Michael E. Saladin
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Charleston South Carolina USA
- Department of Health Sciences and Research Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Charleston South Carolina USA
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Flores RJ, Cruz B, Uribe KP, Correa VL, Arreguin MC, Carcoba LM, Mendez IA, O'Dell LE. Estradiol promotes and progesterone reduces anxiety-like behavior produced by nicotine withdrawal in female rats. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2020; 119:104694. [PMID: 32540678 PMCID: PMC7423767 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.104694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2019] [Revised: 03/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
This study assessed sex differences and the role of ovarian hormones in nicotine withdrawal. Study 1 compared physical signs, anxiety-like behavior, and corticosterone levels in male, intact female, and ovariectomized (OVX) female rats during nicotine withdrawal. Estradiol (E2) and progesterone levels were also assessed in intact females that were tested during different phases of the 4-day estrous cycle. Study 2 assessed the role of ovarian hormones in withdrawal by comparing the same measures in OVX rats that received vehicle, E2, or E2+progesterone prior to testing. Briefly, rats received a sham surgery or an ovariectomy procedure. Fifteen days later, rats were prepared with a pump that delivered nicotine for 14 days. On the test day, rats received saline or the nicotinic receptor antagonist, mecamylamine to precipitate withdrawal. Physical signs and anxiety-like behavior were assessed on the elevated plus maze (EPM) and light-dark transfer (LDT) tests. During withdrawal, intact females displayed greater anxiety-like behavior and increases in corticosterone levels as compared to male and OVX rats. Females tested in the estrus phase (when E2 is relatively low) displayed less anxiety-like behavior and had lower corticosterone levels versus all other phases. Anxiety-like behavior and corticosterone levels were positively correlated with E2 and negatively correlated with progesterone levels. Intact females displaying high E2/low progesterone showed greater anxiety-like behavior and corticosterone levels as compared to females displaying low E2/high progesterone. Lastly, OVX-E2 rats displayed greater anxiety-like behavior than OVX-E2+progesterone rats. These data suggest that E2 promotes and progesterone reduces anxiety-like behavior produced by nicotine withdrawal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodolfo J Flores
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West University Avenue, El Paso, TX, USA
| | - Bryan Cruz
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West University Avenue, El Paso, TX, USA
| | - Kevin P Uribe
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West University Avenue, El Paso, TX, USA
| | - Victor L Correa
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West University Avenue, El Paso, TX, USA
| | - Montserrat C Arreguin
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West University Avenue, El Paso, TX, USA
| | - Luis M Carcoba
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West University Avenue, El Paso, TX, USA
| | - Ian A Mendez
- School of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West University Avenue, El Paso, TX, USA
| | - Laura E O'Dell
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West University Avenue, El Paso, TX, USA.
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Chai SH, Leventhal AM, Kirkpatrick MG, Eisenlohr-Moul TA, Rapkin AJ, D’Orazio L, Pang RD. Effectiveness of transdermal nicotine patch in premenopausal female smokers is moderated by within-subject severity of negative affect and physical symptoms. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2020; 237:1737-1744. [PMID: 32157328 PMCID: PMC7244386 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-020-05494-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2019] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Nicotine patches may be less effective in female compared with male smokers. However, it is unknown if negative affect and physical symptoms influence transdermal nicotine patch-related effects on smoking behaviors. METHODS Eighty-one acutely tobacco-abstinent premenopausal female smokers attended three counter-balanced experimental sessions across the menstrual cycle (early follicular, late follicular, and mid-luteal) and were randomized to patch condition (nicotine [21 mg] vs. placebo [0 mg] transdermal patch). Negative affect and physical symptoms were assessed prior to patch administration. The patch was removed 5 h post-administration, and participants completed a smoking reinstatement task. Multilevel linear models tested associations of patch condition, negative affect and physical symptoms, and their interaction on smoking behavior. RESULTS There was a significant patch condition × Negative Affect and Pain symptoms interaction on the number of cigarettes smoked (p < 0.05). When Negative Affect and Pain were lower-than-usual, females administered a nicotine patch smoked significantly fewer cigarettes than females administered a placebo patch (p < .05), but there were no significant patch differences when Negative Affect and Pain were higher-than-usual. There was also a significant patch condition × Negative Affect interaction on time delay. The effects of patch condition on time delay to smoking were greater during sessions in which Negative Affect was higher-than-usual. CONCLUSIONS Results suggest that among female smokers transdermal nicotine patch effectiveness may interact with negative affect and pain. Understanding and considering female-specific factors that may impact the efficacy of one of the most commonly used cessation medications is important for improving smoking cessation in female smokers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie H. Chai
- Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Adam M. Leventhal
- Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA,Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Matthew G. Kirkpatrick
- Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA
| | | | - Andrea J. Rapkin
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Center for the Health Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Lina D’Orazio
- Department of Neurology, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Raina D. Pang
- Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA,Corresponding author: Raina D. Pang, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, 2001 N Soto Street, 312E, Los Angeles, CA 90032 Phone:323-442-7251; Fax:323-442-2359;
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Pang RD, Bello MS, Liautaud MM, Weinberger AH, Leventhal AM. Gender Differences in Negative Affect During Acute Tobacco Abstinence Differ Between African American and White Adult Cigarette Smokers. Nicotine Tob Res 2020; 21:1072-1078. [PMID: 29917091 DOI: 10.1093/ntr/nty122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2018] [Accepted: 06/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Prior studies have found heightened negative affect following tobacco abstinence in women compared to men. However, experimental work addressing whether these findings generalize across racial groups is scarce. This study investigated whether race (non-Hispanic White vs. non-Hispanic African American) moderated gender differences in abstinence-induced negative affect and smoking behavior. METHODS Data were collected from 2010 to 2017 from two separate laboratory studies investigating experimentally manipulated tobacco abstinence. Following a baseline session, adult daily smokers (≥10 cigarettes/day; women: n = 297, 83.8% non-Hispanic African American; men: n = 492, 86.2% non-Hispanic African American) attended two counterbalanced lab sessions (16 hours abstinent vs. non-abstinent) and completed self-report measures of negative affect followed by a laboratory analogue smoking reinstatement task. RESULTS We found a gender × race interaction for several negative affect states and composite negative affect (βs = -.12 to -.16, Ps < .05). Analyses stratified by race showed that non-Hispanic White women compared to non-Hispanic White men exhibited greater abstinence-induced increases in anger, anxiety, and composite negative affect (βs = -.20 to -.29, Ps < .05). No significant gender differences in abstinence-induced negative affect were found for non-Hispanic African American smokers (βs = .00 to - .04, Ps > .05). CONCLUSION These findings suggest that negative affect during acute tobacco abstinence may be a clinically important and intervenable factor that can inform cessation interventions specifically for non-Hispanic White women smokers. Further empirical exploration of mechanisms underlying interactions of gender and race in tobacco addiction may benefit smoking cessation efforts in non-Hispanic African American women smokers. IMPLICATIONS This study contributes to a scant body of research examining the intersectional influence of race and gender on abstinence-induced negative affect-a central, motivationally prepotent feature of tobacco withdrawal. Using a laboratory-based design to experimentally manipulate abstinence, we provide evidence of a gender × race interaction on negative affect-related withdrawal. Our findings suggest that gender differences in abstinence-induced negative affect observed among non-Hispanic White smokers may not generalize to non-Hispanic African American smokers, highlighting the need for future work to address potential mechanisms underlying the racially discrepant impact of gender on affective tobacco withdrawal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raina D Pang
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine at University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Mariel S Bello
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Madalyn M Liautaud
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine at University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
| | - Andrea H Weinberger
- Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Yeshiva University, New York, NY.,Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY
| | - Adam M Leventhal
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine at University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA.,Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
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Allen AM, Friedrichsen SC, Petersen N, Allen SS. Subjective response to intranasal nicotine administration in oral contraceptive users and naturally-cycling women. Addict Behav 2019; 98:106043. [PMID: 31310925 DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2019.106043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2019] [Revised: 05/20/2019] [Accepted: 07/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Approximately half of premenopausal women who smoke cigarettes also use hormonal contraceptives, with most using oral contraceptives (OCs). While research on the effects of endogenous hormones on smoking-related outcomes continues to expand, little is known about the influence of OCs on similar outcomes. We sought to explore differences in the subjective response to nicotine by OC use after stratifying by testing condition (e.g., smoking status). METHODS Participants were regular (≥5 cigarettes/day) smokers, classified into OC and naturally cycling (NC) groups. All participants completed four total lab sessions by smoking status (ad libitum smoking, acute smoking abstinence) and anticipated progesterone level (low progesterone week (LPW), high progesterone week (HPW)). Each lab session included self-administration of intranasal nicotine (Time 0 min), assessment of subjective response via the Subjective State Scale (-30 and + 5 min). RESULTS Compared to the NC group (n = 28), the OC group (n = 14) was younger (26.2 ± 1.1 versus 24.2 ± 1.1; p < 0.001) and had a lower Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence score (3.4 ± 0.5 versus 2.6 ± 0.5; p = 0.011). Progesterone-to-estradiol ratios varied significantly by group at three of the four time points (p < 0.05). During ad libitum smoking, the OC group had significantly lower craving after nicotine administration than the NC group (1.93 ± 0.33 versus 2.89 ± 0.23; p = 0.024). No other significant differences in subjective response were identified. CONCLUSIONS Despite significantly different hormone levels, group differences in subjective response to nicotine were relatively few. Additional research is needed to elucidate the mechanisms involved in these observations, as well as explore how they may influence cessation in women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicia M Allen
- Department of Family & Community Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, 3950 South Country Club Drive, Suite 330, Tucson, AZ 85714-2238, USA.
| | | | - Nicole Petersen
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90024, USA.
| | - Sharon S Allen
- Department of Family Medicine & Community Health, Medical School, University of Minnesota, 420 Delaware Street SE, Room A682, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
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Petersen N, London ED. Addiction and Dopamine: Sex Differences and Insights from Studies of Smoking. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2018; 23:150-159. [PMID: 30746429 PMCID: PMC6368096 DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2018.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Mesolimbic dopaminergic function influences addiction through effects on reinforcement learning, decision-making, and impulsivity. This review covers sex differences in dopaminergic neurochemistry, their hormonal and genetic determinants, and how differences in dopaminergic tone interact with sex and/or ovarian hormone status to affect cognitive functions. Findings from research on cigarette smoking reveal sex differences in striatal and midbrain dopamine D2-type receptor availability and striatal dopamine release that suggest mechanisms of nicotine dependence, and stronger subjective responses to nicotine and efficacy of nicotine replacement therapies in male smokers than in their female counterparts. Opportunities exist to extend such efforts in studies of how sex and hormone status influence other addictions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Petersen
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA, 90024
| | - Edythe D. London
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA, 90024,Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA, 90024,Brain Research Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA, 90024,Corresponding author: Dr. Edythe D. London, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute, University of California Los Angeles, 760 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90025, USA, Tel: 310 825 0606, Fax: 310 825-0812,
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